http://dhamma.t3x.org/upasaka.html
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An upāsaka is a practitioner of Buddhism who is not ordained in a monastery. Monastic life is not for everyone and Buddhist communities are not wide-spread in all areas of the world. Sometimes a practitioner has to walk their way alone or in a small group of like-minded people.
In the absence of a monastery, what can a saṅgha for upāsakā look like?
Of course, you can join a meditation group once a week, but it is hard to develop a mindset for serious practice in such a setting.
Founding a community for upāsakā would be another option, but it requires some financial resources, and living off alms is not viable in areas where the support of ascetics is not ingrained in the culture.
For a last resort, you can join the Universal Dhamma Network, but this is really just a euphemism for walking the path alone.