September 11, 2025
The Whole of Spiritual Life
We often hear about an epidemic of loneliness—about people spending more time on their screens and less time together in-person, and suffering as a result. Increasingly divided, even online, where we’re targeted at every turn and now confront hyper-personalized information, we’re being hurled into our own silos whether we like it or not. It’s no wonder that so many studies report widespread loneliness, especially among young people, around the world. Buddhism’s resolution for this is sangha, one of the three jewels, along with dharma and the Buddha, in which Buddhists take refuge.
The Buddha is often quoted as saying that the whole of spiritual life is having good spiritual friends. Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh is well-known for saying, “The next Buddha may take the form of a community.” Sangha is integral to a Buddhist way of life, and while the term may have applied to the monastic community during the time of the Buddha, today sangha can take so many shapes—lay, monastic, virtual, in-person, local or international.
Sangha gives our innately social selves an opportunity to practice and receive loving-kindness and compassion, and to give and accept the support we all need.
This week’s Three Teachings reminds us that sangha is non-negotiable, no matter what form it takes. | 
