The Buddha told us to find a community to practice within. This community is called a “Sangha,” a group of people who are practicing the Dharma (universal truth) together in order to realize the Buddhist’s teachings. A Sangha though, is much more than a gathering; it is a spiritual community bound together by a commitment to work with each other to share observations, seek support, offer comfort and solace, and grow as learners of the Dharma.

One Buddhist teacher, Thich Naht Hahn, says that a Sangha is not a “place to hide in order to avoid your responsibilities.” It is a place to welcome all of yourself, and all of your fellow practitioners. When we address the natural human conflict and suffering we encounter within the space of a Sangha, we find a place to heal ourselves, creating the strength necessary to go out in to the rest of society to help with the healing of the world.

In a Sangha, we deepen our practice and our connection to all of humanity. This makes us better people and better prepared to handle the life that greets us away from our Sangha.