Importance of Sangha?

Importance of Sangha?

The Sangha is the spiritual community made up of both monastic and lay followers striving to live in accordance with Buddhist principles. Members of the sangha share the joys and challenges of living a spiritual life, encouraging and supporting one another in their endeavors. 

Connecting with a Sangha I am told is an important aspect of Buddhism. But different sects have different belief structures and follow different leaders. The internet of course is flooded with information, and not all of it correct I am sure. The truth is it can all be a bit much when trying to establish a daily practice. I am collecting information about various sects to help me in my practice and hopefully yours.  In the end one does not need to belong to any one sect or only one sect.

Introduction  to Buddhist Sects

Many people think of Buddhism as one religion with one set of beliefs.  But just as Christianity is divided into various churches and sects with a major division of Catholic and Protestant and smaller sects of Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, etc.. Buddhism is also divided into sects with many different beliefs and practices.  Buddhism has major groupings of  Hinayana or Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana.  "Yana" means vehicle.  So each of these is a vehicle to help us along the path toward enlightenment.

Within each of these major groupings there are numerous other groupings such as Zen, Shin, Nichiren, Tibetan, etc. And within these are more groupings such as within Zen are Soto Zen, Rinzai Zen, Chizen-ji, just to name a few.  Although we have common teachings that most groups follow, each has their own interpretations, spiritual leaders, and methods of practice. 

Final Thoughts

My interest are in the Beliefs and Daily Practices of Buddhism. 
Which do you observe and take part in as part of your Buddhist practice?
Is it important as people say to "belong" to a Sangha?
               Of course if I did I wouldn't be asking the internet these questions would I?
           
But I guess that makes you my Sangha. Maybe the best teacher is the one who just listens, leaving you to contemplate and figure things out on your own.

5 Ways to Embrace the Idea of Impermanence

5 Ways to Embrace the Idea of Impermanence

1) Reduce expectations

   Many of us have high expectations for our family, our business, our marriage…and we expect this to remain constant and last forever. But nothing lasts forever. Of course, you can have expectations with how you want things to turn out, but you can’t attach yourself to these results.

When you set reasonable expectations, and don’t demand a particular outcome, you’re better able to react to change and develop a more healthy response to loss, disappointment and pain.

2) Acknowledge change

    Cultivate the awareness that can happen quickly and at any time. Learning to develop this mindset allows to let things happen when it unfolds instead of approaching change from a place of denial and resistance.

3) Practice acceptance

     Many of us try to desperately prevent change from happening because we fear the unknown. Instead of resisting, allow change to unfold. A lot of the time, this attitude will make life easier to deal with.

     For example, by refusing to accept a negative emotion like anxiety, we actually make it worse because we’re fighting against it. Circumstances will not always turn out the way you want and that’s okay. Embracing the situation can help you deal with it far more effectively.

4) Learn from experience

   If you embrace change, you will start finding lessons in it. Trying to keep everything fixed means we’re not really changing and therefore we’re not really growing. Life is constant growth in many different ways. Change and different experiences can be your greatest teacher, but only if you give yourself permission to learn from it.

5) Embrace the wisdom

    Not only you grow as a person when you embrace change, but more inner peace will come into your life. Instead of fighting against the principles of the universe, you’re flowing it which will bring my calmness and joy. And when life shakes you up with twists and turns, you’ll realize that changes can’t break you. When we accept change, and learn from it, change is no longer our enemy. It becomes our teacher.

How can you use impermanence in your everyday life?

According to Buddhism, our suffering arises from attachment to desires. These desires can vary from material objects, sensual pleasures or even your relationships. The reason desiring causes suffering is because attachments are transient and loss is inevitable.

If the only constant in the universe is change, then by attaching yourself to something, you are trying to control and make something fixed. Suffering will follow because you are going against the constant flux of the universe.

So what can you do instead?

Embrace the idea of change! By accepting the idea of impermanence, it helps us appreciate everything we are experiencing in the present moment: our relationships, mood, body, health, the weather.

We must savor the moments we enjoy because they won’t last forever. Likewise, when we’re experiencing something that’s negative, we know that it also won’t last forever.