Spiritual Friendship and Community.

[Mark Savage]

I am interested in exploring in greater depth our understanding of the notion of individualised spiritual friendship and its relationship to notions of community. How for instance do we balance or indeed understand the human ideal which is set forth in many buddhist texts of 'individualism'. Often, for instance, renouncers are portrayed as spending their days in solitary meditation, emerging from their huts only in the morning and evening to gather alms. Yet, is this portrayal consistent with a view of community? What for instance, is the notion of community that arises from the presentation of the renouncer as the ideal human? General notions of community are found scattered throughout the Nikayas in the attitude of renouncers towards each other and non-renouncers. I am interested in developing my thinking and understanding along these lines and to that end I am considering the idea of undertaking a PhD. I wonder if anyone out there has any thoughts/observations/comments that will help to focus my mental meanderings??

Mark

[Dr Di]

watch the meanderings come and go without attachment to them