sanghas

Sangha (Pali saṅgha, Sanskrit saṅgha) is a term used in Indian religions to denote a community or assembly of practitioners. In Buddhism, sangha is one of the Three Jewels, together with the Buddha and the Dhamma, and it refers to the spiritual community that supports the path to awakening. The term can describe the monastic order of ordained monks and nuns (bhikkhu and bhikkhuni) and, in many traditions, lay followers who commit to ethical precepts and practice. The sangha traces its origin to the Buddha’s teaching and to his formation of a community after his enlightenment. It serves as a refuge and a conduit for the transmission of teachings, offering guidance, ordination, and mutual support through study, meditation, and ritual.

Most Buddhist traditions describe the sangha as governed by the Vinaya, a code of monastic discipline. The exact rules and organizational structures vary by tradition, but the core functions include ordination, governance, safeguarding the monastic community, and maintaining relations with lay supporters. In Theravada Buddhism, the monastic sangha has a long-standing institutional presence in the region, while Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions feature additional monastic lines and a broad network of lay sanghas, teachers, and centers. The sangha acts as a living repository of the Dharma, preserving and teaching the path while guiding practitioners on both formal and informal levels.

In Jainism, sangha likewise denotes the religious community, comprising monks, nuns, and lay followers, united to practice and preserve the Jain path. In contemporary Buddhism and Jainism, lay and monastic sanghas often collaborate, with local sanghas forming study groups, meditation circles, and charitable activities that support practitioners on the path.