upasaka

upasaka

Lay devotee of the Buddha. Originally the term applied to followers of the Buddha who were not ordained as bhiksus; today it is normally applied, mainly in Southeast Asia, to pious individuals who visit the local monastery on the weekly holy days and who undertake special vows. They support the sangha with regular offerings and observe the five precepts expected of all Buddhists: to abstain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and using intoxicants.