Six Harmonies of the Sangha:
1. Ethical Harmony
Uphold the Vinaya and Bodhisattva Precepts as the foundation of behaviour, sustaining the Dharma in the world and creating the causes and conditions to enter the deep wisdom of the Buddhas. Through sincere effort, strive to transform afflictions and embody these principles.
2. Doctrinal Harmony
Accept the Lotus Sūtra as the framework and the Dharmagupta Vinaya and Bodhisattva Precepts as guiding practices. By relying on Mahāyāna sūtras and commentaries from great masters, such as Nāgārjuna, Zhiyi and Śāntideva, continually refine understanding and wisdom.
3. Resource Harmony
Material resources are shared communally with transparency, frugality, and diligence. This ensures that each person’s practice of the three higher trainings (ethics, meditation, and wisdom) is supported without hindrance.
4. Physical Harmony
Aim to live together in ways that support each other’s practice. Temples, monasteries, and teaching centres exist to facilitate Dharma study and practice, creating safe spaces for all. They are not the end, careers, or lifestyle decisions but a means. Prioritise collective well-being, reduce personal preferences, and maintain clean, organised shared and personal spaces. Honour shared schedules and time commitments.
5. Speech Harmony
Avoid arguing, harsh speech, and competition. Disagreements need not be resolved immediately; if anger arises, we step back and return to the discussion with calm and mutual respect. Everyone is entitled to share their views when appropriate but final decisions are made by consensus. In speech, strive to be trustworthy, keeping commitments and promises to one another. Resolve inevitable conflict and disagreement through transparent communication and trust using non-violent communication, mediators, etc. if necessary. Engage in the principles of right speech.
6. Mental Harmony
The Dharma leads to liberation and peace. If discomfort or suffering arises, reflect on one’s practice, seek feedback from others, and address afflictions. Cultivate mental harmony by rejoicing in others’ successes, emulating their virtues, and approaching conflicts and differences with goodwill.
Like a Full Moon – Four Qualities to Cultivate
Pure – Without Anger
Do not retaliate or seek vengeance. Let go of slights, abuses, or harm.
Cool – Without Desire
Avoid seeking personal gain in practice or teaching. Refrain from soliciting donations or being involved with organizational status, titles, ranks, or fame. If such motivations arise, pause and reflect on how worldly desires poison practice.
Bright – Without Ignorance
Guard against arrogance and sectarianism. Learn humbly from diverse Dharma approaches to refine compassion, wisdom, and skill.
Pervasive – With Equality
Balance equality with discernment. Respect differences in conditions, personality, and practice while offering equal support. Gender, race, age, sexuality, ability, class, country of origin or nonconformity are never grounds for disrespect or withholding the Dharma but also affect how a person receives and relates to the dharma. Wherever a person is in their life is the path, the path isn’t somewhere else except in immediate conditions.
Respect the Sangha of the 10 Directions
Welcome practitioners from all Buddhist traditions and do not denigrate them.
Even if their precepts lineage or approach differs from one’s own or their practice and understanding of the sūtras is varied, find the virtue in it. Rejoice and encourage others in their path and collaborate when practice and views align. In cases of irreconcilable disharmony, distance oneself without creating obstacles for their pursuit of awakening, trusting in their love for the Dharma and the power of the Buddhas to guide them. One does not need to disprove other communities, teachers, practitioners or dharma doors. Nor defend one’s own in worldly motivated debates to prove superiority.
Representing the Dharma
As Buddhists, each practitioner represents Śākyamuni Buddha’s heritage. Monastics, lay-priests, and householder practitioners equally strive to act with awareness of the impact they have on the Dharma existing in the world- especially in public context. Wearing religious garb or using Dharma names carries responsibility; avoid behavior that brings criticism or shame to the Buddhist community and your co-practitioners.
This includes not becoming involved with and addressing it when it arises: unethical, abusive, or disrespectful projects, groups, or teachers. Not endorsing or participating in dynamics, collaborations or affiliations that compromise one’s precepts or principles. In the Bodhisattva Precepts, practitioners should not become the envoys or representatives of government or associate with military efforts and collaborations. Nor position ourselves in various ways to gain profit in resources, status, or power.
As practitioners of the Lotus Sūtra we avoid sectarian manners and debates. If we disagree with another’s approach or values the best advice is to not become further entangled through arguing and avoid creating obstacles for their good works. One can try to resolve a conflict or respectfully bring up a concern three times. If after those attempts it is clear the other party is not willing to engage- then exit the situation or relationship and maintain peaceful practice.
Agreements for Co-Practice
1. Separate Personal and Dharma Identity
Especially for lay-priests, avoid blurring lay life roles and interests and Dharma responsibility. Wearing robes or using Dharma names adds weight to actions and words; if we are functioning in a personal or lay role but also representing the Dharma it’s easy for the outsider to conflate the two.
2. Social Media Responsibility
Avoid performative religiosity, such as staged religious photos or extravagant displays of devotion and “holiness” done for media. Avoid centering oneself in teaching or advertising. Avoid referring to oneself by honorific and advertising which focuses on you the speaker- rather than the Dharma topic itself. Focus on sharing educational, encouraging, or personal content rather than simply exhibiting a “Buddhist aesthetic”.
Avoid promoting political parties, personal businesses, or flaunting wealth or connections within the context or role as a Buddhist practitioner.
3. Clothing and Possessions
When possible use plain, subdued, natural fiber robes that you can easily repair or hand make. Avoid costly materials, silks, brocades etc.
For Dharma clothing, monastics should follow Vinaya using dark muddy colors (brown, grey, navy, black, brick red).
Lay-priests solid black. Householders black or white.
Avoid attachment to new items by marking or slightly altering them. For temple purchases, prioritize used or refurbished or second-hand items with low-environment impact. Hand make and repurpose other items if possible. Monastics cultivate the attitude to own only what they can carry; lay-priests and devoted practitioners cultivate frugality and avoid conspicuous consumption.
4. Dwellings
Keep living spaces simple and organized, bearing in mind environmental impact of products and choices.
Renunciate practitioners accept accommodations with humility, whether high or low quality, clean or dirty, fine or rough.
Improve the spaces one is dwelling in.
5. Donations
One must not solicit or scheme for personal monetary donations, charge or hint for donations. No donation boxes, ticket prices, suggested “dana”, etc. Donations/honorariums are not to be accepted for providing Dharma teaching, talks, or ceremonies. Individuals may receive at-will donations at other times and should asked respectfully how the donor would like it used, then record and track appropriately.