Bhikkhu - Biku

A male Buddhist monk. A female is called a bhikkhu (nuns). A Buddhist monk. A transliteration of the Pali word bhikkhu. In Sanskrit, it is called bhiku. Originally it meant "one who begs for food." From around the 6th century BC in India, monks who became monks and went on begging sprees appeared, and Shakyamuni was one of them. With the establishment of the Buddhist sect, bhikkus became its most important members, leading the believers and maintaining the sect. After becoming monks, they received and continued to maintain strict precepts (called full precepts), devoted themselves to Buddhist training, and had nothing, so their only meals in the morning were provided by the donations of lay believers, hence the name bhikkhu.

[Mitsunori Saegusa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

仏教における男性の出家修行者。女性は比丘尼(びくに)。仏教僧。パーリ語のビックbhikkhuの音写。サンスクリット語ではビクシュbhikuという。もとは、「食を乞う者」の意。インドで紀元前約6世紀ごろから、出家して托鉢(たくはつ)する修行者が現れ、釈迦(しゃか)もその一人であった。仏教教団の成立とともに、比丘はそのもっとも重要な成員として、信徒の指導と教団の維持を果たす。出家して綿密な戒（具足(ぐそく)戒とよばれる）を受け、それを保ち続け、仏道修行に専念して、無一物であるために、午前のみの食事などは在家信者の布施(ふせ)によったところから、この名がある。

［三枝充悳］

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