A sima is basically a boundary delineating the space used for formal monastic rituals. Marker stones (rupa nimitta) are normally installed during a ceremony with chanting by the monks when they are laid (picture below). Monastic matters (sanghakamma) are then undertaken within the sima boundary. This includes Upasampada (bhikkhu ordinations) and Patimokkha recitations. Pabbaja (novice ordinations) need not be done in a sima. Simas were developed because the Vinaya requires unanimous decisions to be made by monks for formal actions so it was necessary to make a boundary to exclude those not participating in the ceremony.
Simas can also be defined by natural barriers such as water (eg an island)
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