Sangha Puns

To those who are unfamiliar, over the last decade radical extremism has been slowly gaining traction in the Sri Lankan Buddhist community. Groups like Bodu Bala Sena have carried out attacks on minorities living in the country. Does anyone have any insight on why senior members of the Buddhist community haven’t came together and condemned violent ultra-nationalist groups?

Hello,

I have been an observer of this community for almost 4 years and it's been a big help- so i have much much gratitude for the people that take time to share their insights, resources and present thoughtful discourse ❤️

I am most drawn to the Thai Forest Tradition, having read and been impacted by it the most. I intend to be more systematic about my study and practice this year- I am at a point where I need a teacher. This is where i want to better understand if i have the right idea about a teacher and what to expect- does the teacher have a 1:1 relationship with you? Do teachers help you understand and deconstruct challenges with the teachings? Let's say I struggle with 'rebirth'- i am open to it and recognize it as a process to understand it but it challenges other beliefs or makes them ambiguous- is that something you can talk to a teacher about?

I've seen references in this sub where people have said they talk to their teachers on call and over zoom? What is that about?

I have been a lay practitioner for 3 years and e made an effort to study what I can- it's obviously been disorganised, but this year I intend to be systematic about it.

I am in a region of South Asia where I'm having a difficult time navigating where to find an online sangha, or a sangha I identify with- I've seen all the resources including on this sub and I'm still confused. I would prefer not to disclose more about my location on this post.

I really appreciate your time in engaging with another very confused person on the internet and thank you for sharing all that you know :-)

It seems that u/BlancheFromage has proclaimed that the SGI is culturally hostile to African Americans.

E pluribus unum, *Out of Many, One," is the motto of the United States. Have we as a country gotten it right yet over the course of 250 years? Obviously, no. But does that mean we shut down the USA or do we keep aspiring?

Many in body, one in mind is an essential credo of SGI Buddhism. Do we have it down pat? Obviously, no. So we continue to strive toward the goal, fully cognizant that our efforts will contribute to the national goal of e pluribus unum.

Blanche, however, suffers from the delusion of perfectionism; from her perspective, a called strike on a batter means a lost ballgame, a lost season, maybe even a lost franchise. "You don't have it right for every person at every moment everywhere, you are out!"

We don't see her open to any other parameters of judgment. For example: Is the SGI aware of the needs of its African-American members? Has it tried and improved? Is it doing substantially better than many other religious organizations? Are, in fact, many members of African descent very happy in the organization? Are there significant numbers of African-American members, our future leaders, in the youth division?

Unfortunately for her, there are, once again, these nasty boring scholars who disagree with Blanche's conclusion. For example, in this article, noted Buddhist advocate Valerie Mason-John shares with us a perspective quite contrary to Blanche's point of view.

Ms. Mason-John is concerned about the low percentage of African-Americans who have access to Buddhism in general. Turning to some places in the world where marginalized people have found refuge in Buddhism, she suggests the formation of a "black sangha" to support people of African descent. From her eyes, there is already a model:

>The emergence I want to talk about, then, is one taking place in the US, Canada, and the UK, where Black people have almost always been the minority in Buddhist sanghas. There are exceptions—Soka Gakkai, based on t

So I am quite new in my journey. It's been tentative, on and off over several years. Previously I'd read that the tradition in the title is one to avoid, but now I'm seriously looking I'd like to clarify if that's the case and why.

I don't feel like it's something I can just try and see because I don't know enough to discern if something is actually wrong or not with my limited knowledge.

Thanks!

I’ve been a dharma practitioner for nearly 15 years in different traditions. I have loved Buddhism and the teachings and practices deeply. I shaped my life around practice. I lived in a Zen community for several years and was preparing to be a priest when I began to see some abusive dynamics with the head teacher in the sangha. I don’t want to go into the details. These spiritually abusive dynamics were confirmed by the other senior students who didn’t deny it but said “well, we have no other teacher” and “I just try to practice patience” and things like that. Lots of enabling. I began to see how the tradition has so little accountability built in, and it can lead to quite toxic dynamics. Many had left, and many decided to stay despite the teacher.

