Week 11

The Sangha

Video media for week 11

The spiritual community and ‘mutual support’

  • What is Sangha
    • Development of the individual, through mutual support, within a Buddhist spiritual community
    • The thing about Sangha is It doesn’t work like other human groups or communities.
    • When it’s working, It’s is essentially other regarding. 
    • It’s about everyone involved, to the extent they are able be aware of, help set up, sustaining and creating the conditions to enable the community to practice Buddhism.
    • It’s about making and sustaining conditions that enhance mutual awareness and support individual and collective practice.
    • Developing the individual through giving (and taking) (especially time) to the Sangha.
  • Early and Traditional (ethnic) buddhist Sangha. Traditionally composed of four groups: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.
  • Modern Buddhist Sanghas
    • Less monastic based. Concerned with creating the environment and opportunity to practice and develop and move the  constraints of modern life. More secular based sanghas.
  • The Triratna Community: founded as the FWBO on 8th April 1967.
    • Initially a coming together of  Sangharakshita’s clear dharma driven momentum and a few interested in Buddhism, coming from the height of the late 60’s mysticism and hedonism.
  • Triratna has grown creatively since its inception.
    • Triratna has evolved from Kusaladana from the FWBO of the early 70s where it was quite culturally disconnected. Through the last 50 years it has developed and matured in a positive direction so it is now able to be with and help a much wider spectrum in society.
  • The Triratna Community; The 3 Strands (Order, College, Movement)
  • Contributing to and supporting our spiritual family
  • What does it mean to be a Mitra ?

Discussion: What led us to the Centre and what are our expectations of ourselves and the Sangha.

Meditation: Mindfulness of Breathing

References