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The Path of the Courageous Sangha
Each monastic contains within themselves three bodies – the Buddha body, the Dharma body, and the Sangha body – all of which need to be cared for so that the seed of enlightenment can sprout and grow.
- The Buddha body is the seed of enlightenment, though fragile, it can be nourished through insight and the practice of mindfulness.
- The Dharma body is the living reality in our daily life: walking, breathing, speaking – all must be accompanied by mindfulness so that insight is not lost.
- The Sangha body is the body of the monastic community; one needs to take refuge in the Sangha, rely on the precepts and the guidance of the community in order not to practice alone.
Building the Sangha is the most noble work of a monastic, simply called Sangha building.
- Brotherly love: nourishing each other through simple gestures – offering praise, rejoicing in each other’s merits, supporting one another’s shortcomings.
- The practice of shining light: the community gathers, each person offers their reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of the practitioner, then writes a shining light letter consisting of three parts: watering the positive seeds, pointing out the weaknesses, and offering methods of practice.
- Continuous mindfulness practice: each step, each breath, each smile helps to nourish oneself and the Sangha.
Building a meditation hall or translating sutras is not yet the essence if there is not a strong brotherhood. Each sitting meditation, walking meditation, Dharma discussion must be accompanied by the question: does this practice help to nourish body and mind and build the Sangha? If not, we must stop and adjust so that we do not starve ourselves and the community of practice.
The Eightfold Path