Hoko's four corners of sangha practice
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Based on the personality dimensions used in the Myers Briggs Type Inventory, some years ago I developed what I call the “four corners” of sangha practice--inspiration, information, celebration, and action. Each practitioner tends to feel an affinity toward one of these four more than the others, although they’re all important for a balanced practice. In order to meet the needs of the entire sangha, a center’s program needs to stand on all four corners, offering some components of each.
I’ve divided each of the corners into three components: practice, program and process. Practice gives some clues about the practitioner’s intentions; program shows how she views the sangha’s activities; and process refers to her attitude toward the organization and operation of the sangha. Inspiration:
Authenticity seeking, relationship oriented Practice The intuitive-feeling (NF) practitioner is engaged in the search for authenticity and self- actualization. The sangha is a place of transformation into a higher religious being, and belonging is a means of finding the true self. NF practitioners tend to personalize authority and value the use of role models. They focus on the meaning of scriptures or teachings for people today, and are less concerned with historical context or original meaning, asking: What would this text mean if the author were here speaking to us now in our present situation? NFs are attracted to mysticism, always looking for the hidden meaning of a symbol, or for life beyond the here and now—the visible and external can’t possibly be all there is. They need their outer lives to be in harmony with their inner selves. Program To the NF, sangha activities are a process by which caring is demonstrated, values taught and the meaning of life discovered. They’re not an end in themselves, but a means to address people’s needs. The NF looks for programs that teach others how to care, communicate, resolve differences, and express appreciation and affection. Practitioners want to know how to prioritize values and honor their own spiritual quest, value the emerging self, and thus find authenticity and self-actualization. They’re interested in creating a wide variety of services and resources to meet all kinds of needs, integrating poetry, art, drama, inspirational literature, and music that expresses togetherness and intimacy, making sangha members feel like they are part of a caring family. Learning must be done in the context of caring; atmosphere is more important than content; and discussion, experience and small group work is preferable to lectures. NFs have a low tolerance for impersonal teaching and value informal fellowship before and after a service or study session. They expect dharma talks to inspire, and to offer an idealistic challenge to the sangha. Process Process is more important to NFs than programs. They keep an eye on the way values are lived out in a sangha’s day-to-day existence, making connections between beliefs and behavior. A climate of warmth and trust where interactions are central is essential. Because they are comfortable working with values, emotions, and interpersonal problems, they are annoyed when treated impersonally, as part of the system, or merely filling a role. They also dislike negative feedback, structure, deadlines, and detail. |
Why the four corners are important
Clearly, practitioners are people with widely varying—and completely valid—needs and preferences. How can you possibly hope to meet them all, especially when you’re trying to stay focused on the activities relevant to your mission? Should you even try? Actually, using a variety of approaches is a truly good and healthy thing, and it’s worth doing whatever you can to offer them. When sanghas fail to meet the religious needs of their members, those members go away. Much of the attraction of a sangha is the impression that a sort of intimacy with likeminded practitioners will result—a connection with other people who understand and share one’s particular approach to and expectations of practice. If a sangha leader only creates and offers programs and practices that meet the needs of his or her own particular temperament—even if those offerings are well-designed and competently carried out—commitment and involvement cease to be valuable to the other three types of practitioners. A sangha heavily focused on broad, spontaneous group activity with little opportunity for practitioners to learn about the tradition, or a sangha that offers a number of intellectual events but little in the way of sacramental or liturgical activity, is limited in its effectiveness as a religious community. As such, it is also limited in its societal impact, and its own sustainability is threatened. |
Information:
Intellectual, competence-seeking
Practice
Intuitive-thinking (NT) practitioners want to control their environment, to be able to understand, explain, and predict events, and practice gives them the means to do it. NTs’ practice is academically and intellectually grounded, with consistency and congruence. They enjoy study and reflection, and seek to attain the whole truth about a subject—walking around it, studying it from every possible angle: what, why, how, who, where, when. Like a detective solving a mystery, NTs set practice goals and proceed systematically and with great focus. Their practice is centered on the earnest pursuit of transcendental values: truth, goodness, and unity. Highly mystical and contemplative, they hunger for perfection, integrating insights with the ongoing truth of their lives so that everything fits together in a theological, conceptual whole.
