We take refuge in the sangha

I take refuge in the Sangha.

May we, together with all sentient beings,

Become units in true accord,

In harmony with all things. (The Threefold Refuge)

This is "Sangha", a collage of Dharma School Students artworks.

Dharma School had been working on "Portrait Project" -- to create portraits of important figures of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. Rev.Sugahara suggested the list of names, and the DS teachers worked with the students (and families) to create artistic interpretation of those figures. Please check out the online gallery of the students artworks on "DS Portrait Project" page! And once the temple is physically open, please check out the actual artworks downstairs! All the students worked really hard!

"Sangha" is one of the words that was on Rev.Sugahara's list of important figures of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. Unlike other names on the list -- Shakyamuni, Nagarjuna, Tan Luan, Honen, Eshinni, etc. -- "Sangha" does not point to one specific figure. A Sangha is a community, a family, roots, links, where we practice the Buddhist way of living together.

As the students learned about what Sangha is, they worked on to create a mask of who they thought was the part of our Sangha. Some created the faces of themselves, some created the faces of their family members, some created the faces that are familiar at the temple when they come on Sundays. Some used aluminum foils to mold a 3D face. Some used colorful papers and googly eyes. Some worked for weeks on completing the "face".

Many colors, various textures, different sizes.

Each one is unique, and they are together as a Sangha.

This is the interpretation of our Sangha, by our Dharma School students.