A formal act of the saṅgha that requires an initial motion followed by the statement of the proposed act, repeated three times. Such an act is needed to fully ordain a person and to officially threaten an intransigent monk, among other occasions.

One of five types of disciplinary acts meted out by the saṅgha. This was first imposed on the Pandulohitaka monks for their quarrelsomeness.

One of five types of disciplinary acts meted out by the saṅgha. A chastening is imposed with an act by motion and triple resolution on a person who repeatedly incurs saṅgha remnant offenses before having finished making amends for previous saṅgha remnant offenses.

One of five types of disciplinary acts meted out by the saṅgha. An expulsion is imposed with an act by motion and triple resolution on a person who refuses to stop harassing householders and will not allow the saṅgha to meet to discuss the matter, will not give other monks the opportunity to make an accusation, and will not recognize any offense.

One of five types of disciplinary acts meted out by the saṅgha. A reconciliation is imposed with an act by motion and triple resolution on a monk who has done injury to a householder. The monk is thus made to reconcile with the householder.

One of five types of disciplinary acts meted out by the saṅgha. A monk may be suspended on one of seven grounds: failing to acknowledge a fault; refusing to amend one’s behavior; refusing to relinquish deviant views; being overly belligerent and quarrelsome; creating the circumstances for a quarrel; maintaining overly close relations with nuns, unruly people, or malingerers; and refusing to let go of a dharma matter that has been peacefully resolved.

Monks and nuns are expected to willingly confess (Tib. spro ba mthol bshags) or admit to any offenses they commit. If they fail to acknowledge wrongdoing when prompted by another monk or nun to do, the saṅgha may suspend them for their recalcitrance.

One of five types of disciplinary acts meted out by the saṅgha. A monk may be expelled on one of seven grounds: failing to acknowledge a fault; refusing to amend or rehabilitate one’s behavior; refusing to relinquish deviant views; being overly belligerent and quarrelsome; creating the circumstances for a quarrel; maintaining overly close relations with nuns, unruly people, or malingerers; and refusing to let go of a dharma matter that has been peacefully resolved.

For at least five years after ordination, monks and nuns must live with or near a monastic mentor or “support” (Tib. gnas; Skt. niśraya). Generally, the preceptor (Tib. mkhan po; Skt. upādhyāya) serves as the new monk or nun’s “support,” in which case the new admit is called a “ward.” But if the mentee wishes to travel while their mentor does not (or vice versa), the ward must take a new support from among the saṅgha elders. The new support is known as the “support instructor” (Tib. gnas kyi slob dpon; Skt. niśrayācārya) while the new monk or nun is known as their “apprentice” (Tib. nye gnas; Skt. antevāsika). See The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1, ch. 1), 1.628–1.678.

The month of Āṣāḍha generally falls in June or July, and on its fifteenth day begins the “earlier rains” retreat.

A saṅgha at ease is a properly functioning monastic community, where official acts of the saṅgha, but especially the restoration rite, are observed. Kalyāṇamitra twice glosses the phrase “be at ease.” In the first example, he explains that monks are at ease in the knowledge that so long as they are on site, they will never be considered “separated from” their mantle, which would otherwise entail a fault. In a subsequent gloss, he writes that “to be at ease” means “to obtain purity” and hence “the joy felt due to the remission of one’s offenses.” This describes the state of a monastic who has made amends for their offenses. See Kalyāṇamitra (F.313.b–314.a): dge slong rnams bde ba la reg par gnas pa zhes bya ba ni las ’grub pa dang/ kha na ma tho ba med par ’gyur ba’i phyir ro, and F.318.a: bde ba la reg pa zhes bya ba ni rnam par dag pa thob pa ste/ ltung ba dang bral ba’i rgyus yid yongs su dga’ ba’o.

In Buddhist literature, this is an epithet applied to buddhas, most often to Śākyamuni. The Sanskrit term generally means “possessing fortune,” but in specifically Buddhist contexts it implies that a buddha is in possession of six auspicious qualities (bhaga) associated with complete awakening. The Tibetan term‍—where bcom is said to refer to “subduing” the four māras, ldan to “possessing” the great qualities of buddhahood, and ’das to “going beyond” saṃsāra and nirvāṇa‍—possibly reflects the commentarial tradition where the Sanskrit bhagavat is interpreted, in addition, as “one who destroys the four māras.” This is achieved either by reading bhagavat as bhagnavat (“one who broke”), or by tracing the word bhaga to the root √bhañj (“to break”).

