A Buddhist monk or religious mendicant who lives by begging, particularly in Buddhist traditions of South and Southeast Asia.
From Sanskrit भिक्षु (bhikṣu), derived from the root भिक्ष (bhikṣ) meaning 'to beg.' The term entered English through Pali and Sanskrit Buddhist texts, where it is a fundamental religious title.
When a man becomes a 'bhikku' in Buddhism, he takes vows to live entirely by begging (bhiksha)—no storing food, no cooking, no farming—living instead on alms from laypeople. This isn't desperation but a conscious spiritual choice, and it creates a direct relationship between the monk and the community that supports him.
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