Sangha Means Indivisible
Sangha can be understood at three levels.
- Outer Sangha
- All other Buddhists, those who have taken refuge in the same lineage or with the same teacher, those who practice together, and the noble sangha of bodhisattvas and arhats.
- Inner Sangha
- Dakas and dakinis, dharmapalas.
- Secret Sangha
- All sentient beings in the six realms.
The Community of Refuge
“Hearing the Buddha pronounce the four noble truths, the eightfold path, and the links of interdependent origination, the first five disciples understood the meaning of his words; one by one, each attained the state of an Arhat, fully liberated from the flow of the passions and the karma that results from this flow. Their realization established that enlightened knowledge can be transmitted from one person to another, as a flame can pass from one candle to the next, illuminating each according to his potential. This understanding gave rise to the Sangha, the community dedicated to embodying the Buddha's teachings.
The Sangha is the natural expression of enlightened understanding, mirroring the interconnectedness of all forms of existence. The Sangha is the community that continues the Buddha's presence in the world, upholding the model of mindful action and a harmonious way of life. Founded by the Buddha, governed by his teachings, supported by generations of realized masters, the Sangha is a refuge from the attitudes and actions that bind living beings to suffering.”
Offerings From Sangha Members
Fifty-One Mental Events The mala of clear understanding Uttaratantra Notes on the seven vajra pointsBy Shug Chang
By Tenkar
By Zhibde
Padmasambhava
On the most inner level, Padmasambhava is not intended to be viewed as a mere historical figure having a psycho-somatic constitution just like ours, for he is no ordinary being. He is like a rainbow, pure, transparent, untouchable and clear. He is all-knowing and all beauty. The Buddhas of the Three Times shine from the pores of his skin.
His entire form is pure light in a world of absolute perfection. He sits on a lotus seat of compassion and a sun throne of highest wisdom which resides in the heart of the meditator. From here, the illuminated mind of the Guru fills the Ten Directions of space like the rays of the sun, the embodiment of the Tri-kaya.
Constant and mindful meditation on the pure essence of the Guru destroys all selfish desires, inappropriate qualities and unnecessary delusions, so that one learns to view every situation as the means to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. Ordinarily, the mind is diffused and wandering, but when this meditation is properly enacted, every form which one sees becomes the body of Padmasambhava, every sound which one hears, the speech of Padmasambhava, and all action, the mind of Padmasambhava.
Tarthang Tulku
"Once a fiddler played so sweetly that all who heard him began to dance, and whoever came near enough to hear joined in the dance. Then a deaf man who knew nothing of music happened along, and to him all he saw seemed the action of madmen, senseless and in bad taste."
