The principle of sangha is pretty well-known these days, especially for folks who’ve engaged in some meditation practice. While it originates in Buddhism, it can be a helpful principle for all of us to understand more about in a world that is rapidly creating more and more zones of isolation. The term is generally translated as community, and the companionship aspect of sangha is certainly a key element for any of us who choose to seek insight through mindfulness meditation practice.
Finding freedom and peace is also a group effort, not simply a tortured individual struggle.
When contemplative practice is reduced to a purely solitary pursuit, it’s easy to over-personalize our struggles and dramas. Companions help us realize we’re all in this together. Finding freedom and peace is also a group effort, not simply a tortured individual struggle.
The sangha principle, though, expands beyond camaraderie and mutual aid. It encourages us to support each other in ways that stretch us beyond our own frame of reference to a persistent curiosity about others, so that we can accommodate them and give them a sense of belonging, as well as challenge them when possible to go beyond limitations they may be imposing on themselves.
