Dharma and Community

Not much to say, just something to pass along from Chapter 7 of Food for the Heart, the collected teachings of Ajahn Chah, the great master of the Thai Forest tradition. While the talk is directed at the monastics in his monastery in Thailand, it applies to all Dharma communities.

He begins by referring to the importance of the duties in the monastery.

"These duties hold us together as a single group, enabling us to live in harmony and concord. They also give us respect for one another, which in turn benefits the community.

In all communities, from the time of the Buddha to the present, no matter what form they may take, if the residents have no mutual respect, they cannot succeed. Whether the communities are secular or monastic, if they lack mutual respect they will have no solidarity. Negligence will set in and the practice will eventually degenerate.

Our community of Dhamma practitioners has lived here for about twenty-five years now. It is steadily growing, but it could deteriorate. We must understand this point. But if we are all heedful, have mutual respect, and continue to maintain the standards of practice, I feel that our harmony will be firm. Out practice as a group will support the growth of Buddhism for a long time to come."


Urban Dharma NC is a new Buddhist community. To succeed, it will need a lot of work. A lot of duties to be fulfilled, a lot of tasks to be completed. However, this isn't drudgery! It is dharma work, and is at the very root of building this community, and of building trust and respect between the members of this community. On one level, without the nitty-gritty tasks being completed, nothing will come to fruition. But on another level, without those shared duties, that shared time, those shared efforts, that shared Dharma practice; the necessary trust and respect won't develop, and then even if the physical aspects manifest in the most glorious of ways, a stable community will not be built.

Of course, nothing is permanent! But, we have the choice right now, and every moment going forward. We can maintain our practice, grow in our practice, as individuals and as a community, and generate trust and respect with each other. We can decide to create the best conditions we can, to lay the firmest foundation. Then, Urban Dharma can truly support the growth of Buddhism (in Asheville, in America!) for a long time to come.