APPAMADA

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What does a sangha need?

A spiritual community that is healthy and sustainable depends on:

  • Mutual care and concern for each other

  • Growth-producing relationships

  • Moral and ethical integrity: imbued in the community from the top down. Explicit teaching of precepts and moral foundations

  • Appropriate social architectures

    • For teaching and learning

    • For management

    • For leadership and governance

    • For development and evolution of individuals and the community

  • Distribution: of power, resources, attention, and energy, diversity of membership

  • Embodiment: physical presence, place, activity, interaction

  • Enaction: of forms, practices, ceremonies, social interaction, meetings, connection, and care

  • Emergence: organic, wise, ecosystem evolution with intention. Meeting challenges and change as opportunities for growth and learning together. The story of community is co-authored by its members.

  • Transmission

    • Traditional teachings, forms, practices, roles, wisdom, and ethical conduct

    • Techne: skillful means for practice, relating, management, teaching and learning, use of technology, methods, leadership

    • Governance: bylaws, policies, procedures, social structures such as Boards and Councils

    • Power: Formal authorizations, Right Use of Power, everyday uses of power, community conversations, shared culture and language for attending to power dynamics. Power as explicit, open topic without shame or blame; feedback as constructive, supportive, and developmental.

  • Leadership: wisdom, compassion and care

    • Roles

    • Councils

    • Board

    • Practice Periods and Head Students

    • Lay Teacher Entrustment

    • Dharma Transmission

  • Engagement: Active participation, support, care, vision, willingness, relationality of members

This is a start in developing a kind of framework to help spiritual communities—sanghas—thrive and evolve so that they can serve not only their own members, but all being. Of course there are many other elements that play an important part; but these the ones I was reflecting on this morning.