How Many Ballerinas can Live in One Town?
I saw a documentary on the Ballet Russes, two Russian dance troupes who fled to the United States during World War II. After several years of hard travel, performing together every night, the troupes eventually broke up because of finances. Even the best ballet troupes in the world were not economically viable.
The individual dancers ended up scattered throughout the world--one in each place--teaching dance in places like Oklahoma, California, New York, Venezuela, Australia, and England. It seemed that even big cities could not support more than a few world-class dance teachers.
The dancers perfected their art during the rigorous years of working in a close group. But eventually they had to split up.
This reminded me of the situation of sangha communities, even the major Tibetan monasteries and what happens to the individuals who go through that system. The Tibetan monks, for example, gain their expertise while living in a crowded monastery following a demanding schedule of classes, debate, and pujas that goes from morning to night. This happens while they are in their teens, twenties, and thirties.
Once they have achieved their geshe degree, they have to find something else to do. Some of them stay on to teach the younger monks. Some look for a situation where they can spend some years in meditation retreat. And others are flung to the far corners of the world.
The non-Tibetan sangha members (monks & nuns) experience something similar, in part because there are only so many sangha members that one Dharma center or community can support.
And then, a Dharma center might feel that it only needs one full-time teacher.
And so, we get posted one here and one there.
This can be very isolating. Alienating. And for those who have been accustomed to being in a close-knit group, it can be a shock. Yes, even for geshes.
I think we need to have something like a home-base. And maybe some effort can be made to meet the sangha's need to have other sangha members around. After all, 'sangha' means 'community'. These days, some of us have created cyber-communities, but I still think we should encourage physical communities as a way of preserving the sangha.
The individual dancers ended up scattered throughout the world--one in each place--teaching dance in places like Oklahoma, California, New York, Venezuela, Australia, and England. It seemed that even big cities could not support more than a few world-class dance teachers.
The dancers perfected their art during the rigorous years of working in a close group. But eventually they had to split up.
This reminded me of the situation of sangha communities, even the major Tibetan monasteries and what happens to the individuals who go through that system. The Tibetan monks, for example, gain their expertise while living in a crowded monastery following a demanding schedule of classes, debate, and pujas that goes from morning to night. This happens while they are in their teens, twenties, and thirties.
Once they have achieved their geshe degree, they have to find something else to do. Some of them stay on to teach the younger monks. Some look for a situation where they can spend some years in meditation retreat. And others are flung to the far corners of the world.
The non-Tibetan sangha members (monks & nuns) experience something similar, in part because there are only so many sangha members that one Dharma center or community can support.
And then, a Dharma center might feel that it only needs one full-time teacher.
And so, we get posted one here and one there.
This can be very isolating. Alienating. And for those who have been accustomed to being in a close-knit group, it can be a shock. Yes, even for geshes.
I think we need to have something like a home-base. And maybe some effort can be made to meet the sangha's need to have other sangha members around. After all, 'sangha' means 'community'. These days, some of us have created cyber-communities, but I still think we should encourage physical communities as a way of preserving the sangha.
I agree. I wish I had enough money to build houses for the centers so some Sangha could live together for each center. I imagine the Sangha and the communities would be healthier and happier....
ReplyDelete-mtviewrose