By Larry Ward

He or she who would build Sangha realizes that the blessings of Sangha are available only in the present moment.

He or she respects and celebrates the honorable lineage that is the deep root of their Sangha.

He loves the ripening understanding of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha that comes from contact with monks and nuns, the gift of Dharma teachers, weekly Sangha practice, regular days of mindfulness, and retreats.

She acts in all matters of leadership with inspiration, clarity, and helpfulness as worthy goals.

He remembers that the Sangha is fully empty of a separate self and is not the whole world or centered around one individual among many.

She practices saying "yes" deeply, before saying "no" while participating in the Sangha's life of human interactions.

He walks the Noble Eightfold Path with humility, gratitude, and compassion toward all beings including himself.

Watering seeds of unconditional forgiveness wherever she goes, he rides the Sangha waves of birth and death with a calm smile and an open heart.

Larry Ward, True Great Voice, lives in Boise, Idaho, where he practices with Beginner's Mind Sangha.