Śīlapālita explains that here “holy” (Tib. tshangs pa; Skt. brahman) refers to nirvāṇa, and so, for Buddhists, a life or practice (Tib. spyod pa; Skt. carya) oriented to that end amounts to a “holy life.”See Śīlapālita (F.43.b): tshangs pa ni mya ngan las ’das pa yin la/ de’i rgyu mtshan du spyod pa ni tshangs par spyod pa ste/ de dang ’gal ba ni mi tshangs par spyod pa’o.

Central inner pillar or tree trunk that is said to give life to a stūpa or sacred statue.

In Skt. also layana, the common name for a monk’s residence. In this translation, we distinguish between “residence” (Tib. gnas mal; Skt. śayanāsana) and “dwelling” (Tib. gnas khang; Skt. layana). Here, “residence” includes the residence’s furnishings, i.e. its “bedding and seating” (also Tib. gnas mal; Skt. śayanāsana). Rendered by Yijing as 房 (Taishō 1041).

See “male lay vow holder.”

A female who has been inducted into the novitiate (Tib. dge tshul nyid du bsgrub). Female novices in the Mūlasarvāstivādin tradition take ten precepts.

The Mūlasarvāstivādin tradition groups the Buddha’s discourses into four divisions, also called the Four Āgamas (Tib. mdo sde’i lung sde bzhi): the Dīrghāgama (Tib. lung ring po); the Madhyamāgama (Tib. lung bar ma); the Saṃyuktāgama (Tib. lung dag ldan/ yang dar par ldan pa’i lung); and the Ekottarikāgama (Tib. lung gcig las ’phros pa). They are more familiar to many English-speaking Buddhists through their Pali correlates, the Dīghanikāya, Majjhimanikāya, Samyuttanikāya, and Aṅguttaranikāya‍—often translated as the Long Discourses, Middle-Length Discourses, Connected Discourses, and Numerical Discourses, respectively.

An ancient Indian measure of distance. Variously defined and sometimes translated as “furlong”, a yojana is often said to be the distance cattle can plow without a rest.

In The Chapter on the Restoration Rite, 1.­86, the Buddha states that the gaṇḍī beam may be used in five ways: to summon the saṅgha, for formal acts, for the dead, for meditation, and for danger. See also The Gaṇḍī Sūtra (Toh 298), where the Buddha describes the gaṇḍī beam’s use and characteristics.

The Sanskrit pravrajyā literally means “going forth,” with the sense of leaving the life of a householder and embracing the life of a renunciant. When the term is applied more technically, it refers to the act of becoming a male novice (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or female novice (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma), this being a first stage leading to full ordination.

Rendered by Yijing as 下廊簷前(Taishō 1041).

A town.

If a monk does not fulfill his pledge to remain at a site for the duration of the earlier or later rains, his rains retreat has been “interrupted.” Such “interruptions” in the rain retreat violate the pledge to stay in one place.

This term refers to those who become monks or nuns after having a family. In ordinary Skt. usage mahallaka is used as a respectful direct address to an elder. In the Vinaya, these monastics are usually addressed as “latecomer” rather than as “venerable,” the customary address for ordained monks and nuns. This may suggest that “latecomers” occupied a special place within the saṅgha somewhat separate from those who joined before having a family.

A Buddhist lay vow holder who pledges to refrain from at least one but often all five actions of killing, stealing, pretending to superhuman qualities, committing sexual misconduct, and imbibing intoxicants like alcohol. An additional, optional pledge can be made to complete celibacy.

A male who has been inducted into the novitiate (Tib. dge tshul nyid du bsgrub). Male novices in the Mūlasarvāstivādin tradition take ten precepts.

A monk in charge of providing for monastery residents and visitors. One of several official administrative or managerial positions at a monastery.

Before a formal gathering of the saṅgha, a gaṇḍī beam is struck and the relevant matter at hand requiring the monks’ presence is announced.

