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People of the Pali Canon |
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| Pali | English |
| Monastic Sangha | |
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Bhikkhu, Bhikkhunī |
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| Laity | |
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Upāsaka and Upāsikā |
Lay devotee (m., f.) |
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Related Religions |
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A samanera (Pali: sāmaṇera, Sanskrit: śrāmaṇera, Burmese: ရှင်သာမဏေ shin thamanei, Thai: สามเณร samanen or เณร nen)) may be translated as novice monk in a Buddhist context. The literal meaning is 'small samana', 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 bhikkhu, but can ordain as a samanera. The female counterpart of the samanera is the samaneri. Samaneras and samaneris 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 samanera will be considered for the higher Bhikkhu or Bhikkhuni ordination (Pali: upasampada). 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.
The issue of ordination differs different for samaneras and samaneris.