<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Buddhist monasticism is one of the earliest surviving forms of organized monasticism in the history of religion . It is also one of the most fundamental institutions of Buddhism . Monks and nuns are considered to be responsible for the preservation and dissemination of the Buddha's teaching and the guidance of Buddhist lay people . </P> <P> The order of Buddhist monks and nuns was founded by Gautama Buddha during his lifetime between the fifth and fourth centuries BC . The Buddhist monastic lifestyle grew out of the lifestyle of earlier sects of wandering ascetics, some of whom the Buddha had studied under . It was not really isolationist or eremetic: the sangha was dependent on the lay community for basic provisions of food and clothing, and in return sangha members helped guide lay followers on the path of Dharma . Individuals or small groups of monks--a teacher and his students, or several monks who were friends--traveled together, living on the outskirts of local communities and practicing meditation in the forests . Monks and nuns were expected to live with a minimum of possessions, which were to be voluntarily provided by the lay community . Lay followers also provided the daily food that monks required, and provided shelter for monks when they were needed . Some Buddhist schools assert that during the Buddha's time, many retreats and gardens were donated by wealthy citizens for monks and nuns to stay in during the rainy season (although there is as yet no archaeological evidence to support this claim - evidence only exists for such monastic enclosures at a much later date). Out of this tradition grew two kinds of living arrangements for monastics, as detailed in the Mahavagga section of the Vinaya and Varsavastu texts: </P>

What is the role of a buddhist monk
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