I want to talk about community. In Buddhism, the community, or Sangha, plays a crucial role. Alongside the Buddha, who symbolizes the goal of awakening, and the Dharma, which represents the teachings that lead to awakening, Sangha is one of the three objects of reverence, known as the “three jewels.” They are called jewels because they are precious, but “three treasures” might be an even better translation. Sangha is something we cherish deeply.
Sangha literally means “a bringing together.” It involves bringing people together around a shared purpose, which could be spiritual development or even spiritual awakening. We come together to practice and wake up together. Our connection through Wildmind, a community-supported meditation initiative, is an example of creating a community. So, how can this community help us wake up spiritually?
I’ll outline seven ways community can aid our spiritual awakening, but first, it’s crucial to understand that Sangha is not about membership. It’s not as simple as paying dues and magically reaping benefits. Sangha requires active participation. We benefit by being involved.
I encourage you to make use of the online community open to all sponsors. If you’re unsure how to access it, shoot me an email by replying to any of the community newsletters.
We all face struggles at times. We might feel depressed, doubt ourselves, or lose touch with our sense of worth. During these times, we need others. They can remind us of our value and give us courage. The word “encourage” is beautiful—it has “courage” in it. When we lack confidence, others can help us regain it, which is magical.
Early on, I noticed that meditating with others is much easier. Meditating alone for 20 minutes can be a struggle, but sitting with others makes it easy to meditate for 30 minutes or more. Most people experience the same. When alone, we feel restless and shaky, but in the presence of other meditators, we feel solid. Even in an online community, knowing others are practicing with us helps us commit to meditating.
This may be the most obvious benefit of community. We’re social creatures, and even introverts need meaningful connections. We need to feel part of something larger than ourselves. We need to see others and be seen. These connections touch our hearts, allowing us to care for others and be cared for. This is perhaps the most meaningful form of connection.
Sangha shows us we’re not alone. We might think we’re inadequate or worse than others, but seeing that others share our struggles makes us judge ourselves less harshly.
Connecting with others is great but challenging. Sartre famously said, “Hell is other people.” Sometimes people don’t act well, or they criticize us, or express views we dislike. I recently struggled with a fellow Order member being a climate-change skeptic, which triggered my reactivity. But this was an opportunity to learn about myself and rise above my reactivity.
The question is, “How can I relate respectfully and kindly to someone whose views I disagree with? How can I disagree without belittling or name-calling?” Reactivity pushes us apart, while commitment to community brings us together, helping us grow through discomfort.
We often underestimate our own positive qualities, but others can see us better than we see ourselves. During my training with the Triratna Buddhist Order, we often had retreats with small group discussions. At the end, we’d “rejoice in the merits” of each person. Hearing what others admired in us, though sometimes uncomfortable, helped us see ourselves more positively.
One reason people hesitate to contribute to an online community is feeling they have nothing to offer. But until we try, we can’t know what we have to offer. Simply putting yourself out there encourages others to do the same.
Seeing others act with kindness and wisdom challenges and inspires us. In the Wildmind community, I’ve witnessed great kindness that never would have occurred to me. I’ve learned a lot about kindness this way. Seeing others have insights and develop friendships is inspiring. Community broadens our understanding of humanity.
Returning to the question, “How can this community help us wake up spiritually?” For it to help, we must be willing to participate. Community isn’t a given; it arises from people reaching out and making connections. We create it by being a part of it, through acts of bravery, kindness, and communication.
Community is invaluable. The Buddha said spiritual friendship is not half, but the whole of spiritual life. Awakening isn’t possible without community. So, let’s do it. Let’s build this community.
I’m so glad to be a part of this community! Glad to have you!