Originally it meant followers of the Buddha, monkhood, but with Mahayana the horizon expanded to include all sentient beings . Our sangha is one of the Three Jewels. Of the three, Thich Nhat Hanh says the most important is Sangha. It helps more than anything to be with kindred fellow travelers. Words too do not exist in a vacuum.
Language is a social act.
Even our most secret journal entries, for our eyes alone, are written to someone. The practice of mindfulness today is being taken up by African Americans, Chicano Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, etc. A 21 st -century fabric. In our provisional sojourn on this wonderful, round, azure planet, human society is beginning to learn to hear human voices previously unheard. A diversity of races.