[Buddha-l] women & , er, religion

[Kdorje at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/25/2009 12:10:50 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
rhayes at unm.edu writes:

<<<And some of us reject both of those usages and cling to  the meaning it  
has in all the abhidharma traditions. The sangha is  nothing but the  
set of all those who have attained stream-entry or  the other levels of  
ārya-pudgala on up to arhant. That is the  meaning of sangha as an  
unmarked term, and it is only this sangha to  which a Buddhist goes for  
refuge. >>>
Yes, these are the teachings in the Vajrayana/Tibetan traditions as well,  
as I am sure you know. In samsara the ordained sangha of "monks" and "nuns"  
(I use scare quotes because I live in fear that lay gremlins will  come 
after me should I not observe the vows) are said to represent the actual  
sangha of refuge, the arhats and bodhisattvas, just as statues and paintings of  
the buddhas represent the Buddha, and Dharma texts represent the Dharma. It 
has  been said that even a scrap of red cloth can be venerated. 
 
It should be pointed out that the teachings are that the benefits of  
veneration accrue to the venerator, not the object of veneration, in the  
generation of positive karma that will come to fruition for his/her future  
benefit. 
 
Best  wishes,

Konchog Dorje
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