a
collection of rules of
discipline for regulating the conduct of
Buddhist monastic communities. The Vinaya Pitaka contains the
code by which monks conduct themselves individually, the rules and procedures that support the functioning of the
community as a whole, and also punishments for
offenses, ranging from simple confessions for
minor transgressions to excommunication for severe breaches. It is divided into five separate sections, which
cover the various rules and disciplines as well as
Buddhist history.