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Learning from Our Sangha (Buddhist Community)

Written by Anne Spencer on . Posted in Temple Blog.

Assistant Ministers Message:
“Learning from our Sangha/Buddhist Community”  By Rev. Anne Spencer

       Buddhism emphasizes the importance of the “3 Treasures” that support Buddhists on our spiritual path.  The 3 Treasures are 1) “Buddha,” a fully enlightened being dedicated to helping others become enlightened,  2)  “Dharma,” the fundamental nature of reality, and 3) “Sangha,” people who share the Buddhist path with us.

       In many Buddhist traditions “Sangha” refers specifically to ordained monks/nuns who follow very strict rules (including not marrying or eating meat).  But in Jodo Shinshu (the form a Buddhism that we follow at IOBT) we use the word “sangha” to refer to pretty much anyone—near or far--who participates in temple services and activities with us.

       So to us the Buddha is fully enlightened, and the Dharma is ultimate truth, while our “Sangha” is “just us”--ordinary people. Our Sangha is made up of imperfect foolish people who are trying to learn some Buddhist teachings, take care of our neighbors, and live as ethical a life as we realistically can while dealing with the realities of being human.

       The reason our Sangha is so important to us at IOBT is because other people are usually our best teachers.  Trying to get along with other people is an incredibly important--and frequently  challenging--spiritual practice.  Participating in community gives us many opportunities to gain wisdom, practice compassion, and become kinder and more humble because it helps us see ourselves through the eyes of others. 

Photo: It takes a lot of collaboration to make the food that we sell at our bazaar!       

Participating in a  Sunday service or volunteering at one of our community events can be very rewarding.  But more than that, collaborating with others can show us some of our more challenging traits—traits we all have-- such as impatience, stubbornness, ignorance, incompetence, and possessiveness.

Photo of bento box meals created by temple members

       Photo: Hand-packed Bento Boxes.  Creating bentos like this takes an incredible amount of work and collaboration. 

Working with others at the temple has given me plenty of chances to notice how much I want to do things MY way. I have noticed that trying to work with others sometimes feels like looking in a mirror.  Giving and receiving feedback, doing my tasks in a collaborative way, keeping the needs of others in mind, gives me a chance to really consider how my words and actions affect others.     Collaborating with a community, rather than working by myself, has helped me be more thoughtful about sharing criticism and being kinder when I communicate. And working in a group might have even helped me to accept criticism a little more gracefully.

       The way I see it, working together as a sangha helps us round off our rough edges. It gives us a chance to learn compassion, humility, and patience. Making mistakes gives us a chance to see ourselves through the eyes of others. We get to practice showing compassion and even apologizing.   The practice of working alongside others in a Buddhist community offers us a chance to grow spiritually and to become kinder and more compassionate people.

       AND BEST OF ALL, working with others is a great way to make lots of new friends and feel a deeper sense of belonging in a community of “Fellow Travelers” on the Path of Buddhism.  Whether it is participating in a Sunday service, learning some of our temple etiquette, or volunteering at one of our events, I hope that this perspective on the spiritual importance of “Sangha” will help you have a meaningful and fun time even if things don’t go exactly as you had hoped.

 Discussion Topic:

What to Do When Everyone Has a Different Recipe?

 

 

 

       Several years ago, a teenage exchange student from Germany lived with our family. The student loved to cook and we often shared recipes with each other. One day we discovered that American pie crust is different from European pastry.      Our exchange student liked the pie crust I made so she asked me to teach her to make it.  But when I tried to show her my recipe, she saw that I mixed the flour, oil/butter, and water differently than she did in Europe. Seeing me do it my way made her uncomfortable.  In fact, she got so worried I was ruining the dough that she actually took the bowl out of my hand!

       Even though she thought she wanted to learn a new way, it was hard for her to accept that the American way was so different from the European way.   Here are some questions about this story to think about or discuss with a friend

 

  1. Have you ever watched somebody do something differently than you do?  If so, how did that make you feel?
  2. Have you ever been doing something “your way” and had somebody correct you or scold you for doing it “wrong”? If so, how did you respond?
  3. How can you respond when you disagree with someone about how to do something?
  4. In Buddhism we sometimes say that humans are foolish.  Have you ever been foolish?  
  5. Use the space at the bottom of the page to draw a picture of a pie, cake, or other delicious treat!  YUM!!!!