We all seek a peaceful, safe place in which we can rest. In what do you take refuge? In the teachings, we are encouraged from the very beginning to take refuge in what are called the Three Jewels: the Buddha (the awakened mind/heart), the Dharma (the teachings, the truth of the way things are), and the Sangha (the community of beings who have walked and are walking the Path). Let us reflect on the refuge of Sangha.

In Sangha we gather together to encourage each other to have the patience and determination to keep going, to fulfill the resolution that we have to end greed, hatred and delusion and discover true freedom. I know that even having been taught how to meditate and to be generous with integrity, I could not have persevered in the practice without the companionship and support of spiritual friends. One of the most important things about being part of a community is the sense of honor and belonging with like-minded folks.

The quality of Sangha empowers that in us which encourages us to say, “You can let go of this, you don’t have to believe everything your mind conjures up, you can follow a different Path.” So this is why I feel in my heart that the Sangha is something that we need to deeply treasure and respect. Without the Sangha and its communal aspiration, so many of us would just fall away, caught in our desires, anger, worries, fears and distractions. Those qualities that are pure and noble within us would be lost, or not given the opportunity to fulfill themselves. In an ideal world, if we were all enlightened beings we wouldn’t need communal support. But because there is work to be done, we need friends. We need to connect with people who respect what is good, spiritual and pure. Those connections will help maintain that capacity within us for the wholesome qualities of our hearts to grow and flourish.That is the power of the refuge of Sangha.