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Brotherhood
The Sangha is the essential source of happiness for monastics; it is not only a community but also a place of nourishment, protection, and mutual illumination. In Vietnam, the Sangha consists of four elements called the fourfold community:
- male monastics
- female monastics
- laymen
-
laywomen
Even lay friends who practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings diligently and are happy can be elected to the executive committee. The opinions of novice monks and novice nuns, even though they have not received the full ordination, are always consulted, and they are encouraged to express their concerns and experiences in order to build a democratic, harmonious, and respectful community.
The Dharma door of shining light helps each practitioner recognize and transform their shortcomings thanks to the Sangha eye of the community. At the end of each Rains Retreat, the community sits together to shine light on each other through three parts:
- recognizing positive qualities
- frankly acknowledging weaknesses in the practice
-
proposing concrete Dharma doors to help overcome difficulties and make progress
In a shining light session, 12 people take turns sharing their insights and adjusting their observations, and one person records these into a letter with the above three parts. The recipient kneels and touches the earth three times to receive the letter, returning to take refuge in the Sangha, to be guided and supported on the path of practice.