The Sangha as a Living Organization in the Buddhist View

Abstract

This article intends to (1) examine the meanings of “life”, “organization” and “Living Organization”; and (2) study the nature of “Living Organizations” according to the Buddhist perspective based on the Tripitaka. The study shows that current organizations are regarded as systems which expand in increasingly complex manners. Juristic personhood seems to render a state of being to organizations. Scholars of the new science propose the idea that organizations may be considered as living things so that they may attain longevity and well-being. Although Buddhist teachings hold that life consists of 5 aggregates, they also acknowledge the existence of lives with 4 aggregates. These are mainly cognition systems, although lacking corporeality, but they can exhibit cognitions and actions when the 4 aggregates are related to the proper corporeality and such systems have the essential feature of life – Kamma. The Sangha was a new social innovation – an organization – that the Buddha created. It has existed and performed continuous activities for over 2600 years, has grown and expanded into different schools, yet has maintained its original objectives. These occurrences have been made possible through the cognition and intention of the organization. The Sangha may, therefore, be considered a living organization, for according to the Buddhist teaching, the important feature of life consists in its purpose and means of existence. This research has shown that a living organization such as the Sangha maintains its existence through its valuable objectives.