In canonical Buddhism, householder refers to a particular strata of society whose individuals are typified by having a home life and family. In contemporary Buddhist communities, householder is often used synonymously with "laity." There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. ...

The Buddhist notion of householder is often contrasted with that of ascetics (Pāḷi: samana) and monastics (bhikkhu and bhikkhuni), who would not live (for extended periods) in a normal house and who would pursue freedom from attachments to houses and families. For the town and district in Rajasthan, see Pali, Rajasthan For the Ganapati temple of pali and place in Maharastra, see Ballaleshwar Pali Pāli (Devanagari पालि) is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ... Samaná is a province of the Dominican Republic. ... Monasticism is one of the most fundamental institutions of Buddhism. ... A Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka In Pāli, a bhikkhu (male) or bhikkhuni (female) is a fully ordained Buddhist monk. ... Bhikkhuni refers to the tradition of Buddhist holy women, or nuns. ...

Lay disciples (upasaka and upasika) are householders and other laypersons who take refuge in the Triple Gem (the Buddha, his teaching and his community) and practice the Five Precepts. In southeast Asian communities, lay disciples also give alms to monks on their daily rounds and observe weekly uposatha days. Sravaka (Sanskrit śrāvaka; Tibetan nyan thos; Pali sāvaka) is a hearer, a term applied to the personal disciples of the Buddha, distinguished as mahā-śrāvaka; it is also applied to hearers, or disciples in general; but its general connotation relates it... Upasaka (Sanskrit for servant, female upasika) describes followers of Buddhism (Gautama Buddha) not being a monk or a member of a Buddhistic order; a lay follower. ... Upāsaka उपासक (masculine) or Upāsikā उपासिका (feminine) (Chinese 優婆塞 yōupósāi) are from the Sanskrit and Pāli words for attendant. This is the title of followers of Buddhism (Gautama Buddha) who are not monks, nuns or novices in a Buddhist order. ... Taking Refuge makes the difference between Buddhists and non-Buddhists. ... The Triratna or Three Jewels symbol, on a Buddha footprint. ... Media:Example. ... The word dharma (Sanskrit; धर्म in the Devanagari script) or dhamma (Pali) is used in most or all philosophies and religions of Indian origin, Dharmic faiths, namely Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma), Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. ... Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as association or assembly. It is commonly used in several senses to refer to Buddhist or Jain groups. ... The five precepts (Pali: PañcasÄ«la, Sanskrit: Pañcaśīla Ch: 五戒 wÇ” jiè, Sinhala: පන්සිල්) constitute the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by lay followers of the Buddha Gautama. ... Alms Bag taken from some Tapestry in Orleans, Fifteenth Century. ... Uposatha days are times of renewed dedication to Dhamma practice, observed by both lay people and monastics throughout the world of Theravada Buddhism. ...

In some traditional Buddhist societies, such as in Thailand, people transition between householder and monk and back to householder with regularity and celebration. One of the evolving features of Buddhism in the West is the increasing dissolution of the traditional distinction between monastics and laity.^[1]

Theravada perspectives

In the Pali canon, householders received diverse advice from the Buddha and his disciples. Some householders (who were also lay disciples) were even identified as having achieved nibbana. Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... Sravaka (Sanskrit śrāvaka; Tibetan nyan thos; Pali sāvaka) is a hearer, a term applied to the personal disciples of the Buddha, distinguished as mahā-śrāvaka; it is also applied to hearers, or disciples in general; but its general connotation relates it... The following article is about the term Nirvana in the context of Buddhism. ...

Core householder practices include undertaking the Five Precepts and taking refuge in the Triple Gem. In addition, the canon nurtures the essential bond between householders and monastics still apparent today in southeast Asian communities. This article is about the Buddhist concept; see Pancasila Indonesia for the Indonesian state philosophy. ... The Triratna or Three Jewels symbol, on a Buddha footprint. ...

Who's a householder?

In traditional Indian society, a householder (Sanskrit, grihastha) is typically a settled adult male with a family. Pronunciation Gri as the Gru in Gruel Has as the Hus in Husk tha as in thaw Word Root This is a Sanskrit word. ...

In the Buddhist Pali canon, various Pali words have been translated into the English word "householder" including agārika, gahapati, gahattha and gihin.^[2] Vocations most often associated with householders in the Pali canon are those of guild foreman, banker and merchant (Pali, seṭṭhi) but other vocations are mentioned such as farmer and carpenter.^[3] Other people in the canon who are sometimes identified as "householders" in contemporary translations are simply those individuals who dwelt in a home or who had not renounced "home life" (Pali, agārasmā) for "homelessness" (Pali, anagāriya).

