Yesterday evening was spent in the company of 8 women talking about the Dharma. It was the first session of our new Buddhist Study Group and we had come together for the first time. We meditated, talked, reflected, listened and shared experiences. We laughed and drank tea. In that room, sitting around the small shrine to the Buddha, sat a diverse group of women with different lives, personalities and experiences – all at different stages on the Buddhist path. However, in that community, as part of that Sangha last night I felt comfortable and cared for. For the first time in a very long time I felt that I belonged. I didn’t feel as if I was standing on the edges looking in. The overwhelming feeling was the thing that we had in common – the desire to explore the Dharma.
When I started thinking about this post, about what I would write I thought that this would be about studying the Dharma. I thought that I would be writing about the three steps to developing wisdom, the importance of exploring the Dharma with others. This was important. The Dharma held us together. However, the overwhelming feeling I been left with is about the importance of the Sangha we created. Sangha – the Buddhist community in which we can take refuge. Relationships, friendships can always falter and fail but the Sangha will always be there.
I am so much looking forward to our study sessions. To getting to know this lovely group of women. To exploring the Dharma; to exploring how I can follow the Dharma more fully and thoughtfully.