Sangha facts for kids

Sangha (Luang Prabang, Laos)

In Buddhism, the word sangha means "assembly" or "community." For Buddhists, there are two sanghas that are very important:

1. the community of Buddhist monks and nuns
2. the community of noble disciples

In Buddhism, there are three things that a Buddhist shows the greatest respect: the Buddha, the Dharma (the Buddha's teaching), and the Sangha (the Buddha's community). So, for instance, when the sangha is talked about in very old Buddhist books, the following words are often used:

"The Sangha of the [Buddha]'s disciples who have practiced well... who have practiced straightforwardly... who have practiced methodically... who have practiced masterfully ... they are the Sangha of the [Buddha]'s disciples: worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, the incomparable field of merit for the world."

Images for kids

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  Some of the monks outside the temple at the Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Rato Dratsang, in India, January 2015

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  Gautama Buddha and his followers, holding begging bowls, receive offerings: from an 18th-century Burmese watercolour

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  An almsbowl used by members of the Sangha.

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  Upāsakas and Upāsikās performing a short chanting ceremony at Three Ancestors Temple, Anhui, China