Householder ethics

While there is no formal "householder discipline" or "code of ethics" in the ancient Buddhist Code of Ethics (Pali, Vinaya), the "Sigalovada Sutta" (DN 31)^[4] has been referred to as "the Vinaya of the householder."^[5] This sutta includes: The Vinaya (a word in Pali as well as in Sanskrit, with literal meaning discipline) is the textual framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha. ... Sigalovada Sutta is the 31st Sutta described in Digha Nikaya, the Long Discourses of Buddha. ... The Digha Nikaya (Collection of Long Discourses) is the first part of the Sutta Pitaka- one of the three baskets that compose the Pali Tipitaka. ... Sutra (सूत्र) in Sanskrit is derived from the verb siv-, meaning to sew (these words, including English to sew and Latinate suture, all derive from PIE *syū-). It literally means a rope or thread, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms...

• an enumeration of the Five Precepts
• an analysis of good-hearted (Pali: su-hada) friends
• a description of respectful actions for one's parents, teachers, spouse, friends, workers and religious guides.

Similarly, in the "Dhammika Sutta" (Sn 2.14),^[6] the Buddha articulates the "layman's rule of conduct" (Pali, gahatthavatta),^[7] as follows: The five precepts (Pali: Pañcasīla, Sanskrit: Pañcaśīla Ch: 五戒 wǔ jiè, Sinhala: පන්සිල්) constitute the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by lay followers of the Buddha Gautama. ... The Dhammika Sutta is part of the Sutta Nipata (Sn 2. ... The Sutta Nipata[1] is a sutta collection in the Khuddaka Nikaya, part of the Tripitaka Buddhist canon. ...

• the Five Precepts
• the Eight Precepts for Uposatha days
• support of one's parents
• engaging in fair business.

Other suttas in the canon likewise underline keeping the precepts, maintaining virtuous friends, homage to one's benefactors and earning one's wealth honestly.^[8] The five precepts (Pali: Pañcasīla, Sanskrit: Pañcaśīla Ch: 五戒 wǔ jiè, Sinhala: පන්සිල්) constitute the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by lay followers of the Buddha Gautama. ... The Eight Precepts are the precepts for Buddhist lay men and women who wish to practice a bit more strictly than the usual five precepts for Buddhists. ... Uposatha days are times of renewed dedication to Dhamma practice, observed by both lay people and monastics throughout the world of Theravada Buddhism. ...

Elsewhere in the Sutta Pitaka the Buddha provides moral instruction to householders and their family members^[9] on how to be good parents, spouses and children.^[10] The Sutta Pitaka (suttapiṭaka; or Suttanta Pitaka; Sanskrit सूत्र पिटक Sutra Pitaka) is the second of the three divisions of the Tipitaka or Pali Canon, the great Pali collection of Buddhist writings, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. ...

Lay-monastic reciprocity

Some suttas suggest that Buddhist renunciates are best going it alone.^[11] Many others celebrate and provide instruction for a vital reciprocity between householders and monastics. For instance, in the Khuddaka Nikaya,^[12] the Buddha articulates that "brahmins and householders" (Pali, brāhmanagahapatikā) support monks by providing monks with robes, alms food, lodgings and medicine while monks teach brahmins and householders the Dhamma. In this sutta, the Buddha declares: The Khuddaka Nikaya, or Minor Collection, is the last of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka. ... Alms Bag taken from some Tapestry in Orleans, Fifteenth Century. ... The word dharma (Sanskrit; धर्म in the Devanagari script) or dhamma (Pali) is used in most or all philosophies and religions of Indian origin, Dharmic faiths, namely Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma), Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. ...

Householders & the homeless [monastics]

in mutual dependence

both reach the true Dhamma:

the unsurpassed safety from bondage.^[13]

Householders & future lives

In the Pali canon, the pursuit of Nibbana (Skt: Nirvana) within this lifetime usually starts with giving up the householder life. This is due to the householder life's intrinsic attachments to a home, a spouse, children and the associated wealth necessary for maintaining the household. Thus, instead of advising householders to relinquish these and all attachments as a prerequisite for the complete liberation from samsara in this lifetime, the Buddha instructed householders on how to achieve happiness in this and future lives in a spiritually meaningful way. The Wheel of Life as portrayed within Buddhism, showing the cycle of Samsara, or reincarnation. ... Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the consciousness of a person (as conventionally regarded), upon the death or dissolution of the aggregates (skandhas) which make up that person, becomes one of the contributing causes for the arising of a new group of skandhas which may again be conventionally considered...

