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Sangha Community Model
Long Naga Pushpa, the place where Maitreya Buddha will attain enlightenment, evokes the four elements—earth, water, fire, and air—constantly circulating within and around the body, helping us to realize that nothing is born or dies, but only transforms. Walking meditation with the gatha:
I have arrived, my steps are light and free
“I have arrived” as you breathe out, “my steps are light and free” as you breathe in, transforms each step into a journey of returning to our true home in the present moment, letting go of all tension and worry. Practice in the same way when lying down or getting into bed with the gatha:
I have arrived, my breath is at ease, I have arrived, my breath is delightful
so that both the breath and the steps become means to nourish body and mind, leading us into the Pure Land of the spiritual source, cultivating gratitude for every stone on the stairway and for those who carried stones up the mountain.
Practicing six periods of mindful cultivation each day, each about fifteen minutes, as King Tran Thai Tong did, is “setting out on the path to return home” in order to transcend suffering and become clear and bright. Sitting meditation for three to five minutes following the Anapanasati Sutra, breathing in and being aware of the whole body, breathing out and releasing tension, is a gift to our ancestors and helps modern medicine demonstrate the body’s capacity for self-healing. Every fifteen-minute bell is a “coffee break” for practitioners, inviting us to stop, breathe, smile, and restore energy and joy to body and mind.
Building a strong Sangha does not require an authoritarian leader but is based on a model of collective leadership, according to the three main levels A, B, C and the community D:
- A – the elders with virtue beyond action, peacefully present to guide with insight
- B – the legislative council proposing policies, quietly supporting C
- C – the executive committee directly coordinating work and making final decisions
- D – the whole community (novices, lay practitioners, bhikshunis, etc.) reflecting the reality at the grassroots, participating and offering input before official meetings