The Sangha typically starts at 9:30 AM and ends at noon. The group meets in the Sanctuary and/or in the classroom in Sparks Fellowship hall at the Center. The Sangha is facilitated by Reverend Jeanne Hoffman, and is very popular with many of our members.
What is a Sangha?
According to Wikipedia, a sangha is a “is a word in Pali and Sanskrit meaning “association”, “assembly,” “company” or “community” and most commonly refers in Buddhism to the monastic community of ordained Buddhist monks or nuns.”
A sangha in Colorado states this in a blog post:
“The importance of sangha cannot be overestimated…. Opening yourself to others, supporting and being supported, is critical to loosening the fetters of ego and selfishness.”
In his book The Heart of The Buddha’s Teaching, Thich Nhat Hahn wrote,
“Dharma is great compassion, understanding, and love. To realize these qualities, we need a sangha… When a sangha shines its light on our personal views, we see more clearly. In the sangha, we won’t fall into negative habit patterns.”
Chogyam Trungpa wrote this about sangha:
“The sangha is the community of people who have the perfect right to cut through your trips and feed you with their wisdom, as well as the perfect right to demonstrate their own neurosis and be seen through by you. The companionship within the sangha is a kind of clean friendship— without expectation, without demand, but at the same time, fulfilling.”
The CSLGH Sangha is generally a six-week series. Sangha members are required to attend the first meeting – the class is closed after class one so that the intimacy the group begins with will not be interrupted.
For more information about our Sangha program, please call Reverend Jeanne Hoffman at 805-229-7249. For information about other classes, workshops, and opportunities to join our CSLGH community, please call our Center at 1-818-363-8136 or use our contact form to send an email.
Photo Friendship in the Sangha on Flickr by nyana_ponika. Some rights reserved.