The Sangha in White Robes

 

The Sangha of White Robes - The Dance of Yogis and the World

Usually the image of Buddhism is one of monks with shaved heads and saffron colored robes, or red robes (although lets not forget the brown, blue and other colors also in some of the Mahayana traditions in China, Vietnam and so on); also associated with this idea is of course the idea of the celibate monastic life. However that is only one aspect of the Buddhist world. There is often the notion that to be a serious Buddhist practitioner is necessary to be a monk in a monastery. This is however not really the case. There is another group of Buddhist practitioners that are often not very known, they are the so called 'White Sangha', or 'Sangha who wear White Robes'. 

They are called the 'White Sangha' because, generally, instead of the saffron or maroon coloured robes they wear a White Robe or some form of white clothing. Even though the members of the 'White Sangha' do not always wear white robes across all traditions, it is the more generic way to refer to this vast spectrum of non-monastic ordained form of Buddhist Clergy. 

The 'White Sangha' are found among different traditions of Buddhism and with different expressions, but in all cases they form a specific group that even though is generally non-monastic and non-celibate in their way of living, they manifest a deep and profound commitment to the Buddhist Path, and they all have some form of ordination. Sometimes these groups are referred to as 'lay' Buddhists, but that is not correct. By definition 'lay' means someone who is 'not an expert' in a given field, or 'not ordained'. The members of the 'White Sangha' are ordained, and they do train to become experts in their tradition of practice.

The celibate renunciate monastic tradition of Buddhism is based upon the Vinaya code of conduct, or the Pratimoksa, the vows for Individual Liberation. Since the time of the Buddha several versions of the Vinaya took form, and even though they are mostly the same in the main points, there are some differences between them. Buddhist monasticism is based upon the vows and guidelines that are explained in the Vinaya traditions.  But not all Buddhist clergy is based upon the Vinaya Pratimoksa.

For example in Japan in the mid 9th Century a famous Japanese master called Saicho initiated a reform to change the monastic system in Japan so that it would be only based upon the Mahayana Bodhisattva precepts and not in the Pratimoksa Vinaya. In simple terms he argued that in Japan only Mahayana traditions were practiced, so a system of monasticism based upon the Pratimoksa was unnecessary and contradictory. So he defended relying on a system of vows based upon mostly the Bhrama Net Sutra and the Bodhisattva conduct. His reforms did take place and were widely adopted by several Japanese Buddhist institutions since then. Today it is used with either a set of ten or sixteen vows based on the Mahayana Bodhisattva code of conduct, where celibacy is not included. These reforms eventually took hold and spread to other Japanese schools, and in fact today most of Japan monastic system is based on Mahayana Precepts and not on the Pratimoksa. Even though many Zen monks remain in the monastery, many leave the monastery after finishing a period of training and get married, have children and fulfill the role of Priest in local temples and shrines, guiding and serving the spiritual needs of the lay local population without abandoning or breaking their vows and path as Buddhist monks.

In Tibet there is the Ngakpa/Nagmo tradition which originates back to the 8th century with the famous Indian master Padmasambhava. In fact from the start of Buddhism in Tibet both the Pratimoksa ordained celibate monastic Sangha, and the non-monastic 'white robed' Sangha of the long haired Ngakpa and Ngagmos were considered of equal status. In a way it could be said that Ngakpas and Ngamos are 'professionally' religious yogis who live in a non-monastic setting, and do not abandon many aspects of normal life, such as work or having a family. The Ngakpa tradition in Tibetan Buddhism was always very strong, and is still until today. In fact many of the greatest masters in Tibetan tradition were Ngakpas, such as Jigme Lingpa, Longchempa, Nubchen Sangye Yeshe, Ronzompa, Dudjom Rinpoche etc. It is likely that this tradition originates in the Vajrayana-Yogic Indian lineages, and the Indian Mahasiddha groups that proliferated in India in parallel with the monastic institutions. The 'white robed long haired' tradition of the Ngakpa, although they are non-celibate, many are married, and do not live in monasteries, they cannot be considered lay people either. In addition to the Mahayana vows, the Ngakpa tradition holds lifelong vows connected with Vajrayana and Dzogchen. The basic principle is that the path is an inner journey, rooted upon the view of the primordial purity of the mind, where the cultivation of the path to awakening is not based upon external factors as much as it is an inner journey. 

The ordained Ngakpa and Ngagmos, manifest in many forms. Some live more of a hermit life, some gather in small communities, some have families and children and have livelihood responsibilities. However their model for life is such that they devote extended amounts of time to study, practice, meditation retreat and train extensively. They also often perform some of the traditional roles of clergy for local communities. In Tibet it was normal for many of these Yogis to have families, run a farm or some other form of work, and dedicate up to three months of the year to closed retreat with shorter retreats in between. They gather in groups for community practices, and serve the local community as spiritual guides.

One such example was the famous Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo (Rongzompa), from the 11th century. He is renown as one of the greatest translators, scholars and Yogis of Tibet. Rongzompa was a Ngakpa, he had two sons, and his writings amounted to over 100 volumes, and included commentaries and treatises that ranged from Mahayana Philosophy, to Tantric practice, Dzogchen, Grammar to topics of agriculture and dairy farming. 

The Importance of the 'White Robed Sangha' in the West

There was a period in the history of Tibet where the monastic structure was practically destroyed and it was not possible to maintain monasticism. During that period, and basically for almost 150 years until the the monastic establishments restarted in Tibet around the 11th century, it was the White Sangha who kept the transmission of the Buddha Dharma alive and strong. The reason for this was because they were not dependent on monasteries, they were not dependent on state support, they were not dependent on large organizations.

 In the west today where Vajrayana Buddhism and Dzogchen is starting to take root, we can find some similarities. The point is that Buddhism is not a spiritual tradition, or religion, indigenous to the west, and for that reason the support of a monastic structure and monasticism is nearly impossible. This is not to underestimate the importance and relevance of a strong monastic branch, which is very important; it is also equally important the existence of lay practitioners and devotees, and lay yogis; both groups depend on each other for a strong community that preserves the wisdom of the Buddha Dharma.

 However to establish a relevant and strong basis for Vajrayana Buddhism and Dzogchen in the west the model of the 'White Sangha' is truly the most important to develop. It is relevant for several reasons. First, because the White Sangha can sustain itself and have a form of livelihood, its not totally dependent on support from the laity - supporting a monastery is not cheap, it requires a large base of support from a lay community. Also, it is important to have dedicated Yogis, taking the path seriously, training seriously and intensely, becoming examples of the spiritual power of this path; spiritual practitioners of strong ethical conduct and values to show that it is possible to achieve realization, peace, wisdom through this path in our modern western world. The basic model of the Tibetan White Sangha can be fitted into our western world, and as that model provided centuries of realized masters and yogis in Tibet, there is no reason that it cannot provide the same fertile environment here today. It is true that the environment is different, and the model cannot just be transplanted as-is, and we will have to find our way, but surely it is starting already!