Join BCA Online Communty — Digital Sangha

Discord App Available to Members

FYI: Join the BCA Digital Sangha by scanning the QR code with your phone or this URL: bit.ly/3ShTqWb 

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Have you ever wished you could connect more frequently with other fellow BCA members? Or talk with someone from another Sangha about a great book, a Dharma talk or a temple fundraiser idea? 

What if you could ask a question about Buddhism, temple life or simply chat online with fellow BCA members and engage with people all over the country in real time?

Well, that’s exactly what’s happening with our new Digital Sangha — an online gathering place (using an app called Discord) created just for our community. And we’d love for you to be part of it.

This Digital Sangha program has been developed by the BCA’s Technology and Outreach SubCommittee (TOSC) to help promote the objectives of the Dharma Forward Outreach Pillar around member engagement and community building.

What’s Digital Sangha?

It’s like a community center or coffee shop that’s always open — day or night — and filled with people from our temples across the country. 

Whether you belong to a large temple, a smaller one or don’t have a local temple at all, this space was created for you.

We've been testing it with a group of 90 members and the response has been very positive. People are jumping in to ask questions, share insights, recommend books and even post about upcoming events or how to set up your home Obutsudan. 

Lily Sakai-Johnson, an active member from New York Buddhist Church and their Jr. YBA, has already met new friends on Discord.

“The BCA Digital Sangha really helps bring together people from all over the country,” Sakai-Jackson said. “I’m from New York, and I’ve been able to talk to people from Santa Fe, Palo Alto, Oregon, and so many other places. This platform is a way to meet new people and share ideas for the future of BCA!”

The value of the community grows as more people join and contribute to the discussions by asking or answering questions. It’s similar to Slack, Quora or Reddit if you are familiar with those apps.

Arthur Ando, from the Fresno Betsuin Buddhist Temple and one of the frequent contributors, is encouraged by the opportunities created through this new way of communicating across the BCA.

“Thank you for setting this up,” he said. “It’s really valuable and I’m glad to see so many people signing on and contributing to make it valuable. There’s a lot of great content on here already! I’m really enjoying the dialogue, it’s inspiring and gives me hope for the future of all our temples.”

Why Digital Sangha?

There are 60 temples in our national organization and while many of us attend our local temple on Sundays, we often don’t get to connect with the wider Sangha. We also have a growing online membership — those who are BCA members but don’t belong to a local temple. But for the first time, we’re able to connect more easily across all our members — all from our phones, tablets or computers.

This digital gathering space was created to:

• Connect members across the country — We’re not 60 separate temples, but one large, vibrant family.

• Support members without a nearby temple — Now you can be part of the BCA Sangha no matter where you live.

• Share events and ideas — Webinars, workshops, fundraisers, growing membership and more can now reach a broader audience.

• Ask questions and learn together — Buddhism is a lifelong journey. Whether you’re brand new or deeply experienced, we all have something to share.

  
  

“Many BCA temples face similar challenges or find themselves brainstorming in similar spaces for annual event programming (e.g., in their Buddhist Education Committees),” said Julie Robertson, another frequent contributor who joined from Vista Buddhist Temple. “However, our local sanghas shouldn’t have to feel like they are each ‘creating the wheel’ in isolation; using digital collaboration tools like Discord can help us harness the power of collective brainstorming and improve upon how we serve our local sanghas by taking advantage of larger lessons learned.”

What Can You Do?

We’ve organized the space into simple “rooms” (we call them channels) — each one focused on a different topic. You can browse quietly, comment or start a new conversation. Here are a few of the most popular ones:

• Recommended Reading — Share and discover great Buddhist books, articles and talks.

• Films, Articles and Social Media — Post and discuss Buddhist-themed media.

• Fundraisers and Events — Promote your temple’s events or attend something new.

• Buddhist Inspiration — Daily thoughts, quotes, reflections and encouragement.

• Questions and Answers — Ask anything from "What’s Shinran’s view of compassion?" to "How can I help my temple grow?"

• Coffee Shop – A friendly spot to chat about anything: family, gardening, travel or just say hello.

  
  

We’ve even seen members offer to deliver donated items to temples in neighboring states, recommend video solutions for temple security and swap membership-building ideas.

I met Arthur Ando at a recent event at the JSC, and we’ve been able to keep in contact through Discord. Our Digital Sangha provides Ando with more real-time opportunities to connect with others and he’s helped grow our community with younger generations as well.

“The BCA Discord group has become a space where temples can share what’s working, what’s challenging, and learn from each other,” he said. “It’s comforting to see we’re not alone in our struggles — and unlike before, we’re no longer limited to conferences to connect. Now, we have the ability to collaborate 24/7. 

“Our younger Sangha members are quite impressed that we have adopted such a contemporary means of communication,” he continued. “I hope that this approach will make them feel more welcome to participate in the future.”

Making New Friends

This space isn’t just about questions and answers — it’s about people. For me, I’ve connected with others from across the country who I would’ve never met otherwise. New friendships are forming. Old connections are being rekindled. And people are realizing just how much we have in common — even when we’re thousands of miles apart.

We’ve seen members post about their challenges, and within minutes, have someone from another temple jump in to share support, encouragement and even practical advice.

In other words: It’s working. And we want you to be part of it.

It’s Easy to Use

You don’t need to be a tech wizard. Once you're in, it's as easy as reading a message and clicking “Reply” to answer or adding  your favorite emoji! You can use it on your phone, tablet, or computer — whatever works for you.

It’s a bit like Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin, Netflix or Gmail — it’s all fairly intuitive. (Spoiler alert: Most people pick it up quickly.)

What’s Next?

Right now, we’re just getting started — but the possibilities are huge. 

Imagine if:

• Every temple could broadcast their weekly Dharma talk to the national Sangha; 

• High school and college students could meet each other in a dedicated youth space; 

• Temple leaders could share resources to make their communities stronger; 

• We had live Q&A sessions with ministers, book clubs or film discussions — all from your couch, any day of the week.

This space will become what we make of it. And with your presence, it will only get better.

Why Join?

• You’ll be inspired and supported by others.

• You’ll help strengthen our broader Buddhist community.

• You’ll expand your understanding of Buddhism — and maybe even make a few new friends along the way.

And because the content is created by you, the more you participate, the more meaningful and helpful it becomes for everyone.

How to Join

You can join by scanning the QR code with this article with your phone or enter this URL: bit.ly/3ShTqWb 

Final Thought

Shin Buddhism teaches us that awakening is not something we achieve alone. We awaken together — through listening, learning and community. This Digital Sangha is just one more way to walk that path with others.

So come on in. Ask a question. Share a thought. Say “hi” in the Coffee Shop.

We’re waiting to meet you.