In Buddhism, a householder's spiritual path is often conceived of in terms of making merit (Pali: puñña). The primary bases for meritorous action in Buddhism are generosity (dāna), ethical conduct (sīla) and mental development (bhāvanā). Traditional Buddhist practices associated with such behaviors are summarized in the table below. Merit is a concept in Buddhism, and particularly in Theravada Buddhism. ...

Householders & Nibbana

The Anguttara Nikaya (AN 6.119 and AN 6.120^[14]) identifies 19 householders (gahapati)^[15] who have "seen deathlessness" (Pali, amata) and "realized the highest" (Pali, niṭṭhamgata) through their "unwavering faith" (Pali, aveccappasādena) in six things: The Anguttara Nikaya (Gradual Collection) is the fourth of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the three baskets that compose the Pali Tipitaka. ... The following article is about the term Nirvana in the context of Buddhism. ... Faith (saddhā / Å›raddhā) is an important constituent element of the teachings of the Buddha - both in the Theravada tradition and especially in the Mahayana. ...

• The Buddha
• the Teaching (Pali, Dhamma)
• the Community of bhikkhus (Pali, Sangha)^[16]
• noble moral discipline (Pali, ariyena sīlena)
• noble knowledge (Pali, ariyena ñānena)
• noble release (Pali, ariyāya vimuttiyā)

Media:Example. ... The word dharma (Sanskrit; धर्म in the Devanagari script) or dhamma (Pali) is used in most or all philosophies and religions of Indian origin, Dharmic faiths, namely Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma), Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. ... Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as association or assembly. It is commonly used in several senses to refer to Buddhist or Jain groups. ... In Sanskrit, śīla is a term in Indian-derived systems such as Hinduism and Buddhism which is usually rendered into English as behavioral discipline, morality, or ethics (Tibetan tshul khrims). ... Prajñā (Sanskrit; Pali: paññā; Tibetan: shes rab, Chinese: 般若, banruo) meaning wisdom, cognitive acuity; or know-how -- but especially the Buddhist wisdom that is based on a realization of dependent origination, not-self, emptiness, etc. ... Bodhi, the Pāli and Sanskrit word for awakening or enlightenment, is an abstract noun formed from the verbal root budh (awake, become aware, notice, know or understand), corresponding to the verbs bujjhati (Pāli) and bodhati or budhyate (Sanskrit). ...

Prominent householders in the Pali canon

The following are examples of individuals who are explicitly identified as a "householder" (Pali, gahapati) in multiple suttas:

• Anathapindika, is referenced for instance in AN 1.14.249 as "the householder Sudatta, the foremost lay devotee."^[17]
• Citta, referenced for instance in AN 1.14.250 as "the [foremost] householder for explaining the Teaching."^[18] In SN 17.23, Citta is one of two male lay disciples identified for emulation by the Buddha.^[19]
• Nakulapita and Nakulamata, referenced for instance in AN 1.14.257 and AN 1.14.266, respectively, as "the best confident" and the foremost "for undivided pleasantness."^[20]

Other individuals who are not explicitly identified in the suttas as "householder" but who, by the aforementioned broader critera, might be considered a householder include: Anathapindika - Chief lay disciple of Buddha, and his name means feeder of the orphans or helpless. His given name was Sudatta. ... The Anguttara Nikaya (Gradual Collection) is the fourth of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the three baskets that compose the Pali Tipitaka. ... Citta - one of the chief lay disciples of the Buddha. ...

• Ghatikara was a potter in the time of Buddha Kassapa. He was an Anagami and the chief supporter of Buddha Kassapa (MN 81).

In Hindu and Buddhist theology as it pertains to reincarnation, an anagami (or anaagaamii) is a non-returner; after death, he will not be reborn back into the human world, and will instead appear in one of the Brahma worlds called the Pure Abodes. ... This article is about Kashyapa Buddha, the ancient buddha. ...

Mahayana perspectives

In the Zen tradition, Vimalakīrti and Páng Yùn were prominent householders/laypersons who achieved enlightenment. Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that places great importance on moment-by-moment awareness and seeing deeply into the nature of things by direct experience. ... VimalakÄ«rti is by some considered to be the first Zen Buddhist Master aside from the Buddha himself. ... Layman Pang (Chinese: 龐居士 Páng JÅ«shì; full name 龐蘊 Páng Yùn) (740–808) was a celebrated lay Buddhist in the Chinese Chán (Zen) tradition. ...

