How to become a member?
Membership in Peach Blossom Sangha spiritual community is offered to any who aspire to develop the practice of mindfulness and meditation in all its forms. There is no creed you must accept, and the practice is compatible with other faith communities. Although we focus on the teachings of the Buddha, as offered by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Community, our community deeply respects all spiritual teachers and Buddhist traditions.
We endeavor to apply the Five Mindfulness Trainings, a guide to ethical living, in our sangha life. One need not receive a formal transmission of the Five Mindfulness Trainings to practice with our community. Members are asked to review the Mindful Manners Suggestions and Healthy Boundaries Guidelines explained below, so that sangha remains a welcoming, comfortable, and safe place.
Acknowledgment of our Historical and Land Ancestors
We recognize that each sangha member brings a story. This story may carry the teachings of many ancestors and spiritual teachers. This story may carry the teachings of many ancestors and spiritual teachers, a history of the times and places we have lived, and the many generations that came before us.
In this spirit, we include a land acknowledgment. We acknowledge that we stand on the ancestral homelands of the Mvskoke (Muscogee) people who lived, worked, and nurtured the land where our Sangha gathers just north of Atlanta in Chamblee, GA.
What is the Caretaking Council?
The Caretaking Council is made up of three to four members who serve sangha. Details on the Caretaking Council can be found here. As of February 2025 the Caretaking Council members are: Matt Hunter, Carol Johnstone, Quang Luong, and Suzanne St. Crosse.
It can be helpful to know the lay of the land when joining a new group or sangha. With this in mind, sangha friends have developed this working document so newcomers and oldcomers can feel at ease.
As a way to assure that all sanghas are safe places, Dharma teachers in the US, who work to support all of us, regularly offer Healthy Boundaries Workshops. We were invited to send a representative to the June 2024 workshop. In the fall of 2024, the caretaking council enlisted four sangha members to develop to develop Healthy Boundaries Guidelines for us. Dharma Teacher Leslie Rawls and our caretaking council reviewed this working document. It will be updated when needed. Thank you to the sangha members who developed and reviewed this document.