Finding a sangha

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I live in an area in the south where the nearest buddhist community is 2 hours away. I have contacted them, but they can not help with any long distance learning. What does a person do to find a sangha in a situation like this?

-- Jerry Verno (Dusty18412@aol.com), November 06, 2001

Answers

Have you tried online, Dusty18412? DharmaNet: www.dharmanet.net also www.plumvillage.org for practitioners in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hahn. Also the book by Don Morreale, "Buddhist America" lists many many Sanghas. Aside from the 2-hour trip, did you LIKE the sangha you visited? I realize this is all an important issue, and don't wish to make light of it; Kenneth Rexroth, a Buddhist, also was a devout Catholic: he said, for one thing, there's one whereever you go, like ATM. It all depends of course on your own practice, when you wake up, as you go through your day, and night, and so on, everyday.

-- Gary Gach (gary@word.to), November 06, 2001.

being part of a 2-week inter view at the Well was quite an experience in cybersangha. (The archives might reflect some of it -- 'tho not the unfoldingness, day-by-day, overtime, in real time.)

In the Well forum for Buddhism ("Wonderland'), someone recently recounted an interesting story. They'd discovered a lama who they'd decided was THE person they wanted to study under, and heard there was an event there and went ... an hour's trip ... and no one was there (maybe it was a holiday). Well, that person decided to try a sangha near where she worked, and that's worked out for her ever since. And she feels that eventually she would have grown tired of trekking to see the lama, no matter how enlightened he might be.

She concludes with the Tibetan teaching that it's ok to take 3 years to settle in on picking a teacher (and sangha).

As I build the website, I'll add links to CyberSangha enclaves in cyberspace ...



-- gary gach (gary@word.to), March 21, 2002.


Oh, another thing: some people believe in cybersangha. For example, right now, THIS is cybersangha.

Another example: Everyday Zen, a cybersangha led by Zoketsu Norman Fischer (a really good dharma teacher, in my opinion).

-- Gary Gach (ggg@well.com), November 06, 2001.


I heartily believe Mr. Gach on this being CyberSangha. At this juncture in the time continuium I am not able to join the sangha near my home here in Colorado. But I have found that I can either be a member of the sangha here or I can be my own sangha until the time is right to join a "formal" sangha. If I were you Dusty18412 I would keep up your own practice for now. And maybe just an idea but have you considered starting a sangha in your community for those who practice and are in the same dilemma? Can't hurt to try. The only way we do not succeed in something is if we do not make an attempt. gassho

-- Graham M Moran (ColoIceClmbr@aol.com), March 21, 2002.

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