The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (392 page)

s, fearing for distraction and moral disorder. But this was introduced by Mah
praj
pati Gautami, the Buddha's stepmother. There is no difference in principle between Theravada and Mah
y
na monastic observances, but the Mah
y
na list of precepts is longer. Mah
y
na bhik
us observe 250 precepts while bhik
u
s observe 348. Therav
din nuns adopt the habit and tonsure but observe only the ten precepts
(P