Dogen recommended that householders meditate five minutes each day.^{[citation needed]} Dōgen Zenji Dōgen Zenji (道元禅師; also Kigen Dōgen 希玄道元) (19 January 1200–22 September 1253) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher born in Kyōto, and the founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan. ...

Vajrayana perspectives

The Vajrayana tradition has produced many prominent householders, from Milarepa to Dromton Gyalwa Jungne, the heart son of Atisha; Padmasambhava to mention a few. The ngakpa (not to be confused with ngakpang, a term used by the false tulku organisation Ar'o ter) is a householder with certain vows that make them the householder equivalent of an ordained bikshu. As such, we can see the prominence of householders in the Vajrayana tradition. One can, however, be a householder without taking the vows of a Ngakpa. Simply holding the five precepts, bodhisattva vows and the tantric vows while practising diligently can result in enlightenment. Jetsun Milarepa (Wylie: Rje-btsun Mi-la-ras-pa), 1052-1135 (approx) was one of one of Tibets most famous yogis and poets, a student of Marpa Lotsawa, and a major figure in the history of the Kagyu (Bka-brgyud) school of Tibetan Buddhism. ... AtiÅ›a Dipamkara Shrijnana (Bangla: অতীশ দীপঙ্কর শ্রীজ্ঞান) (982 - 1054 CE) was a Buddhist teacher who reintroduced Buddhism into Tibet after King Langdharma had nearly destroyed it. ... Guru Rinpoche - Padmasambhava statue - near Kullu, India Padmasambhava (also Padmakara or Padma Raja) (Ch: 蓮華生上師, Pinyin: Lian Hua Sheng Shang Shi; Tib: Pema Jungne, Wylie: padma byung gnas), in Sanskrit meaning lotus-born, is said to have brought Tantric Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century. ... In Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Ngagpas (sNgags-pa) or male practitioners (female practioners are knowns as Ngagmas or Ngagmos) are non-monastic practitioners of such disciplines as Vajrayana, shamanism, Tibetan medicine, Tantra and Dzogchen amongst other traditions, disciplines and arts. ... A Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka A Bhikkhu (Pāli) or Bhiksu (Sanskrit) is a fully ordained male Buddhist monastic. ...

Contemporary Buddhist householder practices

Below common contemporary lay Buddhist practices are summarized. Some of these practices — such as taking Refuge and meditating — are common to all major schools. Other practices — such as taking the Eight Precepts or the Bodhisattva Vows — are not pan-Buddhist.

Theravada practices

For Theravada Buddhists, the following are practiced on a daily and weekly basis:

Daily practice: prostrations to the Triple Gem, taking refuge in the Triple Gem, taking the Five Precepts, chanting other verses, meditating, giving and sharing (Pali: dana). In Buddhism, a prostration (Pali: panipāta, Skt. ... The Triratna or Three Jewels symbol, on a Buddha footprint. ... Taking Refuge makes the difference between Buddhists and non-Buddhists. ... The five precepts (Pali: Pañcasīla, Sanskrit: Pañcaśīla Ch: 五戒 wǔ jiè, Sinhala: පන්සිල්) constitute the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by lay followers of the Buddha Gautama. ... A Buddhist chant is a form of musical verse or incantation, in some ways analogous to Hindu or Christian religious recitations. ... Buddhist meditation, meditation used in the practice of Buddhism, includes any method of meditation that has Enlightenment as its ultimate aim. The closest word for meditation in the classical languages of Buddhism is bhavana or mental development. // Methods of meditation The main methods of Buddhist meditation are divided into samatha... Dana is a Sanskrit and Pali word meaning generosity or giving. ...

Uposatha (sabbath) practices: practicing the Eight Precepts, studying Buddhist scriptures, visiting and supporting Buddhist monks, visiting and supporting Buddhist monasteries. Uposatha days are times of renewed dedication to Dhamma practice, observed by both lay people and monastics throughout the world of Theravada Buddhism. ... The Eight Precepts are the precepts for Buddhist lay men and women who wish to practice a bit more strictly than the usual five precepts for Buddhists. ... There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. ... A Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka In Pāli, a bhikkhu (male) or bhikkhuni (female) is a fully ordained Buddhist monk. ... WaT (Wentz and Teppei) is a Japanese pop duo, composed of singer/songwriters Eiji Wentz and Teppei Koike. ...

