This thread reminded me of a short essay I wrote years ago to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of my local sangha (Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group).
On the Importance of Sangha
A few months ago, during the lunch break at an all-day (Zen) sit, last year’s head student (Shuso) came up to me and said, “Sangha is important.” And then we spoke a bit.
Now I could try to explain the causes and conditions that brought last year’s head student to come up to me and say, “Sangha is important.” And those would be interesting stories to share. But I’m not going to try to explain. He did and that’s enough.
Because he’s right: sangha is important.
I studied the Dharma for many years and sat in mediation and thought of myself as a Buddhist. And even though I had no face-to-face teacher and no sangha, I took the Three Refuges – in my heart/mind.
But how did I take refuge? I took refuge in the Buddha as an awakened teacher. I took refuge in the Dharma as the teachings leading to awakening. But how did I take refuge in the sangha, if I had no sangha?
Well, I thought of all the Buddhists teachers who had lived in the past and whose teachings I studied, and I thought “We are a sangha.” And that is true. I thought of the online Buddhist forums where I participated and thought “We are a sangha.” And that is true. And I thought of all the human beings living today and thought “We are a sangha.” And that is true too.
But I believe that when the Buddha spoke of the sangha as a refuge he meant an actual community of living human beings in intimate contact, breath-to-breath, each devoted to the Path.
It was shortly after the Buddha’s awakening that he formed the first Buddhist sangha and it seems he remained with his sangha for the rest of his life. And while the Buddha spoke of “being a lamp unto ourselves”, he also spoke of finding refuge in the sangha.
I don’t know what refuge the Buddha found in the sangha, but this is my experience.
A few years ago I began attending the Sunday night sit with SBMG. After a time I realized that I had joined the sangha. I made the effort to introduce myself to a few sangha members and to say “Hello” each week. In time I got to know a bit about them, and I got to share a bit about me. In time we shared a bit about how our practice and understanding of the Dharma affects our lives and our views. Mindfully listening to a Dharma friend share their experiences changed me, opened my heart. Earnestly speaking about my experiences changed me, helped me to see more clearly. And seeing how my Dharma friends respond to me changed me, in unanticipated ways. In all these ways I believe the sangha and my direct relationship with the sangha supports my efforts to realize the Dharma and I am better for it.
So I’m sharing my experience with you: sangha is important.
On the Importance of Sangha
A few months ago, during the lunch break at an all-day (Zen) sit, last year’s head student (Shuso) came up to me and said, “Sangha is important.” And then we spoke a bit.
Now I could try to explain the causes and conditions that brought last year’s head student to come up to me and say, “Sangha is important.” And those would be interesting stories to share. But I’m not going to try to explain. He did and that’s enough.
Because he’s right: sangha is important.
I studied the Dharma for many years and sat in mediation and thought of myself as a Buddhist. And even though I had no face-to-face teacher and no sangha, I took the Three Refuges – in my heart/mind.
But how did I take refuge? I took refuge in the Buddha as an awakened teacher. I took refuge in the Dharma as the teachings leading to awakening. But how did I take refuge in the sangha, if I had no sangha?
Well, I thought of all the Buddhists teachers who had lived in the past and whose teachings I studied, and I thought “We are a sangha.” And that is true. I thought of the online Buddhist forums where I participated and thought “We are a sangha.” And that is true. And I thought of all the human beings living today and thought “We are a sangha.” And that is true too.
But I believe that when the Buddha spoke of the sangha as a refuge he meant an actual community of living human beings in intimate contact, breath-to-breath, each devoted to the Path.
It was shortly after the Buddha’s awakening that he formed the first Buddhist sangha and it seems he remained with his sangha for the rest of his life. And while the Buddha spoke of “being a lamp unto ourselves”, he also spoke of finding refuge in the sangha.
I don’t know what refuge the Buddha found in the sangha, but this is my experience.
A few years ago I began attending the Sunday night sit with SBMG. After a time I realized that I had joined the sangha. I made the effort to introduce myself to a few sangha members and to say “Hello” each week. In time I got to know a bit about them, and I got to share a bit about me. In time we shared a bit about how our practice and understanding of the Dharma affects our lives and our views. Mindfully listening to a Dharma friend share their experiences changed me, opened my heart. Earnestly speaking about my experiences changed me, helped me to see more clearly. And seeing how my Dharma friends respond to me changed me, in unanticipated ways. In all these ways I believe the sangha and my direct relationship with the sangha supports my efforts to realize the Dharma and I am better for it.
So I’m sharing my experience with you: sangha is important.
Gassho,
Taylor
SatToday/LAH
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This might be an issue of the words I'm choosing. When I say "incomplete," I don't mean I'm lacking or not whole. Rather, my wholeness is predicated on others: plants, animals, rain, you, etc. You'll have to forgive my imprecision: I'm just now trying to speak about such things from my heart instead of using book learnin'. Thank you for for your kind words about all of us. I needed that. 
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