The traditional name of the Buddhist monastic code of discipline for monks and nuns is Vinaya.
Vinaya means discipline and refers to rules, procedures, and customs governing Buddhist monastic communities. The rules address matters such as ordination, communal conduct, property, confession, disputes, and relationships between monastics and lay supporters.
In the Theravada tradition, the Vinaya is preserved in the Vinaya Pitaka, one of the three major divisions of the Pali Canon. Other Buddhist traditions preserve their own Vinaya lineages, including the Mulasarvastivada and Dharmaguptaka traditions.
Vinaya is not the same as a sutra, which generally presents a teaching or discourse. It is also different from the Abhidhamma, which systematizes Buddhist doctrine, and the Jatakas, which recount stories of the Buddha’s previous lives.