Some scholars noted that "sangha" is frequently (and according to them, mistakenly) used in the West to refer to any sort of Buddhist community. The terms "parisa" and "gaṇa" are suggested as being more appropriate references to a community of Buddhists. "Pariṣā" means "following" and it refers to the four groups of the Buddha's followers: monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. The Sanskrit term "gaṇa" has meanings of "flock, troop, multitude, number, tribe, series, class", and is usable as well in more mundane senses.