Wikipedia
Dhammacari ( Pali: Dhammacārī; lit., "one who follows the Dhamma") is a term used in some Theravada Buddhist communities to refer to lay devotees ( upāsakas) who have seriously committed themselves to Buddhist practice for several years. Dhammacaris follow four training vows in addition to the traditional Five Precepts that all lay devotees follow.
Dhammacārī literally means a person who forms his or her thinking and behavior according to the Dhamma. Dhamma is the knowledge that enhances the quality of life. It is the knowledge and understanding of the true nature of things: the knowledge that all things are causally conditioned. After realizing the causes and conditions of things one can generate a desired effect by changing the causes and conditions as necessary. This is the same principle that is used to improve things in science and technology. Dhammacārī applies this method to improve things related to human behavior.
“Dhammacārī” (one who follows Dhamma) is committed to putting effort towards understanding how life works (Dhamma) and reforms the lifestyle and thinking patterns according to this understanding. The goal is the reduction of discomfort of life and becoming more and more effective in handling ups and downs of life. Buddha has taught Dhamma in many different ways and his teachings help us to understand the many subtle details regarding the nature of life. Dhammacārī is convinced that learning the teaching of the Buddha makes learning “life” much easier.