A Sangha is a circle of (online) friends who practice the Dharma together to create and maintain consciousness. The essence of a Sangha is awareness, understanding, acceptance, harmony and love. The tradition of Sanghas comes from Buddhist communities of monks and their followers.
Together you can focus on different forms of consciousness expansion. For example, there are Sanghas that focus on sharing experiences in the form of a heart circle of sharingcircle, in this way you reinforce each other's growth process. There are also Sanghas aimed at creating moments of silence, or to practice specific meditations such as breathing meditation with each other. Personally, I highly value Sangha's aimed at strengthening self-love, self-touch and mindful masturbation, because in a small, safe group you can get to know each other and inspire each other.
Why establish a Sangha?
It is not so easy to create a routine of regular meditation on your own without the help or support of others. A Sangha is therefore the best way To practice meditation regularly, participating in a Sangha can be extremely helpful. Such a group offers you deep support and wisdom. This applies to both beginners and experienced practitioners.
How do I start a Sangha?
It is best to start small, with a minimum of four practitioners. Agree with each other that you help each other to create a routine of meditation or other forms of personal development and awareness expansion. Schedule fixed moments when you can meet each other (online), so that in addition to your individual practice, you can also practice together and inspire each other. You will find that as the group gets to know each other and become more familiar with each other, there is an energy of a community in which understanding and compassion is present for each other.
Thich Nhat Hanh on the Sangha
Thich Nhat Hanh explains that sangha is more than a community, it is a deep spiritual practice.
We need a sangha. In my tradition, we learn that as individuals there is not much we can do. Therefore, taking refuge in the Sangha, taking refuge in the community, is a very strong and important practice. When I say, "I seek refuge in the Sangha," it does not mean that I want to express my devotion. No. It's not a matter of dedication; it's a matter of practice. Without being in a Sangha, without being supported by a group of friends motivated by the same ideal and practice, we cannot get very far.
If we don't have a supportive Sangha, we may not get the support we need for our practice, which we need to nurture our bodhichitta (the strong desire to cultivate love and understanding in ourselves). Sometimes we call it 'beginner spirit'. The mind of a beginner is always very beautiful, very strong. In a good and healthy Sangha there is encouragement to the mind of our novice, to our bodhichitta. So the Sangha is the ground and we are the seed. However beautiful and potent our seed is, if the soil does not give us vitality, our seed will die.
How can a Sangha help us?
Gathering with like-minded people offers a wonderful opportunity to infuse the collective energy of the Sangha into our bodies and consciousness. We benefit a lot from that collective energy. We can entrust ourselves to the Sangha because by practicing meditations together, you become familiar with each other. A collective energy of connectedness and awareness is created. We can of course rely on the power of mindfulness, where you increase your own energy and awareness through personal practice. But sometimes that is not enough, sometimes it is difficult to come back to yourself without outside support. In those moments it is nice to know that the Sangha can support you. If you know how to use that energy of mindfulness to receive the collective energy of the Sangha, you will have a powerful source of energy for your transformation and healing.
Do you want help in establishing and developing your Sangha?
Tijs Breuer guides individuals and groups in setting up a Sangha, by bringing people together, by guiding meditations, sharing circles, self-love and tantra exercises and other forms of consciousness enhancement. He does this on the basis of donations, donations and voluntary contributions (daña).
Guided meditation recordings
Op this page you will find recordings of guided meditations, which you can use whenever you want to meditate, alone or in a group.
