What's a Sangha?
Your first question as you find this website might very well be, what's a sangha, anyway? Sangha is a sanskrit word for a group or association with a common purpose for gathering. That's it. In the past, this sanskrit word has been used more commonly in Buddhist circles, but we're borrowing the word because it's got the same sort of connotations for a supportive gathering of a group on a spiritual path together that we're getting at with this website. Agroup can take a lot of different shapes and still be a sangha, but you'll commonly find these three things in a JesusSangha: community, dharma/practice, and active involvement in the world and its problems:
- The sangha community
A safe and supportive community element, which actively meets in celebration of life's passages and walks the path together. This can be any like-minded band of friends. It would probably even work in Second Life, although as far as we know it hasn't been tried there yet [more]. - Jesus' dharma and practice
A study and prayerful practice element, based on a commitment to Jesus' dharma teachings, for the wisdom to guide us in our path We invite you to submit meditations, practices, dharma teachings, book references and other resources that you've found particularly helpful, and we'll consider adding them to this site. - The path
The way in which the sangha chooses to 'be the change' and answer Jesus' call to non-violent involvement, understanding that we are called to be God's hands and feet in this world. A sangha can form with a particular focus, from emergency room doctors concerned about health care, to high schoolers passionate about climate change or social justice [more].
Starting a Jesus Sangha
So you're stoked and you want to form a Jesus sangha. Our best advice
to you is: talk it over a little longer. Meditate on it, pray on it,
see if it's really the direction you're called.
...What, back so soon? Okay, here's how we see it best working:
anyone can start a sangha, but if you'd like to apply to be an official
JesusSanghasm, you have to be willing to agree to a few
minimum requirements, and you'd have to understand that these requirements
may increase if we run into the need for that. That is, if someone
abuses the sangha and we find out that a rule is needed, we're going
to add it here and expect everyone to live by it. By using the name
JesusSangha, you're agreeing to abide by the rules that everyone sees
posted on the site, so that nobody is surprised when they come to your
sanghaRight now, rules are basically about following Jesus' dharma
teaching and non-harming. If you've hung around our site long enough
to be reading this paragraph, you're not likely to have a problem with
a code of conduct. It's a bit
like the advice in Micah (seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly).
- gentle
sangha will refrain from doing harm to to the best of our abilities. This involves maintaining mindfulness of the effects of actions, speech, & livelihood. - red letters
In any decisions or actions, sangha will stick to the red letters in scripture, that is sangha will stick to what Jesus actually said, remembering the difference between what came before Jesus, the commentary about Jesus, and Jesus' dharma teachings. - poor in spirit
sangha will not charge for membership except to cover any rent expenses that sangha may be asked to pay under the auspices of whatever home the sangha finds. - humble
sangha will not attempt to convert anyone or proselytize anyone, nor stand in judgment of anyone — there's trouble enough worrying about the log in one's own eye. - engaged
sangha knows that the best way to seek one's own happiness and show love is to lift up others, through actions and involvement. - transparent
sangha will maintain an openness about its stumbles along the path, and and a gentle lovingkindness and acceptance towards selves as humans learning to walk a path of followers of Jesus, and expects/hopes others will do likewise.
By agreeing to adhere to a code of conduct and by aspiring to even greater spiritual growth walking the sangha path, members seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly. Lives are suddenly more 3-D when they're lived in the moment, as walking prayers of love and faith in action. This is one thing Thomas Merton1 was getting at, when he wrote we are called to be co-creators with God, and one thing Joseph Campbell2 was also getting at, when he advised us to follow our bliss, making our lives transparent to the transcendent. This is a deeply nourishing, authentic path.
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1Sangha book club idea: The Pocket Thomas Merton
2Sangha book club idea: Joseph Campbell. Pathways to Bliss
