Sangha is a Buddhist monastic order, traditionally composed of four groups: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. It is a part of the Threefold Refuge, a basic creed of Buddhism, along with the Buddha and the dharma (teaching) . The sangha originated in the group of disciples who renounced the worldly life to wander with the Buddha and listen to his teachings. After the Buddha’s death, his disciples continued to live together as a community, wandering from place to place, living off the receipt of alms. The modern sangha is governed by disciplinary rules (vinaya) that form part of the sacred canon. Generally, the monastic order is dependent on the lay community for economic support in the form of alms or large gifts of money and property, since Buddhist monks do not engage in commerce or agriculture.
In the context of Class 6 History, Sangha is an association of those who left their homes in search of true knowledge. According to Buddha and Mahavira, true knowledge can be gained only after people left their homes and became monks. The rules meant for the Buddhist Sangha were written down in the book called Vinaya Pitaka.