Other practices: undertaking a pilgrimage. The most important places of pilgrimage in Buddhism are located the Gangetic plains of Northern India and Southern Nepal, in the area between New Delhi and Rajgir. ...

Mahayana practices

Daily practices: Chanting sutra, Buddha's name, meditating, prostrations, cultivating compassion and bodhichitta. In Buddhist thought, bodhicitta (Ch. ...

Special day practices: 8 precepts, listening to teachings, supporting Sangha, performing offering ceremonies.

Other practices: Bodhisattva vows. In the Bodhisattva vows (sometimes called the Bodhisattva Precepts) of Mahayana Buddhism, the bodhisattvas take vows stating that they will not realize or attain Nirvana until all sentient beings have done so. ...

Vajrayana practices

Daily practices: Tantric sadhanas, prostrations, refuge, cultivating compassion and bodhichitta. In Buddhist thought, bodhicitta (Ch. ...

Special day practices: 8 precepts, listening to teachings, offering ceremonies.

Other practices: Studying texts, receiving initiations.

See also

• Practices:

• Alms (Buddhism), Dana (Buddhism)
• Householder vows
• Uposatha

• Buddhist disciples:

• Bhikkhu, Bhikkhuni (Buddhist monastic disciples)
• Upasaka, Upasika (Buddhist lay disciples)

• Suttas:

• Dhammika Sutta (Sn 2.14)
• Dighajanu Sutta (AN 8.54)
• Sigalovada Sutta (DN 31)

Alms Bag taken from some Tapestry in Orleans, Fifteenth Century. ... Dana is a Sanskrit and Pali word meaning generosity or giving. ... The Pratimoksha (skt. ... Uposatha days are times of renewed dedication to Dhamma practice, observed by both lay people and monastics throughout the world of Theravada Buddhism. ... Sravaka (Sanskrit śrāvaka; Tibetan nyan thos; Pali sāvaka) is a hearer, a term applied to the personal disciples of the Buddha, distinguished as mahā-śrāvaka; it is also applied to hearers, or disciples in general; but its general connotation relates it... A Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka In Pāli, a bhikkhu (male) or bhikkhuni (female) is a fully ordained Buddhist monk. ... Bhikkhuni refers to the tradition of Buddhist holy women, or nuns. ... Monasticism is one of the most fundamental institutions of Buddhism. ... Upasaka (Sanskrit for servant, female upasika) describes followers of Buddhism (Gautama Buddha) not being a monk or a member of a Buddhistic order; a lay follower. ... Upāsaka उपासक (masculine) or Upāsikā उपासिका (feminine) (Chinese 優婆塞 yōupósāi) are from the Sanskrit and Pāli words for attendant. This is the title of followers of Buddhism (Gautama Buddha) who are not monks, nuns or novices in a Buddhist order. ... Sutra (सूत्र) in Sanskrit is derived from the verb siv-, meaning to sew (these words, including English to sew and Latinate suture, all derive from PIE *syÅ«-). It literally means a rope or thread, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms... The Dhammika Sutta is part of the Sutta Nipata (Sn 2. ... The Sutta Nipata is a sutta collection in the Khuddaka Nikaya, part of the Tripitaka Buddhist canon. ... The Dighajanu Sutta, also known as Byagghapajja Sutta and Vyagghapajja Sutta, is part of the Anguttara Nikaya (AN 8. ... The Anguttara Nikaya (Gradual Collection) is the fourth of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the three baskets that compose the Pali Tipitaka. ... Sigalovada Sutta is the 31st Sutta described in Digha Nikaya, the Long Discourses of Buddha. ... The Digha Nikaya (Collection of Long Discourses) is the first part of the Sutta Pitaka- one of the three baskets that compose the Pali Tipitaka. ...

Notes

1. ^ See, for instance, Wallace (2002), p. 35, who writes:

   "For all the diversity of Buddhist practices in the West, general trends in the recent transformations of Buddhist practice ... can be identified. These include an erosion of the distinction between professional and lay Buddhists; a decentralization of doctrinal authority; a diminished role for Buddhist monastics; an increasing spirit of egalitarianism; greater leadership roles for women; greater social activism; and, in many cases, an increasing emphasis on the psychological, as opposed to the purely religious, nature of practice."