I had to leave, it was the right thing for me, and now almost two years later, I feel like I’ve lost my path. I know that the teachings are so much vaster than any one teacher, but I have no motivation to practice, listen to dharma talks, or anything. I feel so cynical. I see all the ways that the dharma can be twisted to benefit abusers.

I know logically that the teachings are beautiful, but I don’t know how to move forward. I feel allergic to joining any new group of any religion.

Does anyone have experience with regaining or reconnecting with your practice after abuse? Or any guidance you might offer?

Raana Sangha was the grandfather of Maharana Pratap and just like his grandson he also valiantly fought the forces of Babar and Ibrahim Lodhi before him. As I am from Mewar region Rana Sangha is a local legend here along with Maharana Pratap. His stories are told generation to generation by the locals here and are often too exaggerated. For example, he is said to have kept fighting after loosing his head. It is said that his empire ranged from delhi to northern Gujrat, including all of Rajasthan, majority of Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan as well. The way his stories are told his exploits sound similar to Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaaj, fighting off invaders and trying to establish swaraj. Still he is not much talked about and I can't think of any other reason expect these stories being highly exaggerated.

I saw 2 on their website. One in Evanston (Lake St Church) and one in Hyde Park (Ida Noyes Hall) but unfortunately they’re meeting days don’t work with my work schedule. Just seeing if there’s any other ones out there someone may know about!

I went to the Buddhist temple in my city and attended the Dharma talk they have every Sunday. I want to learn more, interact with the monk more and know more about Buddhism and dharma in genera. What do I ask these monks? Is there a specific way through which I can interact/talk/learn from them more? Thanks!

Hello,

I live in Chicago and was wondering if anyone from there recommends any Buddhist communities. Is it ok to just kind of show up anywhere and ask for help? I’m interested in doing more of a deep dive into Buddhism at some point in my life but I imagine there aren’t many fully monastic communities in Chicago and I’m not financially secure enough to move somewhere that has them. I’m especially interested in Tibetan and Zen Buddhism but I don’t really care about the sect as long as I’m learning.

Thanks in advance for the help!

I'm sick with a severe chronic illness. It is so bad I cannot leave the house and I cannot join Skype calls (especially with multiple people) as it requires too much concentration.

I have joined a nearby Buddhist temple. I like them because they follow a Chinese pure land tradition. They also seem like a traditional temple, as opposed to a commercialised one as I have seen elsewhere. The Master is old, 92 years old, as are the nuns and do not do online classes (not that I can attend).

I have never been to the temple, as it is closed due to covid and unlikely to open soon. But they were nice enough to induct me as a member without my physical presence being required.

The main issue is that they mostly speak Mandarin, which I do not (I speak Cantonese only). We communicate by text with my Mum translating which is not ideal.

I am considering joining a different Sangha that speaks English.

My questions:

1. Is it permissible and polite to join more than one sangha? I do like my current sangha, but I literally have no contact with them.

2. What does a sangha mean for someone with my condition (Housebound without skype etc)? How should I be interacting with my sangha?

How did you choose a Sangha (that is, if you have more than one option)?

I have practiced alone for a long time and not become part of a Sangha but this year I want to do so.

I have been to a local Sangha for meditation a few times but didn't feel entirely comfortable there. I have a few near me so think I will try them and see.

I haven't really chosen a particular school to follow at this point.

I live in extremely rural USA and do not know any other Buddhists (the closest temple/major city is 3 hours away) and I could really use a Sangha while on this path. Does anyone know of an online Sangha or something similar? I cannot seem to find anything, but perhaps I am not using the proper search terms. Thank you in advance!

I'm newish to Northern Jersey and I am trying to find a sangha to join. I have found it especially difficult since the lockdowns and pandemic measures in this state. Are there any Buddhists in the area that have any thoughts or input ?

