Think Sangha is an Engaged Buddhist think tank that is part of the larger International Network of Engaged Buddhists. They use the sangha model to create a Buddhist analysis of social issues as well as support each other in the spirit of transformation and dialogue. They recently held a meeting at Deerpark at which we were also present.
The three days of participating in their dialogues were wonderfully alive and engaging. The session began with some of the Think-Sangha members sharing the nature of their work in Engaged Buddhism and also had some sharing in the afternoon by non-Think Sangha participants. Both of these were followed by questions- answers and general discussion. On the second day the group split while some went to Dharamsala to recieve the Dalai Lama's teachings and some others stayed behind at Deerpark. The topics covered on both days were wide-ranging and spontaneous. They included understanding the nature of Engaged Buddhism, some thoughts around karma, Buddhism as related to culture, the nature of INEB, corporate capitalism and the education system, the possibility of an INEB-India etc. There was also a lot of space for unstructured interaction over lunch, dinner and walks in the nearby fields.
On the third day we had the good fortune of meeting with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo and visiting her nunnery Dongyu Gatsal Ling near Tashi Jong.
Interacting with Think Sangha and reading some of their writings we found a similar articulation to what we have been trying to get at for a while. So we're really glad to have met such like-minded (and like-hearted!) people and look forward to learning and working together more in the future.
Manasi Karthik
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