The Buddhists call it, the fellowship of monks, the Sangha. The Sangha, to us, might be the fellowship of like-minded practitioners on the dharma path. The dharma path is the second Gem we take refuge in: the particular discipline the practitioner embraces. The third Gem of Buddhism is to take refuge in the Sangha. Thich Nhat Hanh (the Vietnamese monk) encourages his fellowship to embrace the culture and the religion of their origins. A Westerner that adopts Eastern spiritual practices can understand them better within the context of their own religious tradition. To become inclusive is the point and that is to avoid the temptation towards an exclusivity that pumps up the ego and leaves nothing of spiritual evolution. Those who would contend that Buddhism is the only true way to enlightenment are as wrong as those who would insist that Christ is the only path to God. The first Gem is to take refuge in the Light.
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