Friends of the Western Buddhist Order | Request PDF True or not, its a tale that cuts to the heart of the most pressing problems attending the transmission of Buddhism to the West: How is the teachers authority established; what is the role of the teacher; which aspects of dharma are cultural and which are essential? All rights reserved.Design by Point Five. Nothing happened., I know of a couple of women friends of the movement who were pursued by male order members both very vulnerable women one ex-prison[er] pursued and one severe mental health problems entered into sexual relationship with.. [12][45] Critics pointed to writings by Sangharakshita, and his senior advisor Dharmachari Subhuti, which placed such emphasis on single-sex activities, and what the Triratna Buddhist Community calls spiritual friendship,[4] that the potential for misunderstandings or inappropriate behaviour appeared to some to be inevitable. Sangharakshita - Wikipedia As the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, the community was founded in London in April 1967 by Sangharakshita. issued a statement expressing deep regret. The FWBO Files This in itself seems a highly dubious element in any Buddhism purporting to be for todays society. The talk, lasting nearly two hours, is about Atisha, the 10th-century Indian adept who helped bring Buddhism to Tibet. Despite the name, the WBO is based not only in the West but is now a worldwide Buddhist movement. He built up this fantasy of himself as a spiritual teacher, someone on a higher plane of understanding, but I always sensed he wasnt a happy bunny. Five years ago, an order member at another centre in London was caught exposing himself to a young child in a supermarket. In October 1997, a report by Madeleine Bunting, then the religious affairs correspondent of the British Guardian newspaper, made wide-ranging allegations of sexual misconduct, dogmatism and misogyny within the movement during the 1970s and 1980s. Followers allege they were coerced into sex in 1970s and 80s with elders of UKs Triratna order, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. In mid-2008, there were around 1,500 members of the order, in more than 20 countries.[7]. I ended up thinking I was too much drawn to the Lower Evolution and that women were trying to trap me into samsara. It seems certain that even whenor ifthis story yields some degree of factual or moral closure, these bigger questions will continue to both irritate and energize the acculturation of dharma in the West. [22], The largest Triratna centre in the UK is the London Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green, East London, which offers drop-in lunchtime meditation sessions each weekday, open to beginners, as well as courses and classes through the week. Its incendiary findings have hitherto gone unpublicised: a current member explained that it was not the Triratna way to share internal criticisms with the outside world. The most serious allegation of all is that Sangharakshitas heterodox approach encourages a culture of coercive homosexuality that has led to severe psychological trauma and even suicide. [18] Community retreats can be broadly categorised into meditation retreats, study retreats, and solitary retreats. Women take the same precepts as men and have the same ordination as men. A small academic figure, gray-haired, in gray suit and glasses, he takes up his position behind a lectern. The Triratna Buddhist Community (formerly the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO)) is an international fellowship [1] of Buddhists and others [2] who aspire to its path of mindfulness. In the 1980s its Croydon centre was closed down amid newspaper reports that its members were being . The Times has also reported on the centre's work with those affected by alcohol dependency[24]. I didnt want the get-married-get-a job narrative. As reported in the Guardian, the FWBOs Croydon Centre (whichlike most FWBO communitiesis single-sex) had by the late 1980s become the scene of intense psychological manipulation: One man committed suicide and many others were reported to have suffered mental trauma. And the level of debate is so much higher generally now that people are much more aware of these dangers.. San Francisco Culture Center (SGI) 2450 - 17th Street, San Francisco, California 94110 Tel: (415) 255.6007, Fax: (415) 255.6079 Born Dennis Lingwood, the son of a French polisher from Tooting, Sangharakshita, meaning one who is protected by the spiritual community, deserted from the British army in India during the second world war and wandered the subcontinent, studying with several leading Tibetan lamas. [52], As a movement, what was then the FWBO gave detailed responses and staunchly supported its founder,[54][55] while in 2010 the renamed movement published an official history which acknowledged widespread concern among order members that, at least in the 1980s and before, the founder had misused his position as a Buddhist teacher to sexually exploit young men. VIII . The organization has attracted many people over the years, including other Buddhists, and looks like a great success story. Fears mount over scale of Buddhist sect sexual abuse In response, the FWBO says there was indeed a climate of sexual experimentation in the past, and, yes, mistakes were made, but there was nothing consciously coercive going on. Sangharakshita was born . Tricycle. On the other hand, he cant deny he has a connection with Asian traditions; otherwise his whole edifice would be built on sand. Late in 1997 the Guardian newspaper ran a long, damning article on the FWBO. The Monk Who Taught the World Mindfulness Awaits the End of This Life. In fact I have argued with both of them at times and have always found them more than willing to listen to me and even at times to modify their opinions. The rest is music. But they are generally suspicious of Householder Buddhism. As Kulananda observed: People who speak that language may be deluding themselves about just how serious their practice is. [3] In keeping with Buddhist traditions, it also pays attention to contemporary ideas, particularly drawn from Western philosophy, psychotherapy, and art. Its only a flavor, but its important, because its not a flavor thats consonant with Buddhism as I see it, where the process of constantly deconstructing, constantly pulling out the rug, is essential to dharma practice. The FWBO attach much importance to the conditions of practice. It bought Adhisthana several years ago for a rumoured 5m. Continuous new writings from leading Buddhist teachers and New York Times bestselling authors, including: Sharon Salzberg As a nonprofit, we depend on readers like you to keep Buddhist teachings and practices widely available. He gets sacked two years later and in 1968 founds the FWBO. Even the most sanguine of