And here is a short quote from ”What is the Sangha?” – our theme for this autumn’s mitra studies for men in Stockholm. How I treasure Urgyen Sangharakshita as my teacher. Above is a painting of Sangharakshita, by Aloka. Click on image to see other sizes.
”It is not enough to have a distant idea of Enlightenment, the theory of the Buddha’s teaching, or a Buddhist organization. There is no future for Buddhism without a truly united and committed spiritual community, dedicated to practising together. And when Buddhists do come together in the true spirit of the sangha, there is then the possibility of inhabiting, for a while at least, the dharmadhatu, the realm of the Dharma. In this realm, all we do is practise the Dharma, all we talk about is the Dharma, and when we are still and silent, we enjoy the Dharma in stillness and silence together. The clouds of stress and anxiety that so often hang over mundane life are dispersed, and the fountains of inspiration within our hearts are renewed.”
(page 22, What is the Sangha? by Sangharakshita)