In the ancient Indian context, a vihāra was originally a place where the wandering vihārin monks would stay during the monsoon only; these later developed into permanent domiciles for monks. The Tibetan term gtsug lag khang refers to the house or temple where the sacred texts are kept and studied.

The term bhikṣu, often translated as “monk,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist monks and nuns‍—like other ascetics of the time‍—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity. In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a monk follows 253 rules as part of his moral discipline. A nun (bhikṣuṇī; dge slong ma) follows 364 rules. A novice monk (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or nun (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma) follows thirty-six rules of moral discipline (although in other vinaya traditions novices typically follow only ten).

The compound term Tib. gnas mal; Skt. śayanāsana comprises the words “dwelling” or “bed” (see Tib. gnas and mal cha; Skt. śayana) and “seating” (Tib. stan; Skt. āsana). In Vinaya usage, it refers to a monastic residence and its furnishings. The “residence caretaker” (Tib. gnas mal bstabs pa also gnas mal stobs pa; Skt. śayanāsanaparihāra and śayanāsanagrāhaka) is in charge of distributing keys for the individual “dwellings” (Tib. gnas khang; Skt. layana) on site. He must also ensure that no furnishings or bedding (Skt. śayanāsana) are lost. Kalyāṇāmitra (F.316.a): gnas mal bstabs pa zhes bya ba ni mal cha dang stan la sogs pa las mi dbral ba’o. The “residence caretaker” is one of five kinds of “caretaker” (Tib. bstabs pa; Skt. parihāra) introduced in The Chapter on the Restoration Rite (Toh 1, ch. 2), 3.­3: (1) “site caretaker” (Tib. gnas bstabs pa; Skt. vastuparihāra), (2) “residence caretaker” (Tib. gnas mal bstabs pa; Skt. śayanāsanaparihāra), (3) “work caretaker” (Tib. las bstabs pa; Skt. karmaparihāra), (4) “supplies caretaker” (Tib. rnyed pa bstabs pa; Skt. lābhaparihāra), and (5) “attendant caretaker” (Tib. bsnyen bkur ba bstabs pa; Skt. upasthāyakaparihāra). See also n.­8.

A formal motion to the saṅgha.

Some heirs to Sarvāstivādin monastic lineages, initially clustered around Mathurā and regions to its northwest, claimed primacy among the Sarvāstivādins in calling themselves the Mūlasarvāstivādin, or “Original Sarvāstivādins” (Fumi Yao, “On the Name ‘Mūlasarvāstivādin,’ ” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies 55, no. 2 (2007): 246–47). Their vinaya, the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, which was written and compiled in Sanskrit circa the second through the sixth centuries ᴄᴇ, is the longest of all known vinayas. Unfortunately, the most accurate description of “Mūlasarvāstvādin” is tautological: the Mūlasarvāstivādins are the upholders of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, because the only reliable means we have of distinguishing the “Mūlasarvāstivādins” from the Sarvāstivādins is by their respective vinayas‍—the former contains extensive “settings” and avadāna while the latter does not. (See also the entry on Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya). Furthermore, the Mūlasarvāstivādins seem to have shared much of their sūtra and abhidharma texts with the Sarvāstivādins. Although other ways of distinguishing them from other nikāya or “ordination lineages” are recorded in Indic texts‍—which were included in the Vinaya section of the Tengyur (Toh 4138–4140)‍—these are, in fact, extracts from śāstra, and the descriptions they give are not entirely consistent.

A serpent-like creature that is said to have the ability to shapeshift and assume human form, often to hear the Dharma. In the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, nāgas are depicted as generally benign in intentions but noxious in form.

The term bhikṣuṇī, often translated as “nun,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term bhikṣu (to which the female grammatical ending ṇī is added) literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist nuns and monks‍—like other ascetics of the time‍—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity. In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a bhikṣuṇī follows 364 rules and a bhikṣu follows 253 rules as part of their moral discipline.For the first few years of the Buddha’s teachings in India, there was no ordination for women. It started at the persistent request and display of determination of Mahāprajāpatī, the Buddha’s stepmother and aunt, together with five hundred former wives of men of Kapilavastu, who had themselves become monks. Mahāprajāpatī is thus considered to be the founder of the nun’s order.

