Sangha

Bodhisattva sangha from the Longchen Nyingtik field of merit

Sangha (Skt. saṅgha; Tib. gendün; Wyl. dge 'dun) is the term for the community of practitioners who are following the Buddha's teachings.

Eight Qualities of the Sangha

According to Maitreya's Uttaratantra Shastra, the Sangha has 'eight qualities of knowledge and liberation' (Tib. རིག་གྲོལ་་གྱི་ཡོན་ཏན་བརྒྱད་, rig drol gyi yönten gye; Wyl. rig grol gyi yon tan brgyad):

Knowledge of:

1) the profound nature of phenomena

2) the vast – phenomena in all their multiplicity

3) discriminating awareness wisdom

Liberation of:

4) attachment, the emotional obscurations

5) hindrance, the cognitive obscurations

6) the inferior – the obscurations of the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas

And

7) knowledge; and

8) liberation.

Further Reading

• Khenpo Ngawang Palzang, A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher, Shambhala, 2004, pages 108-123.