A change in behavior is not as important as a change in thinking to the NT, who is sometimes more interested in underlying principles and theoretical frameworks than the practical applications of a teaching. They look to practice for help in managing and channeling experiences, rather than just expressing emotions about them as high-feeling practitioners do. They use the mind to go beyond the mind, making leaps of faith from as rational a foundation as possible, grounded in solid theological precepts. With a low need for community, NTs seek awakening through ideas, concepts, and insight.
Program
Program is of the utmost importance to NTs because learning leads to change. Practitioners look for a variety of services and resources that are relevant and focused, and they need a rationale and definable objectives for every activity. NTs are open to opposing points of view that lead to insight, and want to be challenged. They like intellectual debate, preferring subject-centered, impersonal teaching and guidance. The overall goal is always to facilitate deeper understanding and personal effectiveness. The NTs’ vision is that every sangha member becomes a competent practitioner, transforming the world through his or her practice. They want to begin with basic beliefs and heritage, laying a proper foundation on which to build a viable Zen outlook for themselves, develop an inquiring mind, and dig deeply into life’s questions. In the world of NT practice, the program should both shape and embody the sangha’s identity. The spiritual inheritance of a community can be actualized in the present, and the sangha is a repository of the spiritual wisdom of the past.
The NT preference is for formal, traditional liturgy (rather than sentiment and nostalgia) as part of a system of sangha activity. NTs are sticklers for doing liturgy properly, because it’s a clear rational connection between the historical roots of the sangha and practice and life in the present. Dharma talks are the most important program event—they are a way to lead people to deeper understanding, transform their thinking, and change their way of believing and doing. NTs look for talks that are intellectually oriented—an exposition of a text or theological lecture, beginning with a basic proposition which is expanded in a logical, sequential way, perhaps using relevant current events.
Process
For NTs, process is secondary to goals and programs. Wanting to be known for competence, they aspire to be visionaries and architects of change, strong leaders with conceptual skill and intensity. They go for long-term intellectual impact, and like processes that are grounded in solid theory, consistent, and well thought-out. NTs resolve confusion by defining terms and explaining guidelines. Their decisions are preceded by sound investigation and research, and take into account the global implications of sangha behavior. Creating projects that study the sangha, and then acting on that new understanding, they need to know they’re making a difference.
Intellectual, competence-seeking
Practice
Intuitive-thinking (NT) practitioners want to control their environment, to be able to understand, explain, and predict events, and practice gives them the means to do it. NTs’ practice is academically and intellectually grounded, with consistency and congruence. They enjoy study and reflection, and seek to attain the whole truth about a subject—walking around it, studying it from every possible angle: what, why, how, who, where, when. Like a detective solving a mystery, NTs set practice goals and proceed systematically and with great focus. Their practice is centered on the earnest pursuit of transcendental values: truth, goodness, and unity. Highly mystical and contemplative, they hunger for perfection, integrating insights with the ongoing truth of their lives so that everything fits together in a theological, conceptual whole.
A change in behavior is not as important as a change in thinking to the NT, who is sometimes more interested in underlying principles and theoretical frameworks than the practical applications of a teaching. They look to practice for help in managing and channeling experiences, rather than just expressing emotions about them as high-feeling practitioners do. They use the mind to go beyond the mind, making leaps of faith from as rational a foundation as possible, grounded in solid theological precepts. With a low need for community, NTs seek awakening through ideas, concepts, and insight.
Program
Program is of the utmost importance to NTs because learning leads to change. Practitioners look for a variety of services and resources that are relevant and focused, and they need a rationale and definable objectives for every activity. NTs are open to opposing points of view that lead to insight, and want to be challenged. They like intellectual debate, preferring subject-centered, impersonal teaching and guidance. The overall goal is always to facilitate deeper understanding and personal effectiveness. The NTs’ vision is that every sangha member becomes a competent practitioner, transforming the world through his or her practice. They want to begin with basic beliefs and heritage, laying a proper foundation on which to build a viable Zen outlook for themselves, develop an inquiring mind, and dig deeply into life’s questions. In the world of NT practice, the program should both shape and embody the sangha’s identity. The spiritual inheritance of a community can be actualized in the present, and the sangha is a repository of the spiritual wisdom of the past.