2. ^ The Pali Text Society's (PTS) "Pali-English Dictionary" provides the following definitions for these various householder-related Pali words (listed alphabetically below):
   • agārika - "having a house..., householder, layman," juxtaposed with anagārika. Similarly, agārikā is translated as "housewife." (PTS, 1921-25, p. 3, entry for agārika.)
   • gahapati - "the possessor of a house, the head of the household, pater familias," often with a social status similar to high-ranking personages (Pali, khattiyā) and brahmins, suggesting comfort and wealth; may be used as a form of address comparable to "Sir." (PTS, 1921-25, p. 248, entry for gahapati.) See also Buddhadatta, 2002, p. 96, where "gaha-ttha" is defined as "a layman; householder" and "gaha-pati" is defined as "master of a house"; and, Nattier (2003), pp. 22-25, which provides contextual information to support its conclusion: "The word gṛhapati [Sanskrit for the Pali gahapati] is thus not an indicator of simple householder status but rather of significant social and financial standing, and it would have been applied only to a relatively limited segment of the lay Buddhist population."
   • gahattha - "a householder, one who leads the life of a layman." (PTS, 1921-25, p. 247, entry for gaha with mention of use with the suffix -ttha.)
   • gihin - "a householder, one who leads a domestic life, a layman." (PTS, 1921-25, p. 251, entry for gihin.)

   In the Pali canon, these terms for "householder" can be combined with some other appellations. For instance, in the Sāleyyaka Sutta (MN 41), the Buddha is addressed by sāleyyakā brāhmana-gahapatikā which, for instance, is translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi (2005, p. 156) as "brahmin householders of Sālā." The Pali Text Society was founded in 1881 by T.W. Rhys Davids to foster and promote the study of Pali texts. Pali is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism is preserved. ... In Buddhist context, an anagarika is a white-robed student in the Theravada tradition who, for a few months, awaits being considered for Samaneras ordination. ... The pater familias was the eldest or ranking male in a Roman household. ... Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ...

   
   Within the Pali canon, there is a "Householder section" (Gahapativagga) in the following nikayas: Nikaya is a word of Pali origin and Sanskrit usage which was adopted into English in reference to Buddhist texts. ...

   • the Majjhima Nikaya (MN 51 to MN 60) (see Nanamoli & Bodhi, 2001, pp. 441-519).
   • the Samyutta Nikaya (SN 12.41 to SN 12.50) (see Bodhi, 2000, pp. 578-86, and, in the Sinhalese Tipitaka, http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/3Samyutta-Nikaya/Samyutta2/12-Abhisamaya-Samyutta/05-Gahapativaggo-e.html).
   • the Anguttara Nikaya (AN 8.3) (see, in the Sinhalese Tipitaka, http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara5/8-atthakanipata/003-gahapativaggo-e.html).
3. ^ See PTS (1921-25) entries for gahapati[1] and satthi.[2]
4. ^ DN 31 is translated in Narada (1996).
5. ^ This epithet is attributed to Buddhaghosa in Narada (1995) and is referenced in Law (1932-33), p. 85, n. 1, and Bodhi (2005), p. 109.
6. ^ Ireland (1983).
7. ^ PTS, p. 247, under the entry for "gaha (1)"
8. ^ See, for instance, the Dighajanu Sutta.
9. ^ For example, in DN 31, the Buddha addresses "Sigalaka the householder's son" (Bodhi, 2005, pp. 116-8).
10. ^ See, for instance, additional examples in Narada (1995) and in Bodhi (2005)'s chapter, "The Happiness Visible in this Present Life," pp. 107-142.
11. ^ For instance, the Rhinoceros Sutta (Snp 1.3) (Thanissaro, 1997) has the frequent cautionary refrain: "wander alone like a rhinoceros."
12. ^ Itivuttaka 4.8 (Thanissaro, 2001).
13. ^ Thanissaro (2001).
14. ^ In an on-line English-language Sinhalese Tipitaka, these suttas are identified as AN 6.12.3 and 6.12.4 respectively, and are available at http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara4/6-chakkanipata/012-samannavaggo-e.html. An on-line Pali-language version of these Sinhalese suttas, identified as AN 6.2.17 through 6.2.34 (with a separate verse for each gahapati), are available at http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara4/6-chakkanipata/012-samannavaggo-p.html.
15. ^ Nyanaponika & Hecker (2003), p. 365, state that AN 6.120 refers to 21 "eminent lay disciples." The actual Pali text itself explicitly identifies 18 householders (gahapati) and three lay disciples (upasaka; see also, savaka); nonetheless, many of these identified householders are also identified as "foremost" (agga) lay disciples in AN 1.14.[3] Tangentially, Bodhi (2005), p. 226, notes that a lay disciple is able to achieve the state of nonreturner but is not able to achieve arahantship unless upon death or, after realizing such, they immediately become monastics.
16. ^ These first three objects of faith -- the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha -- are known in Buddhism as the Triple Gem.
17. ^ In an on-line English-language Sinhalese Tipitaka, see http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara1/1-ekanipata/014-Etadaggapali-e.html. Also see, Nyanaponika & Hecker (2003), pp. 337-62.
18. ^ In an on-line English-language Sinhalese Tipitaka, see http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara1/1-ekanipata/014-Etadaggapali-e.html. Also see, Nyanaponika & Hecker (2003), pp. 365-72.
19. ^ Bodhi (2000), p. 688. This sutta is entitled, "Only Son," and in it the Buddha states:

