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Sangha
sangha
In the suttas the word sangha (lit. "group, assembly") is usually used
in one of two ways: it refers either to the community of ordained monks and nuns
(bhikkhu-sangha and bhikkhuni-sangha) or to the community of "noble ones"
(ariya-sangha) -- persons who have gained at least some degree of
Awakening.
The definition (ariya-sangha)
"The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples who have practiced well... who
have practiced straight-forwardly... who have practiced methodically... who
have practiced masterfully -- in other words, the four types
[of noble disciples] when taken as pairs, the eight when
taken as individual types -- they are the Sangha of the Blessed One's
disciples: worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy
of respect, the incomparable field of merit for the world."
--
AN XI.12
"In this community of monks there are monks who are arahants, whose mental
effluents are ended, who have reached fulfillment, done the task, laid down
the burden, attained
the true goal, totally destroyed the fetter of becoming, and who are
released through right gnosis: such are the monks in this community of monks.
"In this community of monks there are monks who, with the total ending of
the first set of five fetters, are due to be reborn [in the Pure Abodes],
there to be totally unbound, never again to return from that world: such are
the monks in this community of monks.
"In this community of monks there are monks who, with the total ending of
[the first] three fetters, and with the attenuation of passion, aversion, &
delusion, are once-returners, who -- on returning only one more time to this
world -- will make an ending to
stress: such are
the monks in this community of monks.
"In this community of monks there are monks who, with the total ending of
[the first] three fetters, are
stream-winners,
steadfast, never again destined for states of woe, headed for self-awakening:
such are the monks in this community of monks."
--
MN 118
"Just as the ocean is the abode of such mighty beings as whales,
whale-eaters, and whale-eater-eaters; asuras, nagas, and gandhabbas, and there
are in the ocean beings one hundred leagues long, two hundred... three
hundred... four hundred... five hundred leagues long; in the same way, this
Doctrine and Discipline is the abode of such mighty beings as stream-winners
and those practicing to realize the fruit of
stream-entry;
once-returners and those practicing to realize the fruit of once-returning;
nonreturners and those practicing to realize the fruit of nonreturning;
arahants and those practicing for arahantship... This is the eighth amazing
and astounding fact about this Doctrine and Discipline."
--
Ud V.5
Worthy
"A monk endowed with eight qualities is worthy of gifts, worthy of
hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, an incomparable field of
merit for the world. Which eight?
[1] "There is the case where a monk is virtuous. He dwells restrained in
accordance with the Patimokkha, consummate in his behavior & sphere of
activity. He trains himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing
danger in the slightest faults.
[2] "When given food, whether coarse or refined, he eats it carefully,
without complaining.
[3] "He feels disgust at bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental
misconduct, at the development of evil, unskillful [mental] qualities.
[4] "He is composed & easy to live with, and doesn't harass the other
monks.
[5] "Whatever tricks or deceits or wiles or subterfuges he has, he shows
them as they actually are to the Teacher or to his knowledgeable companions in
the holy life, so that the Teacher or his knowledgeable companions in the holy
life can try to straighten them out.
[6] "When in training he gives rise to the thought, 'Whether the other
monks want to train or not, I'll train here.'
[7] "When going, he goes the straight path; here the straight path is this:
right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right
effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
[8] "He dwells with his persistence aroused, [thinking,] 'Gladly would I
let the flesh & blood in my body dry up, leaving just the skin, tendons, &
bones, but if I have not attained what can be reached through human
steadfastness, human persistence, human striving, there will be no relaxing my
persistence.'"
"Endowed with these eight qualities, a monk is worthy of gifts, worthy of
hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, an incomparable field of
merit for the world."
--
AN VIII.13
"Monks, this assembly is free from idle chatter, devoid of idle chatter,
and is established on pure heartwood: such is this community of monks, such is
this assembly. The sort of assembly that is worthy of gifts, worthy of
hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, an incomparable field of
merit for the world: such is this community of monks, such is this assembly.
The sort of assembly to which
a small gift, when
given, becomes great, and a great gift greater: such is this community of
monks, such is this assembly. The sort of assembly that it is rare to see in
the world: such is this community of monks, such is this assembly -- the sort
of assembly that it would be worth traveling for leagues, taking along
provisions, in order to see."
--
MN 118
A community supreme
"Among whatever communities or groups there may be, the Sangha of the
Tathagata's disciples is considered supreme -- i.e., the four types [of noble
disciples] when taken as pairs, the eight when taken as persons. Those who
have confidence in the Sangha have confidence in what is supreme; and for
those with confidence in the supreme, supreme will be the result."
--
Iti 90
Recollecting the Sangha
"At any time when a disciple of the noble ones is recollecting the Sangha,
his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with aversion, not
overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on the Sangha. And when
the mind is headed straight, the disciple of the noble ones gains a sense of
the goal, gains
a sense of the Dhamma,
gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In
one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed
experiences ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes
concentrated."
--
AN XI.12
"When you recollect the Sangha, monks, any fear, terror, or horripilation
you may have will be abandoned."
--
SN XI.3
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