Basil, credited to the 4th century bishop Basil of Caesarea and one of the earliest rules for Christian monastic life, is followed primarily by monastic communities of the Eastern Christian tradition.
The Rule of Saint Augustine stresses self-denial, moderation, and care for those in need.
Jesuits follow what is called not a rule, but the constitutions composed by their founder, Ignatius of Loyola, which laid aside traditional practices such as chanting the Liturgy of the hours in favour of greater adaptability and mobility under a more authoritarian regime.
[2][3][4] Other institutes combine a rule with constitutions that give more precise indications for the life of the members.
[5] In addition to the more fundamental provisions of the rule or constitutions, religious institutes have statutes that are more easily subject to change.