Sangha: Sanskrit, meaning association, assembly, company or community.
Originally used in Buddhism to refer to the monastic community of Buddhist monks and nuns and traditionally never be used to include lay followers or the community of Buddhists as a whole, sangha is now used more widely in some Buddhist communities, such as the Manchester Buddhist Centre, to include the whole community of practitioners –
In our Triratna Buddhist Community, Sangha is our community of practitioners – the people we share our spiritual lives with. The guidance of more experienced friends, and the support and friendship of others on the path are very important because Buddhism is an approach to life, not an abstract philosophy. Manchester Buddhist Centre website
Everything that takes place at the Manchester Buddhist Centre supports this network of spiritual friendships.
In an article entitled ‘The Practice of Sangha’ published in Lion’s Roar on 27 March, 2017, Thich Nhat Hanh describes sangha as ‘a community of friends practicing the dharma together in order to bring about and to maintain awareness’. He shows how this sense of sangha is needed in our modern society more than ever before.
Our civilization, our culture, has been characterized by individualism. The individual wants to be free from the society, from the family. The individual does not think he or she needs to take refuge in the family or in the society, and thinks that he or she can be happy without a sangha. That is why we do not have solidity, we do not have harmony, we do not have the communication that we so need.
The practice is, therefore, to grow some roots. The sangha is not a place to hide in order to avoid your responsibilities. The sangha is a place to practice for the transformation and the healing of self and society. Thich Nhat Hanh
In the article, Thich Nhat Hanh makes it clear that this message is not for Buddhists alone. He challenges the Christian community to ‘practice in a way that they are the salt of life and a true community of Christians’ (as described in Matthew 5:13).
This message is for everyone.
The sangha is a community of people who agree with each other that if we do not practice right mindfulness, we will lose all the beautiful things in our soul and all around us. Thich Nhat Hanh
We need to stand with each other, support each other, practice with each other.
We need to be there for each other, to help each other through the tough times, to keep each other on the right path.
We need to encourage each other to open our eyes and ears too, to connect with the sangha all around us and available to us in the natural world.
The trees, water, air, birds, and so on can all be members of our sangha. Thich Nhat Hanh
You may have come across the term ‘sangha’ before. Sangha has now been adopted in the wider yoga community to denote tribe. Not tribe as in ethnicity or religion, but tribe as in ‘You’re my people. You’re on the same wavelength as me’. That shared sense of community among yogis across the whole world.
But this word should not be used lightly. It’s not just a group of friends, hanging out together. It’s so much more than that.
In sangha, we commune deeply with one another.
We commune deeply with the forces of nature.
We commune deeply with the divine.
We become a part of something much bigger than ourselves.
We become a part of what is going on in the world around us.
We become a part of the solution.
Instead of scarcity we celebrate enough.
Instead of separation, we work towards unity.
Instead of competition, we embrace co-operation.
Instead of conflict, we bring reconciliation.
We find a new way to practise humanity: a profound interconnectedness with all that is life.
And when you’ve found your place within your sangha, may you be overwhelmed by a deep sense of gratitude.
For this is indeed a gift to be treasured.