(I'm more of a Theravada)

I know for many the new year is a tough time time filled with memories of desires and suffering.

With nearly 50% of the American population binge drinking (or drugging) on NYE: proud of those of you who where able to resist the desire (Tanha)! You either are on firm spiritual footing or well on your way.

And those who are still trying to find an end to your addiction related suffering. Right now, the start of a new year is a great opportunity to reevaluate conduct. It reminds us that the past is gone, and the future has not yet happened. You are here, now.

While one of the most challenging even debilitating things a human can face is addiction, so long as you never give up trying to end the cycle of using (a false and desperate attempt to end suffering). With time and meditation you will see your mind is not trustworthy. The driving force behind addiction exists in the mind. That’s why even when we know something will hurt us, we continue to follow our impulses whenever they present themselves.

The difficulty of life for an addict is filled with deep shame, guilt and pain. With all of that agony many of us seek(ed) temporary relief. Satisfying them with short-term pleasure that always ends (or ended) in more suffering.

You must be courageous to defy the mind. Coming back to the present moment and observing your thoughts provides a method for identifying troubled memories, thinking patterns and overcoming urges. Stay vigilant the journey will be long and hard.

A pain-free existence is an imaginary utopia. However, misery can be reduced. You can stop listening to the mindless obsessing and extreme form of attachment (called addiction). Meditation can help you better regulate emotions you feel now.

Develop compassion for yourself. You didn’t want to become an addict, you wanted to decrease pain (PTSD, loneliness, anxiety. depression etc…) However, soon addiction became a source of suffering.

Once you free your body and mind from addiction you can move towards resolving the reasons behind your actions that led to it.

The reason for my former addictive drug use was self-medicating my extreme anxiety. I now have meditation strategies instead of drugs in times of overwhelming emotions.

By dealing with the underlying circumstances and letting go of the desire of instant gratification. I finally tasted a life without unnecessary suffering and learned self-acceptance. In so doing, I became more self-reliant and confident.

One doesn’t have to become

Hello everyone,

This post is for any praticionners of the Theravada tradition from Quebec or Montreal, or nearby.

I would like to start an online sangha for lay praticionners from Quebec state. On the platform, we could discuss diverse topics on buddhism, share our knowledge and experiences, and make admirable friends on the path. This would also be great for scheduling gathering in Quebec or Montreal to meet and pratice, or have online retreats together. If anyone is interested, just DM me here and we will do all the preparation !

Metta to all of you

Bonjour tout le monde, Ce post est pour les pratiquant(e)s de la tradition Theravadan résidant au Québec, à Montréal ou les environs.

J'aimerais ouvrir une sangha enligne pour pratiquants laïcs du Québec. Dessus, on pourra discuter de divers sujets sur le bouddhisme, partager nos connaissances et experiences, et se faire des amitiés admirables sur le chemin. Ce serais également idéal pour sceduler des rencontre à Québec ou Montréal pour se rencontrer et pratiquer, ou se faire des retraites enligne ensemble. Si quelqu'un est interessé, envoyé moi un message ici et on règlera les préparations !

Metta à vous tous

Wondering,

About people's experiences in Sanghas. I'm jewish but have decided over the past few years or so gradually became less observant and finally realized that Judaism is not for me. I've been really nervous about attending any sort of group or visit a temple because even going out in public is hard enough as a trans woman.

Hey folks Wondering about recommendations for Buddhist temples around here? Anyone hosting in person? I know of some and I’ve been to Diamond Way but it wasn’t really fitting for me

For those unaware, a sangha is a community of meditators. The specifics of this will obviously have to be ironed out later, but I envision that this community would meet remotely for group sits and discussions, in addition to providing each other with a sense of support and accountability.

Via Zhaozhou@MrGreen:

> 262

> A monk asked, "What is the sangha?" > > The master said, "What else is there but it?"

