Sangha

A community based on Buddhist principles-or Sangha-is a tradition that dates back to the time of the Buddha. The purpose of sangha is to develop a culture that is in accord with the teachings. Such a culture evolves when the teaching permeate and transform our conventional beliefs, attitudes, and activities. Joining a sangha supports us to deepen our path, through teachings and study programs, and through working with others.

One of the main purposes of Mangala Shri Bhuti has been to create a culture of dharma. Kongtrul Rinpoche puts special emphasis on this because working with others - with all its joys and challenges - is not only a way to gauge our progress on the path, but an essential part of our growth as practitioners. Over time, like a cloth soaked in colored dye, our community has absorbed dharma culture from the teachings we have received and the practices we have done, through our relationships with the teacher, the lineage and each other, and through involving ourselves in the activities which support the organization. Truly, you would be hard-pressed to find a student that would not say, with genuine appreciation, that the experience of sangha has been transformative.

The Mangala Shri Bhuti sangha is composed of approximately 150 students. Most live in and around the Boulder area, or in Southern Colorado near our retreat center, Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, or surrounding Pema Osel Do Ngak Choling in Vershire, VT. Recently, new sanghas have formed in New York, Montreal, San Francisco and Nothern Colorado as well as Japan, Taiwan and Bhutan.

Becoming A Student

We have defined three categories of students within Mangala Shri Bhuti. Each describes a different level of commitment to Rinpoche and the organization and one's path. These definitions exist as a support for new students to make an informed choice, and for current students to remain clear about their paths.

Students who see Kongtrul Rinpoche as their root guru, or primary teacher, and wish to devote their lives to the study and practice of the Longchen Nyingtik path, as well as to service and support of the organization, make up the first category. Those practitioners who have studied seriously with another teacher and now wish to study in-depth with Kongtrul Rinpoche, while maintaining their connection with their previous teacher and community, make up the second category, and their level of commitment is the same as the first. Those who wish to receive any of the public teachings offered by Rinpoche as part of the Mangala Shri Bhuti Buddhist Studies Program, yet who do not feel inclined to make a commitment to Rinpoche and the organization, form the third category. So there are options for all, and reflecting on one's path, one may choose to move from one category to another at any time.

If you are curious about becoming a student of Kongtrul Rinpoche, we invite you to attend one of his programs at our centers in Colorado or Vermont, and get to know the sangha as well. If you live in one of the cities or countries mentioned above with a newly formed sangha, we can put you in touch with that group. Rinpoche is also hosted by other organizations around the world each year, and you can find that information on his teaching schedule.

If you feel an inspiration to pursue your path within Mangala Shri Bhuti, Rinpoche has asked that you spend about a year as a "prospective student", receiving teachings, mingling with the sangha, studying and practicing. You can receive basic meditation instruction in the Four Immeasurables practice at one of our centers or in one of the city sanghas. Each sangha now has a number of "Study and Practice Representatives" whose role is to disseminate the Four Immeasurables teachings and share their experience of these with newer students, as well as their understanding of the culture of Mangala Shri Bhuti—basically, how the path Kongtrul Rinpoche teaches is as much about a life of service within the sangha as formal study and meditation. After a year, you can write a request letter to Rinpoche's secretary in order to proceed further.

Please incorporate this information into your contemplations about becoming a student. Download the MSB General Information Letter to get a sense of the different ways to connect to the sangha and study Rinpoche's teachings. Contact his secretary, Rebecca Zepp, to get in touch with a Study and Practice Representative.