friends of the western buddhist order scandalfriends of the western buddhist order scandal

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. [25] [29] While there is an informal hierarchy within the order, there are no higher ordinations. The Guardian report also raised controversy over statements by Sangharakshita which it interpreted as adverse to women and the family. It was just the kind of cautionary tale to vindicate every parent who ever warned a child against the perils of exotic mysticism. Western Buddhist Order | Encyclopedia.com Windhorse Trading, their main business trading in imported gifts, grows from a one-garage outfit to a six-warehouse, nineteen-store concern, with a turnover of close to $15 million a year. [4], Worldwide, more than 100 groups are affiliated with the community, including in North America, Australasia and Europe. Henry Shukman investigates the controversy around an extensive Buddhist network based in London. 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. But Ive never heard of anything unethical going on there. The first thing I want to do is to thank people for this celebration. The Monk Who Taught the World Mindfulness Awaits the End of This Life. Pema Chdrn The head of the community was a very powerful, intrusive personality and incredibly manipulative. Buddhism in the United States - Wikipedia Sangharakshita, born Dennis Lingwood, teaching at the Hampstead Buddhist Temple in 1966. The orders safeguarding officer, who goes by the spiritual name Munisha, insisted the order had learned lessons from past mistakes and said every Triratna centre in the UK now has a safeguarding officer. Buddhist groups and centers were founded during the 1970s or 1980s.2 Similarly, in Australia the number of Buddhists quadrupled from 35,000 (1981) to 140,000 (1991), these being organized in some . We have 7 groups and 3 centres in Scotland, each is independently organised and locally managed. Venturing out on his own, Lingwood developed his own, highly interpretative brand of Buddhism, drawing on elements of Nietzsche and Freud. One order member of more than 15 years said: I know of several cases and the details are awful. The Observer Buddhism Buddhist, teacher, predator: dark secrets of the Triratna guru British-born guru Sangharakshita was mired in allegations of abuse for years. Why arent the courts involved? Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO): Modern Buddhism And it has been stated quite explicitly that one does not have to agree with this part of Sangharakshitas teaching in order to be ordained. Its a fairy-tale storybut, again, is it true? If the allegations in The Files are true, why has no one spoken up sooner? Lingwood, of course, escaped such censure in his lifetime, enjoying the tranquillity of his final years cosseted away in the idyillic setting of Coddington Court, feted by his followers. [9], As the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, the community was founded in London in April 1967 by Sangharakshita. Last month a former follower alleged that he had been groomed for sex by another senior member of the order at the Croydon centre in the 80s when he was just 16, and therefore a minor in the eyes of the law at the time. Those who wish to join the Order must request this in writing. Of 423 respondents to a survey featured in the report, of whom two-thirds are order members and a quarter are Mitras followers who may aspire to become order members 55, around 13%, said that either they themselves, or someone they knew, had experienced sexual misconduct by either Sangharakshita or other Triratna order members, in past and recent times. The company's filing status is listed as Merger and its File Number is 042751021. In response to the Guardians report, one of the orders senior members, Kulananda, wrote to the paper stressing that the abuse was confined to one centre and one individual. The Adhisthana website carries many pictures of him, a bespectacled, slight man draped in holy robes. 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. (See also: DN 114, MN.114, AN vol. FRIENDS OF THE WESTERN BUDDHIST ORDER, INC. - Bizapedia 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. I think this will help us to have confidence that we are a real Buddhist movement genuinely practicing the spiritual life.. He is confident that the Croydon debacle wont be repeated. Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO) | Madhyamavani Magazine An eclectic movement established in London, England, in 1967 by Venerable Sangharakshita, an Englishman who had studied extensively in India, writing prolifically (e.g. From the side of the FWBO, I thought the Response showed a genuine attempt to take on board the criticisms being made.. [31], As with followers of the Shingon school of Buddhism, order members observe ten precepts (ethical training rules). Now that the book is out, at least its all there in one place and not hidden. But this made them vulnerable to coercion by those in senior positions. Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO): Sangharakshita and the FWBO Consideration of some aspects of Bhantes [Lingwoods] past has been difficult for some of us in the College, as it has been for many of our brothers and sisters in the Order and others associated with our community. The latest accounts of its charitable arm, the Triratna Preceptors College Trust, reveal that in 2017, the most recent figures available, it alone was sitting on net assets worth more than 3.3m. A third concern drew on complaints by the mother of a former FWBO member who had committed suicide in 1990, following a history of depression. In Padmaloka, you had a lot of people who were gay. All rights reserved.Design by Point Five. Western Buddhist Order or Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. These days it goes by the name of Adhisthana, reflecting its reincarnation as the headquarters of one of the most influential Buddhist orders in the world, the Triratna Community, whose founder, Sangharakshita, lived there until his death last year at the age of 93. In India the number of adherents runs into six figures. Doesnt she feel like a second-class citizen? . Today, much of the trusts income comes from donations and organising spiritual retreats and meditation courses. The Triratna Buddhist Community was founded in 1967 as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order ( FWBO) by Sangharakshita, an Englishman who had spent 20 years in the India, 16 of them as a Buddhist monk. [13] The five types of meditation correspond to five 'stages' of the spiritual life. Friends of the Western Buddhist Order The FWBO , with over 75 public centres and retreats and several businesses in the UK, was founded in 1967 as the Friends of the Western Sangha (becom-ing the FWBO a year later) by Sangharakshita (1925- ), a white Englishman. A report by a clinical psychologist said, among other things: He feels the community attempted to alienate him from his family and from women, and that direct attempts were made to encourage him to practise homosexuality. [30] When members are ordained, they are given a white kesa to signify their ordination; golden kesas may be taken later by those choosing to make a public commitment to greater simplicity of lifestyle, including celibacy. [17] Windhorse:Evolution closed down in 2015. A new generation of Western teachers is emerging, and new experiments are being undertaken. But for Ken Jones, a long time FWBO-watcher and author of The Social Face of Buddhism and Beyond Optimism: A Buddhist Political Ecology, all the current allegations miss the point: My original criticism of the FWBO was an alarm that along with two other leading groups in BritainNKT and Soka Gakkaithey are a Buddhist movement and therefore have a particular ideological skew. Thank you for subscribing to Tricycle! The accounts explain that the trust acts as a hub for dozens of charities that operate in the UK and overseas. Sexual coercion, if it went on, is quite another matter. The Triratna Buddhist Community (formerly the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order), was founded by Sangharakshita in 1967, and the Diamond Way Organisation of Ole Nydahl, has founded more than 600 Buddhist centers across the world. [7], The community has been described as "perhaps the most successful attempt to create an ecumenical international Buddhist organization". Development by Code Rodeo. Shop Online. Please try again. [23] This initiative is supported by the local authority, the London borough of Tower Hamlets. But now a bombshell internal report, produced by concerned members and shared with the Observer, has found that more than one in 10 of them claim to have experienced or observed sexual misconduct while in the order. Friends members and booklovers from around the world can discover thousands of titles on our Amazon bookstore. And, while some seem happy to have found their guide in Sangharakshita, others seem more concerned about their own authenticity than their teachers. We took it out of public circulation, not as a way of covering it up but because we agreed it was unsuitable, Munisha explained. Thich Nhat Hanh, Father of Mindfulness, Awaits the End | Time 39 global ratings. The FWBO do not place as much reliance on lineage as other traditions. 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? 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. [62], On 4 January 2017, following his treatment in hospital for pneumonia, Sangharakshita issued a statement expressing deep regret for all the occasions on which I have hurt, harmed or upset fellow Buddhists, and ask for their forgiveness. 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. In the Triratna community, as in the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, sangha is interpreted as the Buddhist community as a whole. railroading, aviation, medicine, numismatics); art and museum publications; collectible comics; California history and Americana; signed special editions; early edition children's books; academic texts; and antiquarian . 4.7 out of 5. 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. Mark Dunlop, now 69, was a victim at the Triratna Buddhist community. 