ārya-saṃgha

(Sanskrit, noble community). The community of the āryas or those ‘noble persons’ (ārya-pudgala) who have attained the supermundane path (ārya-mārga). This is the Saṃgha referred to in the formula of the three refuges (triśaraṇa), and is distinct from the broader Buddhist community including laymen and laywomen.