Excommunication

== Buddhism ==
{{main|Pāṭimokkha}}
There is no direct equivalent to excommunication in [[Buddhism]]. However, in the [[Theravadan]] monastic community monks can be expelled from monasteries for heresy or other acts. In addition, monks have four vows, called the four defeats, which are abstaining from sexual intercourse, stealing, murder, and lying about spiritual gains (e.g., having special power or ability to perform miracles). If any one is broken, the monk is automatically a layman again and can never become a monk in his or her current life.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bhikkhu Pāṭimokkha: The Bhikkhus' Code of Discipline|url=https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/vin/sv/bhikkhu-pati.html#pr|access-date=2022-02-21|website=www.accesstoinsight.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Buddhist Monastic Code: Chapter 4|url=https://www.nku.edu/~kenneyr/Buddhism/lib/modern/bmc/ch4.html|access-date=2022-02-21|website=www.nku.edu}}</ref>

Most Japanese Buddhist sects hold ecclesiastical authority over their followers and have their own rules for expelling members of the sangha, lay or bishopric. The lay [[Japanese Buddhist]] organization [[Sōka Gakkai]] was expelled from the [[Nichiren Shoshu]] sect in 1991.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BBC Religions – Buddhism: Nichiren Buddhism|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/subdivisions/nichiren_1.shtml|access-date=2022-02-21|website=www.bbc.co.uk|language=en-GB}}</ref>