A female must spend two years as a nun postulant before taking ordination as a nun. Nun postulants in the Mūlasarvāstivādin tradition observe six primary duties and six secondary duties.

A penance is a remedial act imposed on a monk for having concealed a saṅgha remnant. The monk must ask the saṅgha to give him a penance, during which the monk loses five privileges and must perform five menial chores. After completing the penance, the saṅgha may grant a rescission (q.v.) of the punishment, thus restoring the monk’s privileges. See also n.­54.

The five types of persons labeled a paṇḍaka are intersex persons, rhythm-consecutive persons, sexually submissive persons, persons with a cuckold fetish, and persons with a sexual disability. See also the glossary entry in The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1, ch. 1), g.­281.

The phrase “pledge to settle for the rains” translates the Tib. dbyar bzhugs par dam bzhes, dbyar gnas dam bcas pa, dbyar gnas par khas blang pa, dbyar gnas dam bcas pa,dbyar gnas par zhal gyis bzhes pa, and dbyar gnas par dam bzhes pa. Although Sanskrit parallels are not available in each instance, we take them all to be translations of varṣā (Tib. dbyar, the “rains” or “rainy season”) plus forms of upa√gam, e.g., varṣopagata, varṣām upagacchati. Kalyāṇamitra (F.271.b) explains that “pledging to observe the rains retreat” involves reciting a formula in which one pledges to remain at one site throughout the rains (dbyar gnas par zhal gyis bzhes so zhes bya ba sngags sngon du btang bas dbyar gnas gcig tu gnas par zhal gyis bzhes pa’o). Thus, the Tibetan dbyar gnas dam bca’ bar bya can also be translated, according to context, as “should undertake a rains retreat,” “should observe the rains retreat,” or “should commit to observe the rains retreat.”

One of the first Buddhist monasteries, located in a park outside Śrāvastī, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. This park was originally owned by Prince Jeta, hence the name Jetavana, meaning Jeta’s grove. The wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the Buddha, sought to buy it from him, but the prince, not wishing to sell, said he would only do so if Anāthapiṇḍada covered the entire property with gold coins. Anāthapiṇḍada agreed, and managed to cover all of the park except the entrance, hence the name Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ, meaning Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. The place is usually referred to in the sūtras as “Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park,” and according to the Saṃghabhedavastu the Buddha used Prince Jeta’s name in first place because that was Prince Jeta’s own unspoken wish while Anāthapiṇḍada was offering the park. Inspired by the occasion and the Buddha’s use of his name, Prince Jeta then offered the rest of the property and had an entrance gate built. The Buddha specifically instructed those who recite the sūtras to use Prince Jeta’s name in first place to commemorate the mutual effort of both benefactors. Anāthapiṇḍada built residences for the monks, to house them during the monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It was one of the Buddha’s main residences, where he spent around nineteen rainy season retreats, and it was therefore the setting for many of the Buddha’s discourses and events. According to the travel accounts of Chinese monks, it was still in use as a Buddhist monastery in the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, but by the sixth century it had been reduced to ruins.

A remedial act imposed on a monk for having committed a saṅgha remnant. A penance is imposed, in addition to the probation, if the offense is concealed. The offending monk must ask the saṅgha to give him a penance and/or probation, during which the monk loses five privileges and must perform five menial chores. After completing the penance and/or probation, the saṅgha may grant a rescission (q.v.) of the punishments, thus restoring the monk’s privileges. See also n.­55.

A generic name for disciplinary acts imposed by the saṅgha. See also “disciplinary act” (Tib. nan tur gyi las; Skt. praṇidhikarman).

The process by which the saṅgha restores a monk’s status. Following the completion of a probation (a remedial act imposed on a monk for having committed a saṅgha remnant) and/or a penance (imposed in addition to the probation if the offense was concealed), the saṅgha may rescind the punishment, lit. “give a rescission,” thus restoring the monk’s privileges.

