What is a Sangha (community)?

A sangha is a community of practitioners who walk the path of Dharma together.

The mutual support of the sangha is diverse and infinite. It enables us to sit in a course in silence as well as to be supported by those who sit beside us and are undergoing similar difficulties. The sangha is a place for joint study and contemplation, shedding light on things we wouldn’t have been able to see for ourselves. The sangha enables us to meet friends who want, just as ourselves, to deepen into the heart’s wisdom, get rid of old patterns, and cultivate qualities of silence, listening, and compassion.

The sangha can be a source of support, belonging, and working together. 

Taking part in a community strengthens our understanding of the insight of interdependency and the feeling of “we are all one human family”. This diminishes the feeling of separateness.   

There are many ways to feel the presence of the sangha in our lives. Whether it's participating in one of Tovana’s long-term programs, volunteering, or being a member in one of the weekly sitting groups, all are great ways to meet and be together.