Buddhist communities in the West are engaged with these questions. Its position at the vanguard of the fashionable mindfulness movement was cemented four years ago when several of its leading members helped a cross-party group of MPs produce their influential Mindful Nation UK report, which extolled the benefits of the new psychological approach in treating mental health problems such as depression. This premise seems to lead straight to Sangharakshitas belief in the value of segregating the sexes: Do that, and you abolish the nuclear family in one stroke. Sangharakshitas story reads like some Empire fantasy, a tale of the Rajthe deserting soldier turned wandering ascetic, garlanded with honors by religious dignitaries and bringing the dharma home to the Westbut in Britain, where Buddhism still has fewer than fifty thousand Western followers, converts are perhaps unduly susceptible to romantic notions of the spiritual life. Membership of the order is limited by one main criterion, the ability to Go for Refuge to the Three Jewels; that is the Buddha, Buddhadharma, and the Sangha.Since, as Sangharakshita has emphasized, it is the act of Going For Refuge that makes one a Buddhist, it makes . The Cultural Translation of Buddhism in England, Religion, 21(1): 7393. As more than one skeptic has pointed out, if Sangharakshita himself went to many different teachers, why doesnt he encourage his disciples to do the same? He has no real authority from any lamas. Friends of the Western Buddhist Order: Friends, Foes, and Files Henry Shukman investigates the controversy around an extensive Buddhist network based in London By Henry Shukman Summer 1999 It's Tuesday night in Moseley, a suburb of Birmingham, in the heart of England. [33], Some Friends, Mitras and Order members decide, at least for a while, to study teachings from outside the community, including non-Buddhist traditions such as Sufism. Sangharakshita had been ordained as a Buddhist monk in the Theravda-tra Those who wish to join the Order must request this in writing. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Suddenly, and in a very public display, it wasnt just Westerners who were redefining the rules, but the Tibetans themselves. For those not ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order, the practices associated with the first two are emphasised, though the spirit of the last two is also taught. The most common ritual consists of a puja, derived and adapted from the Bodhicaryavatara of Shantideva. Other observers fault the FWBO for refusing to accept that Croydon was not an aberration, but a fairly predictable outcome of the Sangharakshita ideology. Founded by Dennis Lingwood in the 1960s, the sect, formerly known as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), is a wealthy community with 30 retreats in the UK and a further 20 in countries including Australia, the US, Germany and Mexico. In the early days, in the context of the 1970s, it was all very weird. Ratnadharini is adamant: Theres no misogyny in the Order. Numerous communities and a string of Right Livelihood businesses provide a full package for the aspiring seeker where to live, where to work, where to practice. [35], In the 1990s, the order grew in India, and, according to the Encyclopedia of Buddhism,[36] Indian members now make up about half the movement's formal membership. A response to the Response has now been posted on the web, taking the debate into ever-decreasing circles of intricacy. Before the Guardian piece came out, there was a lot of self-censoring. The Observer Buddhism Buddhist, teacher, predator: dark secrets of the Triratna guru British-born guru Sangharakshita was mired in allegations of abuse for years. Founded by Dennis Lingwood in the 1960s, the sect, formerly known as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), is a wealthy community with 30 retreats in the UK and a further 20 in. In a separate development, the groups founder has apologised for having relationships with its members some of which, he has previously acknowledged, may have been against their will. Western-orientated Buddhist group founded in 1967 by the British Buddhist Sangharakshita, who became a monk in 1950 after working for We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. And the fact that its members are often happy to work in its bookshops or cafes for very little helps keep its cost base low. With an estimated 20,000 people per year attending their meditation classes in the UK alone and an annual turnover of between 5-10 million per year, much of which is tax-free due to the organization's charitable status, as well as its . One reason change is slow is that people dont question the teachings, because they question their own motivation. The first thing I want to do is to thank people for this celebration. However, he also seems determined to see only bad in the FWBO. But maybe they are just helpful contexts. So he lays the ground for the institutions now in placesingle-sex spiritual communities, Right Livelihood businesses where work can be both an ethical and spiritual practice, and kalyanamitra, a sort of semi-official spiritual friendship. Not all, but most friends and Order members live under these conditions, rooming together, working in teams, meeting regularly for meditation and discussion, and forming close friendships with one another. In the 1980s its Croydon centre was closed down amid newspaper reports that its members were being manipulated. [27] "For the FWBO, Western Society as such needs to be subject to the unflinching scrutiny of Buddhist values. Yes, gay sex was definitely in the air. Jim Belither of the NKT is sympathetic to the FWBOs position on the legitimacy of a teacher. "[64], In October 2018, a group of members of the Triratna community released an internal report saying that more than one in 10 of them claim to have experienced or observed sexual misconduct while in the order, by Sangharakshita and other senior members. [6], In 1997, the responsibility for ordination and spiritual leadership passed to a "preceptor's college", based in Birmingham. Bhante is the founder of our Order and Movement, and we feel enormous appreciation and gratitude to him for his teachings and inspiration and yet at the same time we must acknowledge the effects of some of his past actions.. "[60] In reply to a follow-up question, he said: "I did not regard myself as a teacher with a capital T. He added: I have had many, many human encounters, the great majority non-sexual, and most of those encounters, including the sexual ones, have been satisfactory for both parties. But, even today, the order seems unwilling to confront its past head on: Triratna now describes Lingwoods behaviour as unskilful, a key Buddhist term, but one which, to outsiders, seems to underplay the consequences of his predatory actions.