The compound term Tib. gnas mal; Skt. śayanāsana comprises the words “dwelling” or “bed” (see Tib. gnas and mal cha; Skt. śayana) and “seating” (Tib. stan; Skt. āsana). In Vinaya usage, it refers to a monastic residence and its furnishings. The “residence caretaker” (Tib. gnas mal bstabs pa; Skt. śayanāsanaparihāra) is in charge of distributing keys for the individual “dwellings” (Tib. gnas khang; Skt. layana) on site. The term “dwelling/residence” (Tib. gnas mal; Skt. śayana) also appears in terms like bas mtha’ gnas mal, Skt. prāntaśayana (“remote residence”) and Tib. dben pa’i gnas mal (“isolated residence”).

The “rules adopted” at a monastic site are unique regulations devised to meet specific or local conditions. Yijing renders this term as both 立制 (Taishō 1445) and 所有制法 (Taishō 1446).

This term is used to denote a set of rights and responsibilities specific to one’s station in the saṅgha. The Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya contains several different sets of “rules of customary conduct”, e.g. those for monastic wards and apprentices, for forest-dwelling monks, and for monks in different administrative positions at a vihāra.

When a monk cannot participate in a proper restoration rite, he must sanction it. This is only a temporary “excusal” though, since the monk pledges to attend the next restoration rite he can. See Kalyāṇamitra F.318.a.2: byin gyis brlab po zhes bya ba ni dus gzhan du bya ba’i phyir dang/ gzhan par bya ba’o. Certain items (such as the three robes and the begging bowl) must also be “sanctioned” by the preceptor at ordination or later by the monastic if they have left them elsewhere overnight. And, citing a passage from The Chapter on the Restoration Rite (Toh 1, ch. 2, F.151.b–152.a, in our translation 3.­37 et seq.), Kalyāṇamitra (Toh 4113, F.244.a) explains that every fortnight before performing the restoration rite, if they have not already done so, monastics should scrutinize themselves for things that should be curbed (Tib. bsdam par bya ba; Skt. saṃvarakaraṇīya), that is, subtle mental faults; things that should be confessed (Tib. bshags par bya ba; Skt. deśanīya), that is, simple atonements, confessable offenses, and misdeeds; and things that should be sanctioned (Tib. byin gyis brlab pa; Skt. adhiṣṭheya), that is, saṅgha remnants and transgressions requiring forfeiture.

One of five types of offense a monk can incur. Second only to a defeat in severity, there are thirteen such offenses. After a monastic incurs a saṅgha remnant, they must complete a “probation” (Skt. mānāpya; Tib. mgu ba) or, if the offense was initially concealed, a “penance” (Skt. parivāsa; Tib. spo ba) followed by probation. During this time, the offending monk loses certain privileges and must perform menial tasks. Upon completion of this period of probation and penance, the saṅgha may then rescind the punishment with an “act of rescission” (Tib. dbyung ba’i las; Skt. āvarhaṇa or āvarhaṇakarman).

The vows of nun postulants consist of six primary vows and six secondary observances, all of which are modeled on the 364 vows of a nun. According to The Explanation of the Nuns’ Discipline (Toh 5), the six primary duties are that a nun postulant must not (1) travel alone on the road, (2) cross a body of water, (3) touch men, (4) stay together with a man, (5) act as a matchmaker, or (6) conceal an offense. The six accompanying duties are that a nun postulant must not (1) handle gold, (2) shave her pubic hair, (3) dig in the earth, (4) cut green grass, (5) eat what has not been properly given and accepted, or (6) eat what has been stored.

In the Mūlasarvāstivādin tradition, nuns have eight “solemn duties.” In his Saṃskṛtāsaṃskṛtaviniścaya, Daśabalaśrīmitra gives them as (1) women must receive entry into the renunciate order and ordination into the nunhood from the order of monks (in addition to receiving them from the order of nuns); (2) every fortnight, nuns must seek advice and instructions from the order of monks; (3) nuns must not undertake a rains retreat in a place devoid of monks; (4) a nun who has pledged to settle for the rains must confess to both saṅghas the “three grounds”‍—infractions she has seen, heard, or suspected during the rains; (5) nuns must not accuse or remind a monk of a lapse of pure conduct, view, observance, or livelihood; (6) a nun must not show anger toward a monk; (7) a nun who has lapsed in her solemn duties must serve a fortnight penance under both saṅghas; (8) a nun ordained for one hundred years must speak respectfully to, act with honor and palms pressed toward, and stand up together with a monk ordained for one day (Orgyan Nordrang 2008, p. 1763).

