Gelongma (feminine term) (wylie: dge slong ma) or Gelong (masculine term) is the Tibetan word for a fully ordained monastic observing the entire vinaya. Getshül (Tib ) is the preparation monastic level prior to Gelongma. A lay person may take five vows called "approaching virtue" (in Tibetan genyen ). Starting with the novice ordination (Tib. ge tsul) it may take some forty years in order to arrive at the bhikkshu (Tib. gelong] vows of a fully ordained monk.