Small sangha big support

Shivi Verma espouses the role of small spiritual communities in providing the much-needed help to souls seeking the strength to overcome the vicissitudes of life and a path to the Divine

One of the best things I like about human beings is their need to belong, to connect with each other, to form support groups, and to come close to one another. No matter how hard we find to live with other human beings (our lives bear testimony to this fact), we still cannot live in isolation and loneliness. Community living is an inseparable part of our nature and contributes in innumerable ways to our growth as well as happiness.

Support from family and society

A child is born not only to the mother but to the entire family and extended family. It takes a whole village to raise a child, goes the adage. The baby grows on the attention, love, care, and affection showered upon it by the elders around it.

We all have fond memories of being cuddled by a grandparent, being given candies by an uncle, being told stories by an aunt, or being taken out by an elder brother or sister to play and have fun with. Our memories comprise good and bad times spent with near and dear ones, friends, relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances.

Even the most shy and introverted ones need someone close, with whom they can share their thoughts and feelings. Not only that, but we also inherit one of the most important aspects of our lives—our values and belief systems—too from the community we live in. Taking care of the elderly, being respectful to elders, women, and neighbors, and being helpful to others are deep-seated values that people inherit from their surroundings.

The flip side