Zendo vs. Sangha?

MindGate

So, my closest Buddhism related building, considering I live in rural America, is a zendo. The abbess there (is that the correct term? Reverend? Monk?) is actually quite the sweet and helpful lady. I've never been able to make it there, but I've contacted her several times through email.

Just wondering, though. What would be difference between a sangha and a zendo? I know a zendo is related to Zen Buddhism, but thats about as much as I got.



Thanks,
Jarred.

Invincible_summer

"Sangha" is just a term used to describe a Buddhist community, regardless of size. It can mean all Buddhists in the world, all Buddhists in a given location (e.g. the Canadian sangha), or even a specific Buddhist group (e.g. the Thai Forest group that holds weekly meetings down the block).

A "zendo" is specific to Zen Buddhism. Essentially, it is a Zen-specific sangha.

nanadhaja

I believe that a zendo is the name for the meditation hall where zazen is practised.Therefore as Invincible_summer has said above,it is zen specificic.
I'm not sure of the title for the lady in charge.Maybe abbess or possibly priestess.I am sure one of our zen friends here can better answer.
With metta,
Phra Greg

Vincenzi

so, sangha is not exclusively about buddhist monks... it includes lay buddhists?

genkaku

Hi MindGate -- The word "zendo," if I've got it right, literally means "the way of Zen" and generally refers to a specific location where people practice "zazen," a word that roughly translates to "seated meditation." "Sangha," as stated above, refers to the Buddhist community, large or small. These are the conversational meanings.

Both words have a wider meaning as well. "Zendo," for example, can just mean the circumstances in which you find yourself -- your life, right now ... your place in which to practice, your expression of attention and responsibility, your laughter and peace. For conversational purposes, this wider meaning can be too airy-fairy, so mostly it is easier just to speak with a literal, physical space in mind. There are similar applications for the word "sangha" -- wider and more experience-based applications ... which can seem to airy-fairy at first.

With practice, both the literal and the airy-fairy have a way of coming together or not being distinguishable... something like that.

As to who runs a particular zendo, sometimes it is a "roshi," which literally means "old teacher," or it may be someone who has devoted time and effort and is accredited by an institution or individual as capable of teaching, or it may be a monk or nun, or it may just be another self-centered wannabe who is out of his/her depth. Which is which is entirely up to you. A little care and respect on your part will sort things out. My teacher once said, "Except for me, everything is the teacher." Not a bad rule of thumb.

seeker242

A Zendo is a Japanese Zen term for meditation hall, which is not all that different from any other meditation hall. The sanga is the community of practitioners that practice there.

Valekhai

so, sangha is not exclusively about buddhist monks... it includes lay buddhists?

In my understanding, yes.

Invincible_summer

so, sangha is not exclusively about buddhist monks... it includes lay buddhists?

I believe that traditionally it was used to primarily refer to the monastic followers, but now it can include lay people

[DeletedUser]

Generally, based on my shallow understanding and 2 cents.
Sangha is Buddha, Dharma and Venerable. Buddha is Enlightenment, Dharma is Righteousness and Venerable is Serenity. These three are inseparable oneness and is inherent nature of all Buddhas and sentient beings that include Bodhisattva who achieved the unsurpassed state of equally perfect enlightenment . There are these Sangha forms of Buddha (statue), Dharma (literature) and Venerable (monks & nuns & laity) that practice the path of inherent Sangha through meditation in the method of (either or and/or neither nor) dharma talks, dharma lecture, sutra reading, chanting and other meditations.

nanadhaja

so, sangha is not exclusively about buddhist monks... it includes lay buddhists?

In my understanding, yes.

This depends on whether we are talking about Ariya Sangha or not.
If Ariya Sangha is implied then this would not include lay people,generally speaking.Other wise,yes,Sangha can mean lay people as well as monastics.Actually Ariya Sangha would even exclude many(most?) monastics.
With metta.

[DeletedUser]

This article is about Shan-tao (Zendō), an influential 7th century Buddhist writer. For other uses of Zendo see Zendo (disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zendo_(disambiguation)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan-tao

compassionate_warrior

The key question for you would be, I think, not "zendo or sangha", but Zen, Ch'an, Theravada or Vajrayana? i.e. which school suits you best? since Zen is the closest and easiest for you to reach, start with that. See how you like Zen. Probably in the beginning stages, it doesn't matter which school you choose. They all teach the basics.
Ask the abbess what her title is. (She knows you're new to this, no need to be embarrassed.)
If she's nice and you feel comfortable with her, that's a good sign.

TheJourney

zendozendozendozendo

compassionate_warrior

zendozendozendozendo

Go for it, MG!

Vincenzi

so, sangha is not exclusively about buddhist monks... it includes lay buddhists?

In my understanding, yes.

This depends on whether we are talking about Ariya Sangha or not.
If Ariya Sangha is implied then this would not include lay people,generally speaking.Other wise,yes,Sangha can mean lay people as well as monastics.Actually Ariya Sangha would even exclude many(most?) monastics.
With metta.

does arya samgha includes only "stream enterers, once returners, non-returners, boddhisattvas and buddhas"?
does it includes boddhisattvas that are not "officially" monks?

jinzang

The sangha is the community of Buddhist practitioners and includes by the lay and ordained sangha. The threefold refuge prayer is directed to the "Noble Sangha", those who have attained enlightenment, meaning in this context the path of seeing. There is a tradition in the Theravada that the enlightened must be ordained or die that day. (See, for example, the Questions of King Milinda.) The Mahayana tradition does not agree and holds that the lay sangha can be enlightened.

As has been mentioned, a zendo is a place where zen meditation is practiced. That is, the zen sangha practices in the zendo.

Barra

There are times when I use a broad definition of "sangha" to mean - my community of support - i.e. my friends, even non-Buddhist friends. So, thinking of the three treasures, there are times when I think of my secular community as one of my "treasures".
But there are other times when it is important to have a narrower definition of sangha - i.e. - the people that you sit with. (and no, I don't meant the people on the school bus...