Welcome to USA Sangha

USA Sangha is a newly created for Buddhist monastics in the USA. Living in the USA has generated some special concerns for those keeping the precepts in the Vinaya and non Vinaya traditions.  It does not replace any existing Sangha body nor does it act at this time for regulating Sangha in any form except to make clear matters on Vinaya and the special problems of being Sangha in the USA.

Survival is the number one concern overshadowing practice on a daily basis for many Sangha in the USA.  Many are forced by cultural and language barriers to live in solitude whether in a community or alone.  For those that are alone, regardless of what kind of tradition you belong it, please reach out to Sangha here or in email or on Facebook. Having another Sangha member that you can communicate with directly to guide you is invaluable in your survival.  Please do not hesitate to contact a bhikshu if you are bhikshu or a bhikshuni if you are bhikshuni; a novice may contact any bhikshu or bhikshuni regardless of their residence.

Sangha and unwholesome situations.  If you are in an unwholesome situation let somebody know.  If you can leave it, do so.  If you cannot find a community then alternative living is your only choice; however, that need not be without proper Vinaya observance.  It is absolutely shameful that the larger communities do not have an outreach program for nonresident Sangha that are in the USA and afloat of their communities.  I hope the elders in those communities read this blog and remedy this problem.  Action is needed on this matter immediately. Any organization that is providing or wants to provide outreach to nonmembers that are Sangha in full proper ordination who want help please notify me directly.  Find me on Facebook:  Ven Hong Yang Shi

Masters in the Chinese Buddhist traditions have been in the USA for well over 150 years now.  This group of elders has established the foundation for the the rest of the arriving and new sangha to follow.  For this reason, we will form this group based upon the traditions set forth in the Mahayana Chinese Buddhist practices.

For the reason of the Chinese Buddhists establishing a solid foundation in Buddhist practice and communities in Americas and the rest of the European countries outside Asia has already begun here in the USA we choose to honor our history in the USA by acknowledging this significant contribution to history in the USA.

It is very well known that Chinese came over and were encouraged to come over by our Railroad companies. It is due to their personal sacrifices and our benefit as a country that we have such advanced transportation systems beyond the railroads and including the railroads.

Very much because of the Chinese immigrants we have a strong country and a diversified one.  Much angst has be unnecessarily caused to their memory and their descendants by politically minded and the ambitious in the blaming of the present form of Chinese government a country they may not have ever traveled to in their lifetime being born and raised in the United States.  They have been in our country as citizens for over 160 years already, show more common sense and less bias towards an entire race when actually complaining about a form of government overseas.  It's shameful to hear Americans blame the Chinese for all kinds of our politicians mistakes and our own shortfalls.  It's worse to hear it from so-called religious in robes, and even ghastly when it comes from Buddhist monks and nuns who scream it, burn themselves to death and horrifically cause harm in the name of politics or justification in revenge.

Please note that only the pure bhikshu and bhikshuni may join this organization.  It is open to bhikkhus in the Theravada tradition as it has already been a part of Chinese Buddhism for a long time already.  It is open to Tibetan bhikshus but their council is not approving of bhikshuni lineage being established, so bhikshunis in the Tibetan tradition must be ordained in the Dharmagupta lineage by Taiwan, Korea or when it occurs in the USA (rarely open to outside women).  Therefore bhikshunis here in the USA have a burden, they must be declared as Dharmagupta lineage holders properly in a 2-part Sangha, this means going to Taiwan to receive the full ordination.

Due to questionable sudden ordinations in the bhikkhuni group who is trying to re-establish the Theravada lineage as recently as 2009 to 2012, there may be limited membership for bhikkhunis who do not have the Dharmagupta lineage from a full 2-part Sangha as set forth in the Vinaya.  The bhikshuni lineage universally accepted by all Buddhist councils is Dharmagupta not any other, there is still unfortunately rejection by the Thai Sangha Council against bhikkhuni ordination and the risk to women who defy that is just too great including being arrested and jailed in Thailand and Burma.  There are enough qualified bhikshunis who are world recognized as senior to be capable of granting full ordination already.  There are full ordinations for qualified siksamanas to join in the USA, Taiwan, Korea, and China.


Violence by Sangha:  Anyone who is actively supporting politics, like the freetibet movement will not be approved for membership.  Encouraging suicide for any reason is a Parajika offense.  That means if you joined in protest for, defended the re-posts of Tibetans suicides, Tibetan monks who suicided or support suicide then you are in direct violation of Parajika of "Do Not Kill".  This includes re-posting material in favor of suicides by self-immolation in social media like Facebook or online.  If you posted and re-posted in favor of freetibet then you are in direct violation of Parajika "do not kill" for reason of public statement in support of suicide. Those Sangha of either Theravada or Mahayana that participate by re-posting on social media in favor of:  coercion or by direct action in the following:  supporting violence, destruction of human life, infringement on others rights to practice other religions, protest in political groups or events that have publicly advocated violence of body, life government national and state laws broken and property are not in good standing.

Sangha in good standing: Those spreading the knowledge of horrific events like self-immolation providing no commentary for the support of suicides such as freetibet or the attacks upon Sangha or their Sangha properties, abuses of Sangha in politics or economics, crimes of Sangha members; only sharing knowledge are not in violation of parajika.  Those who denounced suicide and violent actions by Sangha are in good standing as they should be doing according to the Vinaya instructions.

Those that are declared Parajika learners must be residing in Sangha communities. If they are indeed abandoned and live away from their community; it is the community who abandoned them to be blamed and publicly noticed as  poor community indeed.

Independent Sangha who are residing on their own, are in good standing as long as they are known to other Sangha members who are pure and in good standing.  Due to the vastness of the Americas and the lack of community that are open to outside Sangha as residents then this is unavoidable fact of life outside of a Buddhist country.  Take comfort in the satisfaction of your precepts observed fully, take comfort to the noble fact that you are indeed an mendicant residing here as a valid part of the tradition in which you ordained.  Hermits, hermitages, wandering, solitary existence is to be treasured, as once you reside in community of Sangha you do not have the same luxury of a self-directed life.  You when living in community live in harmony, observing the harmony rules set forth by common vote of that community.