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How long does it take for you to get to your temple/sangha?

Invincible_summerInvincible_summer Heavy Metal DhammaWe(s)t coast, Canada Veteran
edited November 2010 in Sanghas
Well? :tonguec:


I don't have a Sangha yet, but I'm looking at a few that are roughly 30 mins from where I live. By transit.

Comments

  • andyrobynandyrobyn Veteran
    edited September 2010
    To visit involves a 90 minute plane flight, then 3 hour travel by car and train ( long distances are apart of life in Australia ! ). Communication with my teacher is by weekly skype and telephone calls, emails and letter.
  • mugzymugzy Veteran
    edited September 2010
    The universe is my sangha ;)
  • cazcaz Veteran United Kingdom Veteran
    edited September 2010
    Very fortunatly In this life they are just 8 miles or so up the road :)
  • DazzleDazzle
    edited September 2010
    andyrobyn wrote: »
    To visit involves a 90 minute plane flight, then 3 hour travel by car and train ( long distances are apart of life in Australia ! ). Communication with my teacher is by weekly skype and telephone calls, emails and letter.

    Wow, you must be heavily dependent on your teacher to have to interact with him that often, Andyrobyn !

    I used to have to travel for most of the day to see mine (unless he was teaching at a nearer centre) Usually I saw him at a 10 minute interview maybe 3 or 4 times yearly at most, and on his instruction, spoke to him briefly by phone once monthly...and I thought that was a lot !

    I recall him once telling a group that in Tibet, because of the distances, one spoke to one's teacher once a year for advice and instruction and that was considered enough.

    Probably we westerners try to hold on too much to the idea of "my teacher" needing to be consulted about everything, rather than thinking for ourselves.

    I know I did, but now I consider myself to be a student of Buddha-Dhamma rather than of a guru.

    Anyway, whatever, just chatting, I wish you lots of luck, of course! :)

    The Theravada centre I go to now takes about 2 hrs or more to get there, depending on the type of transport used.


    .
  • andyrobynandyrobyn Veteran
    edited September 2010
    Hee hee, it does read that way doesn't it ?! No, luckily for him it is not all methods every week :o
  • zider_redzider_red Explorer
    edited September 2010
    20 -25 minutes if my wife drives me there, 40 -50 if I have to go by train
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited September 2010
    mugzy wrote: »
    The universe is my sangha ;)

    I feel this way as well. Getting more involved in the buddhist community could only be a good thing, though.
  • dorjedorje
    edited September 2010
    I walk across the street and BAM! I'm there :)
  • IllusoryFreedomIllusoryFreedom
    edited October 2010
    About 2 minutes, since it's in second life (that's the only reason I even have an account on there). Not preferable, but there aren't really any other options where I live. Eventually I'd like to find a "real life" sangha.
  • naturelovernaturelover
    edited October 2010
    Went to try out one last night. Took me 1 hour and 1/2.
  • nanadhajananadhaja Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Not long for me at all.Open my door,there it is.
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited October 2010
    nanadhaja wrote: »
    Not long for me at all.Open my door,there it is.

    You're a monk, correct? How wonderful. Do monks converse and discuss things or what?
  • EngyoEngyo
    edited October 2010
    Our temple is currently located in my home. My wife is the resident minister, so my commute is 1 staircase.
  • ShutokuShutoku Veteran
    edited October 2010
    My temple is a 20 minute walk, 8 minute roller blade, or 5 minute drive, from my home.
    I am very fortunate in this regard.
  • nanadhajananadhaja Veteran
    edited October 2010
    TheJourney wrote: »
    You're a monk, correct? How wonderful. Do monks converse and discuss things or what?
    Hi there.Yes I am a monk and yes we do discuss things and not just dhamma.The temple I am at is Burmese and many of the monks here are from Myanmar so often that can be the topic of discussion.
    Today a group of us had been invited to do house dana with a large group of Burmese who are working in the construction industry here in Malaysia.They are living in what can only be described as very basic make shift wooden boxes while building what looks like some very nice looking homes.Naturally after returning to the temple,talk turned to what had driven these people to come here and how although there housing situation seemed terrible to us,they were better off in Malaysia than they would be back home.Of course we do often discuss buddhism,but that tends to be fairly light hearted at times.
    Often it is about how the different Theravada countries do things.
    With metta
  • NirvanaNirvana aka BUBBA   `     `   South Carolina, USA Veteran
    edited October 2010
    15 minutes by foot, 5 by car to my local sangha. It's OK, although too much attention is paid to how one feels right now. My real sangha is actually dispersed around the globe and I'm connected.
  • mantra0mantra0
    edited October 2010
    nanadhaja wrote: »
    Hi there.Yes I am a monk and yes we do discuss things and not just dhamma.The temple I am at is Burmese and many of the monks here are from Myanmar so often that can be the topic of discussion.
    Today a group of us had been invited to do house dana with a large group of Burmese who are working in the construction industry here in Malaysia.They are living in what can only be described as very basic make shift wooden boxes while building what looks like some very nice looking homes.Naturally after returning to the temple,talk turned to what had driven these people to come here and how although there housing situation seemed terrible to us,they were better off in Malaysia than they would be back home.Of course we do often discuss buddhism,but that tends to be fairly light hearted at times.
    Often it is about how the different Theravada countries do things.
    With metta

    The Burmese workers in Malaysia are peaceful and friendly people.
  • BrobinBrobin
    edited November 2010
    It depends. No matter what, I have to take two buses, and I'm not sure which route is faster (taking the winding 8 onto the winding 11, or the direct-through-traffic 97 and then the 11 [which has to then backtrack]). I'm very fortunate to have someone offer to drive me, though, in which case it takes a lot less time.

    I'm just happy there is a sangha here! I just moved, and I'm not sure what I would have found in my last city, if anything.
  • Joshu-sDogJoshu-sDog
    edited November 2010
    Well I go to the Dharma centre on Tuesdays for a Shamatha meditation session after work. It takes me about 15 mins to get from work to the centre of town and (after stopping for a quick bite to eat) about 10 mins by bus to the centre.

    Not bad, really. It'd take longer if I was going from my house. :)
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited November 2010
    How can it possibly be that there is not a single buddhist center which doesn't charge money to attend within about 90 miles of me. I don't live in the country or anything. There's pretty decent sized towns all around me, and none of them have anything buddhist except new kadampa places which all charge $10 per class. This is so frustrating. Idk if I wanna drive an hour and a half every week just to go to a class.
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