Buddhist Vocabulary: Sangha

Written By Lama Döndrup

Word origins:

Sanskrit: saṃgha

Pali: saṅgha

Tibetan: phonetics: gendun; Wylie transliteration: dge ‘dun

Sangha literally means that which is struck together well. In common usage, it generally refers to a community. It has been adopted by multiple religions. In Buddhism, it is generally used to indicate a group of Buddhist practitioners. Sangha is also used to refer to specific categories of Buddhist practitioners: Enlightened beings, ordained practitioners, lay practitioners, or a combination of ordained and lay practitioners.


The word sangha generally refers to a community. It has been adopted by Buddhists and is used to indicate a group of Buddhist practitioners. Within Buddhism it can be used to refer to different categories of Buddhist practitioners:


1. Noble Sangha: In the context of the 3 Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha), sangha refers to those who have achieved a high level of realization (having attained at least the first of the 10 levels of a bodhisattva) and have an unwavering commitment to benefit all sentient beings.

2. It refers to the ordained community; ordained men, women, and non-binary. It was first used to identify the first 5 ordained disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni; the 5 who were present for the Buddha’s first teaching.

3. In the West, it is commonly used to refer to a community of lay practitioners.

4. Fourfold Sangha: Refers to ordained men and women and lay practitioners who are men and women collectively.

Lama Döndrup

Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work. Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Previous

Buddhist Vocabulary: Mahamudra
Next

Buddhist Vocabulary: Vajra