The month of Śrāvaṇa generally falls in July or August, and on its fifteenth day begins the “later rains” retreat.

During the life of the Buddha, Śrāvastī was the capital city of the powerful kingdom of Kośala, ruled by King Prasenajit, who became a follower and patron of the Buddha. It was also the hometown of Anāthapiṇḍada, the wealthy patron who first invited the Buddha there, and then offered him a park known as Jetavana, Prince Jeta’s Grove, which became one of the first Buddhist monasteries. The Buddha is said to have spent about twenty-five rainy seasons with his disciples in Śrāvastī, thus it is named as the setting of numerous events and teachings. It is located in present-day Uttar Pradesh in northern India.

“To establish steady alms,” i.e. to establish an endowment, thereby ensuring that monks have good food and drink. Also rendered “steady alms living” (Tib. mthun pa’i mchod sbyin brtan po; Skt. dhruvabhikṣā).

The contents of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya are summarized in indexical verses, or “summaries.” Each summary contains a list of headwords that index the material to follow. “Global summaries” (Tib. spyi’i sdom and bsdus pa’i sdom; Skt. piṇḍoddāna) generally summarize the entire text. The headwords of a “global summary” are repeated serially, in subordinate “summaries” in a nested hierarchy.

A “support” is the preceptor (Tib. mkhan po; Skt. upādhyāya) of a new renunciant or ordained person, who is called the preceptor’s “ward” (Tib. lhan gcig gnas pa; Skt. sārdhaṃvihārin). For at least five years after ordination, new admits to the saṅgha must live with or near a monastic mentor or “support.” If a new monk or nun wishes to travel while their mentor does not (or vice versa), the monk or nun must take a new support from among the saṅgha elders at their final destination. The new support is known as the “support instructor” (Tib. gnas kyi slob dpon; Skt. niśrayācārya) while the new monk or nun is known as their “apprentice” (Tib. nye gnas pa; Skt. antevāsika). See The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1, ch. 1), 1.628–1.678.

A stick (made of bamboo or another material) distributed to monks and used as a voting ballot or meal ticket. Also used by non-Buddhist orders as an identity certificate.

This term was used in Buddhist texts to refer to contemporary religious or philosophical orders, including Brahmanical traditions as well as non-Brahmanical traditions such as the Jains, Jaṭilas, Ājīvikas, and Cārvākas. Initially, the term tīrthika or tīrthya may have referred to non-Brahmanic ascetic orders. In Buddhist usage, the term generally carries a pejorative connotation and serves as a marker of differentiation between “us” and “them.”

“Turning over the begging bowl” is a formal act of the saṅgha in which the saṅgha agrees to reject the support of a lay vow holder for one of ten reasons, including disparaging a monk, saying unpleasant things about monks, speaking badly about monks, not assisting monks, or opposing their aims, etc. (for these ten, see Preeminent Account of Discipline, Toh 7a, vol. 13, F.45.b). This act may be reversed if relations between the lay vow holder and saṅgha improve.

A formal act of the saṅgha that requires an initial motion followed by the statement of the proposed act. Such an act is needed to grant the vows of full ordination to a nun, among other occasions.

A householder in the town of Hastibāla.

One of the three piṭakas, or “baskets,” of the Buddhist canon, the one dealing specifically with the code of monastic discipline.

For at least five years after ordination, monks and nuns must live with or near a monastic mentor or “support” (Tib. gnas; Skt. niśraya). Generally, the preceptor (Tib. mkhan po; Skt. upādhyāya) serves as the new monk or nun’s “support,” in which case the new admit is called a “ward.” But if the mentee wishes to travel while their mentor does not (or vice versa), the ward must take a new support from among the saṅgha elders. The new support is known as the “support instructor” (Tib. gnas kyi slob dpon; Skt. niśrayācārya) while the new monk or nun is known as their “apprentice” (Tib. nye gnas; Skt. antevāsika). See The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1-1), 1.628–1.678.