I believe in Buddhism, but I don’t believe in monks.

To believe in Buddhism, of course you must believe in a monk. Not all monks can be called monks. Monks who have full ordination are called monks (nuns), and those who do not have full ordination are called novices. "Monk" originally came from the Sanskrit word, which means "teacher". Monk is an honorific title. Only those with certain qualifications as teachers can be called monks. Not just anyone can be called a monk. This title is not limited to men. Qualified female monks can also be called monks. However, later on, according to custom, this word was used to refer to ordinary monks, and it was generally regarded as a noun for men only, which is inconsistent with the original meaning of the word.

Sangha does not refer to a monk, but is the abbreviation of "Sangha" in Sanskrit, which is translated as "harmony with all the people". It refers to the monks who believe in the Buddha's teachings and practice the Buddha's teachings; it also refers to the "Sangha". "Liuhe Jing", a Sangha that "lives in harmony". Its literal meaning is "the public". The Sangha is a group of Buddhist monks. There must be at least four people to form a Sangha. Therefore, a person cannot be called a Sangha, but can only be called a monk, just like a soldier cannot be called an army, but can only be called a soldier. Both men and women who are monks are within the Sangha and can be called monks.

A true Buddhist believer must take refuge in the three refuges, taking refuge in the Buddha, taking refuge in the Dharma, and taking refuge in the Sangha. A monk is usually the leader of a certain Sangha, so to believe in Buddhism you must believe in a monk.