Talk:Sangha

On multiple meanings of Sangha - and meaning of Sangha in traditions with non celibate Mahayana ordination monks and nuns

First - how is this word used by Japanese Buddhists? If I understand right, some of the Japanese traditions don't have bikkhus or bikkhunis but rather use an ordination based on the bodhisattva vows, a tradition dating back to Saichō, rather than ordination based on the vinaya. Their monks and nuns are also non celibate and can marry. So, I wonder, how do they interpret the Sangha? It might be an interesting addition to this article.

Also - in teachings on going for Refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha my teachers have said that the word Sangha has many levels of meaning. The narrowest, that you go for refuge to the ordained monks and nuns, as well as the (at least) partially realized beings as in this article. The other levels are increasingly broader in scope. This is mainly in the Tibetan Nyingmapa tradition that I've heard these teachings. I don't think this is a Western invention. It would be interesting to have something on the background to such teachings.

This article also seems to be treating it as a word that has a single defined meaning in each tradition with disputes over what the meaning is. Is it truly in dispute anywhere - or is it just a case of it having possibly multiple meanings in some traditions, with them all understanding the term in its strictest sense as referring to the bikkhus and bikkshunis?

Also this article surely should link bact to the Refuge article and have a section on what it means to go for refuge to the Sangha.

Robert Walker (talk) 14:27, 25 January 2018 (CST)