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The Individual and the Spiritual Community

by Sangharakshita

As one of the Three Jewels the Sangha, or Spiritual Community, is given a place of supreme importance in Buddhism. Why is it so crucial, and how does it differ from an ordinary group or a power structure? How do we join one?

Talk given in 1970.

This talk is part of the series Aspects of the Higher Evolution of the Individual.

Tracks (click play to listen)

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	1.	Buddhist 'groups' versus going it alone (10:47)
	2.	Four stages of the development of consciouness; alienated awareness (6:51)
	3.	Problems encountered in the Higher Evolution (5:20)
	4.	The importance of spiritual community (6:52)
	5.	The Three Jewels: the significance of the Sangha jewel (6:45)
	6.	Spiritual community - not a group or family (11:03)
	7.	Modern isolation; new Japanese cults (14:22)
	8.	Spiritual community is not a power structure (2:13)
	9.	Foundations of a Spiritual community (6:13)
	10.	Joining the spiritual community (7:32)
	11.	Spiritual community as a source of help in our evolution (3:55)
	12.	The danger of degenerating into a group (3:10)
	13.	The FWBO: helping people to grow (3:26)