Sangha

:See also the Sangha Region of the Republic of the Congo and Sanga for the town in Mali.

Related Topics:
Sangha Region - Republic of the Congo - Sanga - Mali

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sangha is a word in Indian languages that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly". It is commonly used in several senses to refer to Buddhist groups. Traditionally, it almost always has one of two meanings: most commonly, sangha means the order of ordained Buddhist monks or nuns (that is, there is one sangha of monks and one of nuns). In a stricter sense, sangha can mean the assembly of all beings possessing some degree of enlightenment, such as arhats and bodhisattvas; this is referred to as the arya-sangha or noble sangha. In modern Western countries, sangha is often used much more loosely to refer to any group of Buddhist laypeople, with a meaning similar to "congregation."

Related Topics:
Indian languages - Arhat - Bodhisattva

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This article deals primarily with the subject of the monastic sangha. Buddhists traditionally consider monastic life to provide the environment most conducive to advancing toward enlightenment, and the sangha is responsible for maintaining, translating, advancing, and spreading the teachings of the Buddha.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~