Benefits of a Sangha

[Tairin]

Hi all,

Many of us here (including me) profess to being natural introverts. As introverts you likely feel more comfortable on your own or with a few very close and trusted friends rather than in larger groups with people you don't know well.

If you are like me you may have questioned whether you really need a Sangha in order to practice Zen, after all the core of the practice is sitting quietly in Zazen, something that you can do alone.

I would like to add that I have benefited immeasurably from TreeLeaf and the discussions here.

Domyo Burk has posted 3 new blog entries on her site about the Importance of the Sangha and reading them really crystallized in my mind a lot of the great things that are happening here such as Jundo's LAH initiative, the book reading "Living by Vows", the Metta thread, the picture sharing thread, and just about every thing else since the discussion here ultimately leads to a lesson that deepens (at least my) understanding.

If you are interested you can find her entries here and I hope the resonant with this group:

• http://brightwayzen.org/the-importan...munity-part-1/
• http://brightwayzen.org/learn-from-sangha-part-2/
• http://brightwayzen.org/importance-of-sangha-part-3/
• http://brightwayzen.org/sangha-part-...relationships/
• http://brightwayzen.org/sangha-part-...ha-as-service/

Gassho
Warren
Sat today

[Jundo]

Thank you Warren.

Actually, solo Practice has been disfavored compared to the group since the Buddha's time and throughout the history of Chan/Zen Buddhism (all pretty much monastics living in groups). The group keeps one focused, supports one like a family. Solo practice was considered apt to wander off in bad directions.

I wonder where the image came of Buddhism and Zen as one man band Practice?

Even the fellows who build the grass huts in the mountains to get away from civilization usually did not stay up there forever, or did so only at a certain later time in their life.

One takes Refuge in Buddha, Dharma, Sangha (the Community)

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[Jishin]

Hi Warren,

Sangha means community. Like it or not, you are always part of a sangha. Your nuclear family is your sangha. Work, other buddhists and and sentient beings are sangha. Solitary monks were never alone. They communed with nature. They were always part of a sangha. It's just a matter of looking around and noticing your sangha. With such a large sangha, how can anyone practice alone?

My 2 cents.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Jakuden]

Thank you for the links Warren! I am looking forward to reading these!
I agree, many of us here seem to be introverts, and although we are naturally inclined toward kindness and helping, being introverted makes us more susceptible to burnout. We seem to need a bit more prodding to get us to stretch into group commitments, which are scary but so vital to bodhisattva practice. From the day I joined Treeleaf I have never lacked reminders of where I need to polish the mirror (even if no dust gathers[emoji846]) Now I could never go back to solitary practice, for as Jishin says, my eyes have been opened and the whole world is Sangha.
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH


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[Jakuden]

PS now I've read the articles, and it's kind of mind blowing to me how exactly they capture the experience of Sangha practice in a nutshell!! It also provided me with a little joy in the statement that if someone reacts negatively to my social awkwardness, then that is their practice [emoji23] Love the thought that I could help someone's practice through my own social ineptitude.
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH (maybe even by forcing all the parents coming and going to my daughter's birthday to deal with my socially awkward self, lol!!)


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[tlsk]

Thanks for sharing, Warren!

I, too, have struggled with the necessity of Sangha. In fact, until very recently--like yesterday--given my location, I had more or less resigned myself to the fact that I would sit zazen without a Sangha forever. But, I'm glad I decided to give Treeleaf a shot. I look forward to practicing with you all.

Gassho,

Taylor
SatToday

[Joyo]

Hello Warren, thank you for sharing your thoughts. (I know as a fellow introvert how daunting that can be)

I appreciate this sangha and the way we support each other here. I regularly sit with Shingen's online sitting group during the week, which has helped me tremendously to stay faithful to my practice. And yes, the book club, our weekly zazenkais, all the encouragement offered from the kind folks here.

Also, others are right. The whole world is our sangha. I live in a house of all men----a husband and two very loud, very non-introverted boys that give me plenty of opportunities to practice lol!!

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today/lah

[Mp]

Hello Warren,

I too am an introvert, like many of us here. But the beauty of this practice, the beauty of a Sangha is that it puts down these descriptors such as introvert/extrovert. It gives us a safe place where we can just be our true authentic selves.

Yes there are times when it is good to practice alone, to have that self-motivation to sit when we don't want to sit. To engage in that difficult situation, when we don't want to engage. But it is also important that we sit and practice with a group as a whole ... so that we can come together, support one another, so that we don't always have to be self-motivated to sit, or engage into those difficult situations.

One of the key principles in our practices as well is to realize the middle way, so that we may drop away those conditions of right/wrong, good/bad, introvert/extrovert. =)

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday/LAH

[Hoko]

Hey Warren,

Being part of a group of like minded people who share an interest in addressing the suffering inherent in the world is a huge blessing and benefits both the individual and the "outside world". I have learned so much from my interactions with the Treeleaf sangha and seen my own understanding change and evolve over time that I can only imagine how much I would have missed without it. During the last Ango I partnered up with Sekishi and it was so wonderful to be able to chat and discuss our practice and share our experiences. I still text him now and then just to say hello. These interactions afford us endless opportunities to blossom and grow and reinforce our practice.

But Jishin is right: the sangha goes beyond other Zen adherents and penetrates through all social strata. The relationships you have with your family, your co-workers and even folks you come into casual contact with are all part of the sangha. The lady who's screaming at the checkout girl has something to teach about reactivity and clinging. The customer who looks like they're having a bad day represents an opportunity to practice compassion. Heck, walking into the gym the other day I stopped to hold the door open for the lady behind me and smiled at her. She's part of the sangha too. Whether I consider myself an introvert or an extrovert doesn't figure into it. Just like Shingen said, our practice teaches us to drop these labels. "All life is our temple". Whether we're medicant monks or laypersons, introverts, extroverts, sages, fools, experts or beginners we are all monks, laypersons, sages, fools, experts and beginners.

Zazen is so important but so is getting up off the zafu. The Sangha, the Buddha and the Dharma are NOT separate. And I learned that HERE.

Much thanks and Metta to all.
Gassho,
Hōkō
#SatToday
LAH

[Tairin]

Hi all

After reading the comments I see I should have phrased my original post differently. I didn't intend for this to be a thread on introverted vs extroverted. Also thanks to Treeleaf I do better understand the purpose of the Sangha. I didn't feel comfortable at the local brick & mortar Zen Centre (which was definitely more my failing than theirs) but here at Treeleaf I have learned an appreciation for the importance of the Sangha. Also I completely agree that the whole world is my Sangha.

My real intent was to highlight three blog entries on the Importance of the Sangha that I linked to in my original post.

It is my fault for muddling my original message but thank you all for your comments. They are appreciated.

Gassho
Warren
Sat today & LAH

[Jundo]

Whether it was intended or not ... I am a shy introvert at heart too, as the folks I will meet in San Francisco and along the way will see too.

Gassho, Jundo

SatTodayLAH

[Kyonin]

Hi Warren,

Sangha is a very important part of our practice. In my point of view (which may not be smart), solo practice tends to get too self centered in the way that one slowly starts to listen to self conclusions and reasoning. With a sangha, even if you don't talk as much, you can see/hear/read other's points of view which enrich your own understanding.

Thank you for the links

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

[tlsk]

Hey Warren,

I read the blog posts, and I found them extremely insightful, and well worth the time spent. I'll definitely be returning to her site. Thanks for posting them.

Gassho,

Taylor
SatToday



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[Enjaku]

Thanks Warren,

This thread made me smile

Gassho,
Enjaku
Sat LAH

[clyde]

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.