Practicing Buddhists voluntarily undertake a particular set of training rules appropriate to their life-situation:
Lay men and women observe the Five Precepts (paƱca-sila) Lay men and women doing intensive meditation practice (as on Uposatha days) observe the Eight Precepts (attha-sila) Novice monks (samanera) and nuns (samaneri) observe the Ten Precepts (dasa-sila