The Vinaya is the first part of the Tipiṭaka, the sacred scriptures of Buddhism, the other parts being the Sutta Piṭaka and the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. The word vinaya means ‘discipline’ and refers to the rules Buddhist monks and nuns must abide by. The Vinaya Piṭaka contains three divisions – the Suttavibhaṅga, the Khandhaka and the Parivāra. The first of these contains the Pātimokkha,the 227 rules for monks and 311 for nuns, and a commentary on them. The Khandhaka contains various monastic procedures such as ordination and monastic administration. The last part of the Vinaya is a cathetical appendix dealing with monastic law. The earliest part of the Vinaya Piṭaka is the Pātimokkha, while the rest evolved over a long period of time in the centuries after the Buddha.