The term saṃgha means “something gathered,” “assembly,” and similar ideas. It is sometimes translated into Chinese as zhòng, which means congregation. In Buddhism, it refers to the group of religious trainees. Along with the Buddha and the Dharma it is considered one of the Three Treasures. The saṃgha is comprised of the following: (1) bhikṣu: fully ordained renunciate male religious trainees, (2) bhikṣuṇī: fully ordained renunciate female religious trainees, (3) śramaṇera: male renunciates who have not yet been fully ordained, (4) śramaṇerī: female renunciates who have not yet been fully ordained, (5) upāsakā: laymen, (6) upāsikā: laywomen, and (7) śikṣamāṇā: a śramaṇerī between the age of 18 and 20 who maintains the six precepts. The saṃgha was run using a consensus system.