February 5, 2026
The Support of Others
Burnout is rampant for many reasons: the breakneck speed of our notifications and news cycle, an unhealthy notion of success that privileges power and limitless consumption, and an attachment to perfectionism, as if there is some objective measure in the first place. The list goes on, but one source of burnout that we shouldn’t forget is the impulse to go it alone—to carry a burden, confront an obstacle, or even to face an ordinary day without the support of others.
In Buddhism, sangha, or community, is essential. In the Upaddha Sutta, the Buddha famously stated, “Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life.” In the Shin tradition, practice begins with acknowledging our collective need for help and expressing gratitude for the Buddha’s teachings. Needing or accepting help isn’t a sign of weakness but of strength, requiring vulnerability, openness, and detachment from an erroneous sense of self that stands apart from everything else. We’re never actually acting on our own, after all.
This week’s Three Teachings reminds us that receiving support with open arms—difficult though it may be for some—is just as important on the Buddhist path as giving freely. | 
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