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.. With its impressive grounds and gardens, it looks like a serene place for someone to spend their final years. But as Stephen Batchelor, an eminent British Buddhist, points out, this was never exactly his claim. Three Lectures to the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order "[59], In a 2009 interview with a member of the group, Sangharakshita replied to a question about sex between him and students: Perhaps in a very few cases they were not as willing as I had supposed at the time that is possible. Copyright 2023. On the other hand, FWBO texts suffer from an in-house repetitiveness, as if unwilling to take on the general reader. But from the outside, the organization does not seem to have been rocked to its core, and Sangharakshitas popularity appears undented. But fissures within the community he founded are now becoming major fault lines. But to address these issues which we must dois to allow our detractors to set the agenda, ignoring all the good in the FWBO., Jim Belither, a senior member of the NKT in Britain, echoes this view: To begin with, The Files author appears to be motivated by a sincere desire to right a wrong and to address issues of genuine concern. FWBO Scotland is a community of people who practice Buddhism in the context of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO). 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. Mark Dunlop, an Order member until 1986, and since then one of its leading critics, claims that the FWBO uses the doctrine of unconscious conditioning to create a double bind. Women take the same precepts as men and have the same ordination as men. Where required, we ask members of the Order to co-operate fully with any investigation, should that takeplace., Lingwood encouraged his heterosexual male followers to experiment with homosexuality as a form of self development. Matthew King, among others, has sug- By continuing, you agree to Tricycles Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Anti-Christianity in a New Buddhist Movement Jeff Wilson At ordination they are given a religious name in Pali or Sanskrit. Ratnadharini is adamant: Theres no misogyny in the Order. The three hang together well, and focus attention in particular on reverence as an important part of meaningful . Yet Geshe Gelsang Gyatso is widely respected: Western students in this school came of age studying his books. Each center now has a president who keeps an eye on things. Friends of the Western Buddhist Order: see WESTERN BUDDHIST ORDER. In the early days we werent big on practice; we were just Buddhists hanging out, going to lectures, doing yoga. Is it just obfuscatory back-pedaling? Our History | The Buddhist Centre The Cultural Translation of Buddhism in England, Religion, 21(1): 7393. Concerns were first raised about the order in a BBC news report in the early 90s, and then again in 1997 when the Guardian revealed sexual misconduct at one of its centres, in Croydon, south London. Our exchanges were recorded and I have gone through the And indeed, its agenda on women is one issue that has recently dogged the FWBO. He was a slightly weird guy, in a way that worked in his favour because I thought: Im not being swayed by his charisma.. In 2003, the public preceptors, responding to feedback, decided to move away from a formal relationship to the order and movement, and to concentrate on the ordination of new order members, teaching and dharma practice. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions Even the most sanguine of Buddhist communities in the West are engaged with these questions. An initiation into manhood, then, is an experiential situation in which the false man dies in order that the true men may be born. For them the legitimacy of Sangharakshita as a teacher rests mainly on whether his writings and teachings are based on authentic Buddhist sources and are conducive to helping them and others toward liberation. And the level of debate is so much higher generally now that people are much more aware of these dangers.. Formerly known as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), Triratna is an international fellowship of Buddhists founded by Sangharakshita in the UK in 1967 describing itself as "an international network dedicated to communicating Buddhist truths in ways appropriate to the modern world". The document reflects and helped shape the orders thinking and confirms that much of Lingwoods more controversial teachings were embraced and promoted by others. He would lead the organisation until his formal retirement in 1995, and would continue to exert a decisive influence on its thinking and practices thereafter. What is the Western Buddhist Order? Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Oxford Reference In the spring of 2010, the Western Buddhist Order and Friends of the Western Buddhist Order changed their names to the Triratna Buddhist Order (which approximates in English to the name used in India - Triratna Bauddha Mahasangha) and the Triratna Buddhist Community. Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Oxford Reference Friends of the Western Buddhist Order - Academic Kids (modern). At the same time, to increase flexibility, the number of preceptors was expanded. In the early days, in the context of the 1970s, it was all very weird. In presenting Buddhist teachings in a way that he feels accords with Western society, Sangharakshita has established what might be seen as a separate tradition. Triratna's 50th Anniversary - west wight sangha The Lotus in the City: Triratna London Buddhist Centre, It was just a rather tangled sexual mess., According to Ananda, It was inevitable that it would all blow up, because people were just so messed up. I didnt want the get-married-get-a job narrative. In joining a movement you buy belongingness, you buy an assured shared viewpoint. [6], In 1997, the responsibility for ordination and spiritual leadership passed to a "preceptor's college", based in Birmingham. Belither is well positioned to have given this dilemma some thought. Here and there the speaker offers a sprig of wisdom about how to apply the tale to ones own life. [32], Beyond this, a commitment to personal dharma practice and to remain in communication with other members are the only expectations. The first two according to his system ('integration' and 'positive emotion'), can be correlated to the traditional category of "calming" "samatha" practices, and the last two (spiritual death and spiritual rebirth) can be correlated to "insight" or "vipassana" practices. Trine Brox Elizabeth Williams-Oerberg View Show abstract . If there were any encounters that were not satisfactory for the other person, whether at the time or in retrospect, then that is a pity and I am truly sorry that that should be the case. On the other hand, he cant deny he has a connection with Asian traditions; otherwise his whole edifice would be built on sand. [27] "For the FWBO, Western Society as such needs to be subject to the unflinching scrutiny of Buddhist values. [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. 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. The first of these was formed after a retreat where some participants wanted to continue retreat-style living. Main page; Contents; Current events; Random article; About Wikipedia; Contact us; Donate; Pages for logged out editors learn more Certainly many women disagree and some have been vocal in expressing that.. To untangle this knot of attack and defense isnt easy. In a book published in 2005, the FWBO's members and supporters were estimated to number 100,000, the majority of whom were in India. Tricycle is a nonprofit that depends on reader support. Despite the name, the WBO is based not only in the West but is now a worldwide Buddhist movement. Businesses, said to operate on the principle of "right livelihood", generate funds for the movement, as well seeking to provide environments for spiritual growth through employment. I worry that this type of behaviour was much more widespread than generally believed., I have friends who were sexually assaulted by senior OMs in recent times, another said. 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? The talk, lasting nearly two hours, is about Atisha, the 10th-century Indian adept who helped bring Buddhism to Tibet. The Times has also reported on the centre's work with those affected by alcohol dependency[24]. This is very different from what you get in mainstream Buddhism, but it isnt something you can prove, only feel. Its Tuesday night in Moseley, a suburb of Birmingham, in the heart of England. He had been born in south London as Dennis Lingwood, in August 1925. I felt sorry for him, in a way. But last year, their thirtieth anniversary, was not an easy one for them. However, he also seems determined to see only bad in the FWBO. [21] Support from fellow practitioners in a community is seen to be effective in helping members make spiritual progress. Take an online Buddhism course at your own pace. And early critic Dunlop remembers Padmaloka, the FWBOs retreat center in Norfolk, as rife with homosexual activity. These centres teach Meditation, Buddhism, Yoga, and other forms of personal development. He also receives initiations from Tibetan lamas, is ordained in the Theravada tradition, and is subsequently called Sangharakshita. Retreats provide a chance to focus on meditational practice more intensely, in a residential context outside of a retreatant's everyday life. V inter alia).Sanskrit sources:the Mahvastu, the, International Network of Engaged Buddhists, "The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order structure", "The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order", "Buddhist, teacher, predator: dark secrets of the Triratna guru", "Dangers in Devotion: Buddhist Cults and the Tasks of a Guru", "Working in the Right Spirit: The Application of Buddhist Right Livelihood in the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order", International Network of Engaged Buddhists > Committee, "Fears mount over scale of Buddhist sect sexual abuse", "A letter from Triratna's College of Preceptors", "Attorney general Suella Braverman belongs to controversial Buddhist sect", Triratna Buddhist Community Official Site, Many Bodies, One Mind: Movements in British Buddhism, Land of Beautiful Vision: Making a Buddhist Sacred Place in New Zealand, A Review of Extending the Hand of Fellowship, Dangers in Devotion: Buddhist Cults and the Tasks of a Guru, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Triratna_Buddhist_Community&oldid=1156577267. I think there is a large denial factor Im up for selling assets and making amends as part of us moving on and acknowledging our ignorance of the abuse, one said. [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. [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. How then could Westerners be expected to get it right? [56][57][58] 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.