    "A faithful female lay follower, rightly imploring her only son, dear and beloved, might implore him thus: 'Dear, you should become like Citta the householder and Hatthaka of Alavaka — for this is the standard and criterion for my male disciples who are lay followers...."

20. ^ Also see AN 4.55 in Bodhi (2005), pp. 121-2, 433 n. 3. Note that, technically, Nakulapita is identified as the "householder" and, his spouse, Nakulamata as the "householder's wife."
21. ^ Kapleau (1989), p. 191.
22. ^ Daily chanting among Mahayana Buddhists can be found, for instance, among Nichiren and Pure Land practitioners.
23. ^ Examples in the Pali canon where the Buddha extols the practice of the Five Precepts includes in the Dhammika Sutta and in the Sigalovada Sutta.
24. ^ In the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, the Buddha states that devotees can do pilgrimages to his birthplace, the place of his Awakening, the place of his first teaching and the place of his death. Other sites have also been traditionally recognized by Theravada practitioners. For more information, see Pilgrimage (Buddhism).

The Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha, is the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka. ... The Samyutta Nikaya, the third Nikaya (division) of the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). ... Bhadantācariya Buddhaghosa was a 5th century Indian Theravadin Buddhist commentator and scholar. ... The Dighajanu Sutta, also known as Byagghapajja Sutta and Vyagghapajja Sutta, is part of the Anguttara Nikaya (AN 8. ... The Digha Nikaya (Collection of Long Discourses) is the first part of the Sutta Pitaka- one of the three baskets that compose the Pali Tipitaka. ... The Rhinoceros Sutra (Pāli: Khaggavisāna-sutta) is a very early Buddhist text advocating the merit of solitary asceticism for pursuing enlightenment (as opposed to practicing as a householder or in a community of monks or nuns). ... The Sutta Nipata is a sutta collection in the Khuddaka Nikaya, part of the Tripitaka Buddhist canon. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Tripitaka (Sanskrit, lit. ... Upasaka (Sanskrit for servant, female upasika) describes followers of Buddhism (Gautama Buddha) not being a monk or a member of a Buddhistic order; a lay follower. ... Sravaka (Sanskrit śrāvaka; Tibetan nyan thos; Pali sāvaka) is a hearer, a term applied to the personal disciples of the Buddha, distinguished as mahā-śrāvaka; it is also applied to hearers, or disciples in general; but its general connotation relates it... The Anguttara Nikaya (Gradual Collection) is the fourth of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the three baskets that compose the Pali Tipitaka. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... A garden featuring depictions of various arhats (Hsi Lai Temple, California) An arhat (Sanskrit, also arahat or arahant (Pali); Chinese: 阿羅漢, āluóhàn, luóhàn, lohan; Tibetan: dgra-bcom-pa; Jp. ... The Triratna or Three Jewels symbol, on a Buddha footprint. ... Hatthaka of Alavi (given name Alavaka) was one of the Chief lay male disciples of the Buddha, mentioned in text along with Citta in the Buddhavamsa xxvi. ... Nichiren (日蓮) (February 16, 1222 – October 13, 1282), born Zennichimaro (善日麿), later Zeshō-bō Renchō (是生房蓮長), and finally Nichiren (日蓮), was a Buddhist monk of 13th century Japan. ... The Buddha Amitabha, 13th century, Kamakura, Japan. ... Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... The five precepts (Pali: PañcasÄ«la, Sanskrit: Pañcaśīla Ch: 五戒 wÇ” jiè, Sinhala: පන්සිල්) constitute the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by lay followers of the Buddha Gautama. ... The Dhammika Sutta is part of the Sutta Nipata (Sn 2. ... Sigalovada Sutta is the 31st Sutta described in Digha Nikaya, the Long Discourses of Buddha. ... For the Mahāparinirvāṇa SÅ«tra, a text of East Asian Mahayana Buddhism, see Nirvana Sutra. ... The most important places of pilgrimage in Buddhism are located the Gangetic plains of Northern India and Southern Nepal, in the area between New Delhi and Rajgir. ...

