Open Sangha

The Open Sangha Foundation is a grassroots, transparent initiative led by volunteers. We help people in the West find noble friendship, practice generosity, and connect with communities that follow the teachings of the Buddha.

We support the practice and teaching of the Dhamma and work to make it accessible to everyone. We are committed to removing barriers related to finances, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, and citizenship.

For students

We connect students with teachers from a range of lineages, traditions, and approaches to practice, regardless of their financial circumstances. Teachers offer individual instruction, courses, and retreats through a traditional dāna model with no fixed fees. This gives students an opportunity to practice generosity, honesty, integrity, and responsibility in a spirit of abundance and connection.

For teachers

We connect teachers who wish to share the Dhamma with students who understand the role of dāna in the relationship between student and teacher. Teachers can also list dāna-based courses and retreats through the Foundation.

For two and a half thousand years, the Buddha’s teachings have been passed from teacher to student, shared among friends, and carried from one generation to the next. This has happened in community, through enthusiasm, compassion, and generosity.

As these teachings take root around the world, the Open Sangha Foundation supports students and teachers who want to carry them forward with integrity and generosity. We work to keep the Dhamma accessible and to reduce the barriers that can arise when spiritual teaching becomes a marketplace.