The NT preference is for formal, traditional liturgy (rather than sentiment and nostalgia) as part of a system of sangha activity. NTs are sticklers for doing liturgy properly, because it’s a clear rational connection between the historical roots of the sangha and practice and life in the present. Dharma talks are the most important program event—they are a way to lead people to deeper understanding, transform their thinking, and change their way of believing and doing. NTs look for talks that are intellectually oriented—an exposition of a text or theological lecture, beginning with a basic proposition which is expanded in a logical, sequential way, perhaps using relevant current events.
Process
For NTs, process is secondary to goals and programs. Wanting to be known for competence, they aspire to be visionaries and architects of change, strong leaders with conceptual skill and intensity. They go for long-term intellectual impact, and like processes that are grounded in solid theory, consistent, and well thought-out. NTs resolve confusion by defining terms and explaining guidelines. Their decisions are preceded by sound investigation and research, and take into account the global implications of sangha behavior. Creating projects that study the sangha, and then acting on that new understanding, they need to know they’re making a difference.
Celebration:
Serving and conserving
Practice
Sensing-judging (SJ) practice is a carefully organized striving toward relationship with the Absolute. The journey is a spiral which returns again and again to the same spot, but each time at a higher level. SJs put a high value on heritage, with each cycle of the spiral connecting the past and the future. They prize belonging, tending to serve and nurture others in concrete, practical ways. SJs are loyal to the sangha, feeling that they have social, moral and spiritual obligations to others. Their practice emphasizes the fundamentals of Zen, simple practices, and practical rules for life.
Programs
For SJs, the program is a way to express sangha identity and pass on Zen history and tradition. They value high-quality Buddhist education and look for classes and workshops that teach the basics of the religion, as well as encourage and support a moral and upright life. Events that celebrate the life and teaching of cultural heroes remind practitioners of the vitality that comes from their religious heritage and their responsibility to preserve the tradition by safeguarding it and passing it along to a new generation. SJs have great respect for authority, such as clergy and teachers, and want to care for and be cared for by the sangha and its leaders.
Consistent with their interest in tradition, SJs enjoy dignified services that follow the liturgical year, commemorating past events and making their meanings present and operative today. As high-sensing people, SJs take in and recall the vivid details of a story, and their experience can become so real that the players and the events become present here and now in their midst. They believe in formal practice, with order and stability, and creating a first-class experience for attendees. SJs appreciate dharma talks that are well-ordered and full of practical application, serving to re-establish and reinforce beliefs with illustrations that are down-to-earth and drawn from daily life.
Process
Relying on tradition, precedent and past practice, SJ practitioners follow recognized channels to arrive at decisions. They respect a sangha that operates in an ordered, structured, predictable way, in harmony with the surrounding society and environment. SJs may not like a particular sangha requirement, but will meet it faithfully in order to support the system. However, SJs are not systems builders—they manage a sangha by managing its individual parts.
When there is pain in the sangha, SJs address it with acts of reconciliation and compassion. Anarchy and chaos are causes of great distress to SJ practitioners, and they rely on commonsense problem solving. With their high need to belong, they value community building and want the sangha to be healthy and useful.
Serving and conserving
Practice
Sensing-judging (SJ) practice is a carefully organized striving toward relationship with the Absolute. The journey is a spiral which returns again and again to the same spot, but each time at a higher level. SJs put a high value on heritage, with each cycle of the spiral connecting the past and the future. They prize belonging, tending to serve and nurture others in concrete, practical ways. SJs are loyal to the sangha, feeling that they have social, moral and spiritual obligations to others. Their practice emphasizes the fundamentals of Zen, simple practices, and practical rules for life.
Programs
For SJs, the program is a way to express sangha identity and pass on Zen history and tradition. They value high-quality Buddhist education and look for classes and workshops that teach the basics of the religion, as well as encourage and support a moral and upright life. Events that celebrate the life and teaching of cultural heroes remind practitioners of the vitality that comes from their religious heritage and their responsibility to preserve the tradition by safeguarding it and passing it along to a new generation. SJs have great respect for authority, such as clergy and teachers, and want to care for and be cared for by the sangha and its leaders.
