Skandhaka

(Sanskrit; Pāli, Khandhaka). Second of the three divisions of the Vinaya. This portion of the canonical text deals with the collective rules for the operation of the Saṃgha as a social and religious institution. It is divided into roughly 20 chapters dealing with topics such as how ordinations are to be performed, how retreats should be organized, how schisms should be dealt with, and many other matters of relevance to the daily life of a monastic community.