The Sangha Endures

This morning one of the regular members of the weekend sangha (meditation group) mentioned to me that out of all the different places the sangha has been held over the years, our home at Mission Street Yoga was, to him, the sweetest one of all. We both agree that we really enjoy the small town feeling of being on Mission Street in South Pasadena. I particularly like stepping outside before the sangha begins and just to look around. I feel that we are a living component of the goings on around me, and that we are contributing to the life of this town.

Indeed, the sangha has moved around quite a bit since I started leading it in early 2002. By my count, we have been in seven different physical locations. We have moved because of remodeling, studio closings, loss of support from management, and in one case, because a swing and salsa dancing class was scheduled at the same time in the room below us.

In all of these cases, the sangha endured. The participants have shown amazing loyalty. They simply wanted to share the experience of vipassana, and to share the wisdom of the Dharma. It has been a struggle, sometimes, and there have been moments where it seemed like too much work to make things continue. I am always reminded, however, that the Buddha considered the sangha, the community of meditators, to be the most important component of the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. To remind me, Kathy had these Three Jewels engraved on the inside of my wedding ring.

Of course, it is all impermanent, and this little sangha now residing in South Pasadena will eventually move on again, or change form in some way, or even cease to be. No matter what its course in the coming years, it is my hope that this sangha has contributed a small drop of wisdom into the river of the Dharma.

Blessings,
Roger