(Skt.; P
li,
sammana
; Chin.,
shamen
). In Eastern religions, the name given to members of male communities (usually translated as ‘monks’) or
ascetics
; the feminine (‘nuns’) is
r
mani. The
r
ma
as were numerous at the time of the
Upani
ads
, and may have been precursors of Jains and Buddhists.