Maintaining the purity of the Sangha

• Contemplating the nature of samsara to cultivate compassion
• Importance of monastics to avoid attachment to receiving material gifts and social respect
• Monastics to practice living in moderation, having few needs, being content with a simple life and having few possessions
• Transmitted dharma and realized dharma
• Different ways monastics ruin their practice by having attachment and conceit
• Gain, honor and renown
• Ethical conduct, sernenity

39 Maintaining the Purity of the Sangha (download)

Contemplation points

1. Why does Atisa say that the receipt of material gifts and social respect is a big trap for monastics? Make examples of the problems that can arise. What does Atisa advise in order to avoid this trap?
2. According to Atisa, the special responsibility of an ordained practitioner is to preserve the holy Dharma. Contemplate how each of the ways presented in the teaching works to preserve the Dharma: 1) attaining realizations, 2) learning and thinking about the teachings, 3) sharing the Dharma.
3. Why are monastics encouraged to live in moderation, have few needs, learn to be content with a simple life, have few possessions, and dwell with one’s back turned to the things that cause grasping.
4. What are ways in which you can slip into arrogance in your life and spiritual practice? What are some disadvantages of this that you’ve seen in your own life? How does this hinder spiritual practice, specifically for a monastic, but also for lay practitioners? What are antidotes you can apply to counter the mind of arrogance?