Consistent with their interest in tradition, SJs enjoy dignified services that follow the liturgical year, commemorating past events and making their meanings present and operative today. As high-sensing people, SJs take in and recall the vivid details of a story, and their experience can become so real that the players and the events become present here and now in their midst. They believe in formal practice, with order and stability, and creating a first-class experience for attendees. SJs appreciate dharma talks that are well-ordered and full of practical application, serving to re-establish and reinforce beliefs with illustrations that are down-to-earth and drawn from daily life.
Process
Relying on tradition, precedent and past practice, SJ practitioners follow recognized channels to arrive at decisions. They respect a sangha that operates in an ordered, structured, predictable way, in harmony with the surrounding society and environment. SJs may not like a particular sangha requirement, but will meet it faithfully in order to support the system. However, SJs are not systems builders—they manage a sangha by managing its individual parts.
When there is pain in the sangha, SJs address it with acts of reconciliation and compassion. Anarchy and chaos are causes of great distress to SJ practitioners, and they rely on commonsense problem solving. With their high need to belong, they value community building and want the sangha to be healthy and useful.
Action:
Right activity
Practice
For sensing-perceiving (SP) practitioners, action is an end in itself. They like to be engaged and involved, and “doing something now.” Grounded in the senses (rather than the imagination or the intellect), SPs want to be in direct contact with reality as experienced through those senses. They are practical, with little tolerance for the abstract or ethereal, looking for options in what is real and concrete in this moment—and that catapults them into action. Their practice is not routine, but an active response to the dharma. SPs are completely open to the dharma as it is manifested in nature, the seasons, and all things of the world.
Program
Program content isn’t important to SPs—what counts is the chance for everyone to get together so activity can begin. They want to get things going and get people involved, so dharma talks and lectures are not favorite parts of sangha life. They much prefer unplanned and unstructured events that facilitate self discovery through self expression. Songs, laughter, body movement, personal expression—all are appropriate program elements to the SP, so that practitioners learn through activity. When it comes to texts, SPs relate more to the events of the author’s life as visible, tangible, audible manifestations of dharma than to the teachings themselves. History, continuity, tradition, and loyalty take a back seat to being in the moment.
Process
SPs are impatient with static situations, theoretical discussions, and meetings that go nowhere. They are not interested in formal planning and evaluation; while they’re good at initiating projects, they’re not so good at follow-up. They are mavericks who are restricted by roles, norms and plans. They’re spontaneous, impulsive, and soon bored with the status quo, but they’re good at dealing with crisis in down to earth ways.
Right activity
Practice
For sensing-perceiving (SP) practitioners, action is an end in itself. They like to be engaged and involved, and “doing something now.” Grounded in the senses (rather than the imagination or the intellect), SPs want to be in direct contact with reality as experienced through those senses. They are practical, with little tolerance for the abstract or ethereal, looking for options in what is real and concrete in this moment—and that catapults them into action. Their practice is not routine, but an active response to the dharma. SPs are completely open to the dharma as it is manifested in nature, the seasons, and all things of the world.
Program
Program content isn’t important to SPs—what counts is the chance for everyone to get together so activity can begin. They want to get things going and get people involved, so dharma talks and lectures are not favorite parts of sangha life. They much prefer unplanned and unstructured events that facilitate self discovery through self expression. Songs, laughter, body movement, personal expression—all are appropriate program elements to the SP, so that practitioners learn through activity. When it comes to texts, SPs relate more to the events of the author’s life as visible, tangible, audible manifestations of dharma than to the teachings themselves. History, continuity, tradition, and loyalty take a back seat to being in the moment.
Process
SPs are impatient with static situations, theoretical discussions, and meetings that go nowhere. They are not interested in formal planning and evaluation; while they’re good at initiating projects, they’re not so good at follow-up. They are mavericks who are restricted by roles, norms and plans. They’re spontaneous, impulsive, and soon bored with the status quo, but they’re good at dealing with crisis in down to earth ways.