References

• Bodhi, Bhikkhu (trans.) (2000). The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-331-1.
• Bodhi, Bhikkhu (ed.) (2005), In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-491-1.
• Buddhadatta Mahathera, A.P. (2002). Concise Pali-English Dictionary. Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 81-208-0605-0.
• Ireland, John D. (trans.) (1983). Sn 2.14, Dhammika Sutta: Dhammika (excerpt). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.2.14.irel.html.
• Kapleau, Philip (1989). Zen: Merging of East and West. NY:Anchor Book. ISBN 0-385-26104-7.
• Law, Bimala Churn (1932-33), "Nirvana and Buddhist Laymen" in the Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 14, 1932-1933, pp. 80-86. Available on-line at: http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ENG/lawn.htm.
• Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu (trans.) & Bhikkhu Bodhi (ed.) (2001). The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-072-X.
• Narada Thera (1995). Everyman's Ethics: Four Discourses of the Buddha. Available on-line at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/narada/wheel014.html.
• Narada Thera (trans.) (1996). DN 31, Sigalovada Sutta: The Discourse to Sigala, The Layperson's Code of Discipline. Available on-line at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.31.0.nara.html.
• Nattier, Jan (2003). A Few Good Men: The Bodhisattva Path according to The Inquiry of Ugra (Ugraparpṛcchā). Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 0-8248-2607-8.
• Nyanaponika Thera & Hellmuth Hecker, Bhikkhu Bodhi (ed.) (2003). Great Disciples of the Buddha: Their Lives, their Works, their Legacy. Somerville, MA:Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-381-8.
• Pali Text Society (PTS) (1921-1925). The Pali Text Society's Pali-English dictionary. London: Chipstead. Available on-line at: http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/.
• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997). Khaggavisana Sutta: A Rhinoceros Horn (Snp 1.3). Available on-line at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/khuddaka/suttanipata/snp1-03.html.
• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2001). The Group of Fours. (Iti. 100-112). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/iti/iti.4.100-112.than.html. Itivuttaka 4.8 is available at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/iti/iti.4.100-112.than.html#iti-107.
• Wallace, Alan (2002). "The Spectrum of Buddhist Practice in the West" in Charles Prebish & Martin Baumann (eds.), Westward Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Asia. Berkeley:University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22625-9. Also available on-line at: http://www.alanwallace.org/The%20Spectrum%20of%20Buddhist%20Practice.pdf.

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Philip Kapleau was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and became a teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Harada-Yasutani tradition, a blending of Soto and Rinzai schools. ... Nyanaponika Thera (July 21, 1901, Hanau – 19 October 1994, Forest Hermitage, Kandy, Ceylon) was a German-born Sri-Lanka-ordained Theravada monk, co-founder of the Buddhist Publication Society[1], contemporary author of numerous seminal Theravada books, and teacher of contemporary Western Buddhist leaders such as Bhikkhu Bodhi. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Pali Text Society was founded in 1881 by T.W. Rhys Davids to foster and promote the study of Pali texts. Pali is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism is preserved. ... Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff) (1949 - ) is an American Buddhist monk of the Thai forest kammathana tradition. ... The Sutta Nipata is a sutta collection in the Khuddaka Nikaya, part of the Tripitaka Buddhist canon. ...

External links

• "Gahapati" and "Gaha-ttha" - two PTS Pali-English Dictionary (PED) entries related to "householder."
• "Lay Buddhist Practice: The Shrine Room, Uposatha Day, Rains Residence", by Bhikkhu Khantipalo (Wheel No. 206/207, 1982)
• "The Eightfold Path for the Householder", by Jack Kornfield
• "How would Buddha handle your kids?", by John Bullitt (The Buddhist Channel, April 14, 2005)
• "A Seamless Process: Practice On and Off the Cushion", an IMS interview with Kamala Masters & Steve Armstrong.
• According to Buddha
• Chanting service of Theravada texts