> The monk said, "What is a person of the sangha?"

>The master said, "Me and you."

Via wikigoogle:

> In tort law, a duty of care is a legal obligation which is imposed on an individual, requiring adherence to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others. It is the first element that must be established to proceed with an action in negligence.

.

Welcome! ewk comment: So, lots to cover...

1. Dogenism has a history of anti-historical claims, encourages illiteracy, and famously has still not stood up to it's legacy of sex predator "masters", scandals that set the record in human history for predator abuse.

2. Buddhist organizations, including Tricycle Magazine, continue to push anti-Zen propaganda that any high school book report would call into question.

3. People come to r/zen with requests that professional librarians generally aren't informed enough to handle... look what happens:

• r/zen provides massive reference librarian services.
• some people from r/zen created zenmarrow to facilitate basic research in Zen
• r/zen as a community made www.reddit.com/r/zen/wiki/getstarted and /r/zen/wiki/lineagetexts possible.
• I've written a bunch of crap to connect facts, quotes, and scholarship

What are we looking at here? What does "sangha" look like between strangers? At a library reference section? On the internet where the doors are really truly open to the public?

What does it mean for the sangha when somebody lies about a book, lies about historical facts, lies about a sex predatoring meditation guru being enlightened?

What does it mean when somebody lies via multiple accounts persistent identity manipulation? What does it mean for the sangha when people refuse to wear a "Hello my name is" sticker? What does it mean for the sangha when people pretend to be medical doctors, or college graduates, or even lie about being part of a social circle?

I think these are critical questions for anybody who thinks they study Zen.

What do you think?

Hi!

I am fairly new to Zen. So far the school of my interest would be Soto-Zen according to Dogen. In addition to my own daily Zazen-practice which I do for 30 minutes in the morning, I would like to find a Soto-group and especially a Zen-Soto teacher since I keep reading that having a Zen-teacher in Soto is very important if not a necessity at some point.

The problem is that there are only 2 Zen schools in the city in which I live that are unfortunately both not Soto-Zen schools.

The first school seems to be from or based on the Kwan Um School.

https://zen-center-regensburg.com/meditation/

The second school is from the Sanbo-Zen-School which seems to be kind of a mix between Soto and Rinzai.

I think that many people find themselves in a situation like mine i.e. being interested preferably in Soto-Zen, having the desire to find a qualified Soto-Zen-teacher, but unfortunately living in an area where this specific school is not available, without the possibility of just moving into another city or regularly travelling long distances.

I wonder what some advices might be in such a situation?

For instance, would you just prefer to join one of the two mentioned schools (in the meanwhile) and if so which one would you prefer and why? Or would you prefer to just practice completely on your own without a group and/or teacher? Or maybe finding a qualified Soto-Zen teacher online/digital is nowadays a thing and or recommendable in such a situation, even although I feel that 'Face to Face' is always better (if possible) than 'Zoom/Sype + Webcam + Mic'...?

Anyways, I would appreciate any input on this topic :)

Best wishes

Zrebna

And it was wonderful. I've never felt more comfortable and welcomed. As someone who's never meditated before the 40 minute meditation was intimidating but it was incredibly relaxing and over before I knew it. The dharma talk afterwards was interesting and I'm very much looking forward to going back!

My local sangha practices Theravada with an emphasis on Vipassana. I am primarily studying zen and mahayana (looking for a local teacher has been difficult). Is it better to participate in my local Buddhist community regardless of affiliation? Or is it better to participate in online sangha or finding a teacher remotely to deepen my understanding of zen?

I am thinking that being a part of my local Buddhist community is more important than sectarianism. I can always be a part of a local community and also find a teacher remotely. Being part of outreach programs and engaged Buddhism locally seems like a greater net good, even if I might not fit in perfectly.

Has anyone else had experience being a part of a sangha that is of a different tradition than what you practice? Does it really matter that much? Were there any difficulties you encountered?