Creating a safe space in our sangha is essential to ensure that all of our friends along the path can practice together in harmony with joy and understanding in their hearts. All are welcomed. True Love Sangha aspires to be a sanctuary for members who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQIA+, members of the global majority and members of other marginalized social groups.

 

Below are some invitations to consider when attending our sangha meetings. 

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• Freedom - We are free to discuss our personal lived experience at all times. We are free to make whatever accommodations we need to make our practice work best for us. We aspire to always respect each other’s freedom of choice. 

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• Kindness - When participating in dharma sharing, we aspire to remember who we are speaking to. We recognize that certain topics like violence, abuse, and injustice can trigger past traumas. If we bring up these topics, we aspire to do so with care and compassion. We recognize that the sangha is listening to us deeply and we acknowledge that we have a responsibility to speak mindfully and compassionately.

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• Spaciousness - We aspire to create space to honor each other’s suffering with compassion and love in our hearts and celebrate our joys.

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• Inclusivity - We aspire to embrace and celebrate the uniqueness of different people’s experiences. We aspire to avoid making assumptions about each other, whether regarding one’s gender identity, past experiences, beliefs, or other aspects of their existence. We aspire to remember that we cannot fully understand what it’s like to be anyone else. We aspire to look deeply into our inherent biases in order to cultivate more openness, compassion, and understanding in our hearts. 

 
Finally, we recognize that mindfulness and Buddhism are no substitute for medical, psychological and/or psychiatric support. We will do our best to foster a community that supports each other’s healing journeys. 

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* These guidelines have been adapted with permission from Joyful Mountain Sangha. Deep gratitude for sharing their wisdom.