[Within the Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha], the Sangha is the Buddhist community, consisting or both clergy and lay people who support and encourage us in establishing a life devoted to following the Buddha and the Dharma. The Sangha provides us with a community that enables us to reach out to the larger community of all beings. Without the Sangha, we are like a plant lacking firm roots that can easily be swept away by a storm. The way of the truly compassionate person is the way of engagement with one’s fellow beings. The Lotus Sutra teaches us that our awakening depends upon the awakening of all other beings around us. The Sangha is the community in which we grow in our own practice by supporting each other.