The fourfold sangha of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen dates to Mahavira, and one number stands out: Jain nuns have substantially outnumbered monks for most of the tradition's recorded history, a ratio unusual among religions with monastic orders. The lay community's role is not secondary — it sustains the monastics entirely, since they may not cook, store food, or handle money, and the mutual dependence is structural rather than incidental.