Sangha

(skt.: sangha; tib.: ge dun) Literally harmonious community. It has two meanings:

1. Relative Sangha: according to the sutra of Buddha Shakyamuni, sangha stands for a group of at least four fully ordained monks or nuns.

2. Arya Sangha or Bodhisattva Sangha, also Ultimate Sangha: these are realized beings who have seen emptiness directly. Its members may be either lay or ordained people. It is the third of the Three Jewels of refuge.