Saṅgha

Community, assembly of practitioners. Saṅgha (Pāli, equivalent to saṃgha in Sanskrit) is one of the three refuges (ti-saraṇa) in Buddhism, alongside Buddha and Dhamma.

In the strict sense, saṅgha designates ordained monks and nuns (bhikkhu and bhikkhunī) who have attained at least the first level of awakening (sotāpanna). In the broad sense, it includes all lay practitioners following the path.

The community is not an accessory but an essential part of the path. The Buddha did not design a solitary path but a practice sustained by a network of relationships: teachers who guide, companions who support, laypeople who generously provide.

In the Dhammapada, good company (sappurisa — virtuous people) is essential: associating with those who practice the Dhamma accelerates progress; associating with the negligent undermines it.

In yoga, the role of the guru and the community of practitioners (sādhanā sangha) serves an analogous function: sustaining practice when individual willpower falters.