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Śrāmaṇera

From Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia
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Śrāmaṇeras in Thailand

A śrāmaṇera (Sanskrit; Pali: sāmaṇera; Burmese: ရှင်သာမဏေ shin thamanei, Thai: สามเณร Samanen, Khmer: សាមណេរ "Samaner") is a novice Monk in a Buddhist context.

The literal meaning is "small śramaṇa," that is, small renunciate, where "small" has the meaning of boy or girl.

In the Vinaya monastic discipline, a man under the age of 20 cannot ordain as a bhikṣu, but can ordain as a śrāmaṇera.

The female counterpart of the śrāmaṇera is the śrāmaṇerī.

Śrāmaṇeras and śrāmaṇerīs keep the ten precepts as their code of behaviour, and are devoted to the Buddhist religious life during a break from secular schooling, or in conjunction with it if devoted to formal ordination.

After a year or at the age of 20, a śrāmaṇera will be considered for the higher bhikṣu or bhikṣuṇī ordination.

Some monasteries will require people who want to ordain as a Monk to be a novice for a set period of time, as a period of preparation and familiarization.

Adults would normally wear the white robes of a Brahmin, as do Mae ji, who do not seek ordination.

Ordination differs between śrāmaṇeras and śrāmaṇerīs.

Source

Wikipedia:Śrāmaṇera