Simple but many confuse

There are five kinds of Buddhist monk in the Buddha time and shortly past. They are Bhikkhu, Bhikkhuni, Samanera, Samaneri, and Sikkhamana. Nowadays, there are only two types of them, Bhikkhu and Samanera, left in Cambodia  Buddhism and many other Buddhist countries.

Many Cambodian Buddhists are still not clear about the differences between Bhikkhu and Samanera. Read this article you can see. You can note the difference by appearances, Condition. Appearance first, Bhikkhus are always older and Samara. Condition : To become a Bhikkhu must be from age 20 years old from birth up and fill the conditions as the Vinaya demanded. On the contrary, despite the age of 20 years or more, if he still has yet to meet the conditions enough, despite several years older, but still the same samnera.

The Bhikkhus have Vinaya (Buddha's rules) to respect more than samnera. Therefore, even samnera had been ordained longtime monk, must serve to Bhikkhu, even in those days.