Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali, which means "association", "assembly", "company" or "community". It has been used historically to denote a governing assembly in a republic or a kingdom, and for a long time, it has been used by religious associations, including Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs. The term "Sangha" has different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. Here are some of the definitions:

• In a political context, it was historically used to denote a governing assembly in a republic or a kingdom.
• In Buddhism, the Sangha refers to the community of monks and nuns who follow the Buddhas teachings. The Sangha is part of the Threefold Refuge, a basic creed of Buddhism, together with the Buddha and the Dharma (teaching) . The Sangha was originally established by Gautama Buddha in the fifth century BCE in order to provide a community of support for those who renounced the worldly life to wander with the Buddha and listen to his teachings. The Sangha is governed by disciplinary rules (vinaya) that form part of the sacred canon. Generally, the monastic order is dependent on the lay community for economic support in the form of alms or large gifts of money and property, since Buddhist monks do not engage in commerce or agriculture.
• In a glossary of Buddhist terms, Richard Robinson et al. define Sangha as: "Community. This word has two levels of meaning: (1) on the ideal (arya) level, it denotes all of the Buddha’s followers, lay or ordained, who have at least attained the level of srotāpanna; (2) on the conventional (sammati) level, it denotes the communities of monks and nuns".

In Buddhism, the Sangha is more than just a community; it is a deep spiritual practice. The essence of a Sangha is awareness, understanding, acceptance, harmony, and love. The Sangha is a community of friends practicing the Dharma together in order to bring about and to maintain mindfulness. The Sangha members practice going home many times a day through walking, breathing, cooking, and doing their daily activities mindfully. The Sangha is there to make the training easy, and when we are surrounded by brothers and sisters doing exactly the same thing, it is easy to flow in the stream of the Sangha. The Sangha has a very good influence on us to improve our Dharma practice.