Sangha
Communities that protect our values
Teacher Experience
A contemplative invitation for educators to reflect on before teaching.Who do you turn to for guidance and support as an educator? Who are your role models for teaching with wisdom and compassion? Reflect on the qualities of these people and how they help you develop your own good qualities. For Buddhists: Reflect on how your dharma brothers and sisters practically support your path and practice. Consider how acknowledging these sources of refuge openly with students might create deeper trust and model the importance of supportive community.
Student Experience
A contemplative invitation for students to connect with this learning goal.Think of a time when being around certain friends made it easier to do the right thing. What was different about that group or situation?
Understanding
Students will understand...The people we associate with have tangible and intangible effects on the way we think, our values, and our experience in the world.
Action
Students are able to...Compare how different Buddhist traditions understand sangha’s protective function against contemporary peer pressure and social media influences; investigate cross-cultural examples of communities that protect members’ values and wellbeing; and evaluate how traditional protective community functions translate to modern social environments.
Content Knowledge
Students will know...In Buddhism, sangha is one of the three jewels. Sangha refers to the people with whom we are in community and share beliefs. The word sangha in Sanskrit and Pali means “group, assembly.” When we speak of the Maha-Sangha, or the great community, it refers to the four types of the Buddha’s followers: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. Together, they make up the sangha. Originally, sangha referred only to the community of monks and nuns (bhikkhu/bhikkhuni) or to the community of “noble ones” (arya sangha)—people who have attained the first stage of “awakening,” called stream-enterers. Modern Buddhists often use sangha to refer to all those who follow the Buddha and practice the dharma, particularly their immediate group of friends and community.
From Confucius to Aristotle, there are many different sayings across cultures that speak about the importance of choosing one’s friends and associates carefully and the significance of the company we keep. While the full meaning and value of the sangha is a rich and complex subject, we can consider how creating a culture of respect towards one’s spiritual community—those who are aspiring to follow the same path—will have a beneficial impact on both the individual and the group.
The protective function of sangha serves as a crucial support system that shields practitioners from influences that might undermine their spiritual development and ethical commitments. Buddhist communities traditionally provide protection through shared values, peer accountability, and alternative social structures that counteract materialistic or harmful cultural pressures. The sangha also offers emotional and spiritual refuge during times of crisis, doubt, or social pressure to abandon one’s values.
Guiding Questions
Implementation Possibilities
Create case studies examining how different religious or cultural communities support their members. Establish interviews with community leaders about how their groups maintain values in challenging environments. Practice developing personal “protection strategies” using Buddhist principles for navigating peer pressure situations. Implement comparative studies of historical and contemporary examples of communities that successfully preserved their values against outside pressure.
Assessment Ideas
Assess research projects for understanding of protective community functions across cultures. Evaluate case study presentations for insight into positive versus negative group influence. Review social media analysis for recognition of online community impacts. Observe personal protection strategies for practical application of concepts.
