202017 “Triana Budshist Community - Wikipedia Triratna Buddhist Community From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Triratna Buddhist Community (formerly the Friends ‘Triratna Buddhist C of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO)) is an riratna Buddhist Community international fellowship!) of Buddhists, and others] who aspire to its path of mindfulness, under the leadership of the Triratna Buddhist Order (formerly the Western Buddhist Order). It was founded by Sangharakshita in the UK in 1967, and describes itself as "an international network dedicated to communicating Buddhist truths in ways ec appropriate to the modern world".|3I In keeping with . i New Religious Movement Buddhist traditions, it also pays attention to contemporary ae igious Movement ideas, particularly drawn from Western philosophy, Leadership Triratna Buddhist Order sychotherapy, and art.!41 Key people pa Py Sangharakshita Worldwide, more than 100 groups are affiliated with the community, including in North America, Australasia and Europe. In the UK, it is one of the largest Buddhist Website www.thebuddhiste movements, (5) with some 30 urban centres and retreat Sore coe Dharmachari Subhuti tre.com (hitp:iw centres.6l Its centre there is at Coddington, Herefordshire. Its largest following, however, is in India, where it is known as Triratna Bauddha Mahasafigha (TBM) (formerly the Trailokya Bauddha Mahasangha Sahayaka Gana (TBMSG)).!7) The community has been described as "perhaps the most su international Buddhist organization,"|®) and "an important contributor to Buddhism on the world stage."(°! It has sful attempt to create an ecumenical also been criticised, most notably for lacking "spiritual lineage"|"°l and over claims of sexual exploitation and misogyny during the 1970s and 1980s."(!"1 Contents Practices and activities Defining the movement ‘The Triratna Buddhist Order The wider community History Name change Controversies and criticism = 7.1 Spiritual lineage = 7.2 The Guardian report = 73 Sexuality, women and the family = 8 References = 9 Further reading = 10 External links = 10.1 Triratna Buddhist Community sites = 10.2 Outside views Mauaune Practices and activities hiipsiienwikipedacorgwikTriaina_Budehist Community 1souzo17 “Teraoa Busi Community - Wikipedia Meditation is the common thread through activities. Order members teach two practices: (a) "The mindfulness of breathing" (anapanasati), in which practitioners focus on the rise and fall of the breath; and (b) "The metta bhavana", which approximately translates from the original Pali as "the cultivation of lovingkindness". These practices are felt to be complementary in promoting equanimity and friendliness towards others. Some friends of the Order may have litte, if any, other involvement in its activities; but friendship, Sangha, and community are encouraged at all levels as essential contexts for meditation. The founder, Sangharakshita, described meditation as having four phases. 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. 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.{!21 These phases are: 1, Integration, The main practice at this stage is the mindfulness of breathing, which is intended to have the effect of "integrating the psyche" — improving mindfulness and concentration, and reducing psychological conflict. 2. Positive emotion. The second aspect of samatha is developing positivity — an other-regarding, life- affirming attitude. The Brahmavihara meditations, especially the 'metta bhavana' or cultivation of loving kindness meditations, are the key practices intended to foster the development of positi 3. Spiritual death. The next stage is to develop insight into what is seen to be the emptin reality. Meditations at this stage include considering the elements of which self and world are thought to be composed; contemplating impermance (particularly of the body); contemplating suffering; and contemplating sunyata. 4. Spiritual rebirth. The WBO teaches that, with the development of insight and the death of the limited ego-self, a person is spiritually reborn. Practices which involve the visualization of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are among the main practices in this phase. At ordination, each dharmachari(ni) is given an advanced visualisation meditation on a particular figure. Centres also teach scripture, yoga and other methods of self-improvement, some of which are felt by some commentators to come from outside the Buddhist tradition.!"5) Recently, community activities have begun to include outdoor festivals, online meditation courses, arts festivals, poetry and writing workshops, tai chi, karate, and pilgrimages to Buddhist holy sites in India. For many years, the community charity Karuna Trust (UK) has raised money for aid projects in India!4] ‘As among Buddhists generally, Puja is a ritual practice at some events, intended to awaken the desire to liberate all beings from suffering. The most common ritual consists of a puja, derived and adapted from the Bodhicaryavatara of Shantideva. Retreats provide a chance to focus on meditational practice more intensely, in a residential context outside of a retreatant's everyday life.'5 community retreats can be broadly categorised into meditation retreats, study retreats, and solitary retreats, Retreat lengths vary from short weekends to one or two weeks. Businesses, said to operate to the principle of "right livelihood", generate funds for the movement, as well secking to provide environments for spiritual growth through employment.!'®] Emphasis is placed on teamwork, and on contributing to the welfare of others: for example by funding social projects and by considering ethical matters such as fair trade. The largest community business is Windhorse:Evolution, a gift wholesaling business and a chain of gift shops.!'4 Many cities with a Triratna centre also have a residential community. The first of these was formed after a retreat where some participants wanted to continue retreat-style living. Since it was felt that the most stable communities tended to be single sex, this has become the paradigm for communities." Support from fellow practitioners in a community is seen to be effective in helping members make spiritual progress.!'8] Iiips:iienwikipedacorgwikTriaina_ Budehist Community 20202017 “Triana Budshist Community - Wikipedia 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. The centre's courses for depression, based on the mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy methodology of Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, featured in the Financial Times in 2008.91 This initiative is supported by the local authority, the London borough of Tower Hamlets. The Times has also reported on the centre's work with those affected by alcohol dependency !20) Defining the movement According to the community, six characteristics define it: 1. An ecumenical movement. It is not identified with any particular strand or school of Buddhism, but draws inspiration from many. It calls itself "ecumenical" rather than "eclectic" because it is founded on the premise that there is an underlying unity to all schools.{'5} 2. "Going for refuge" is central. "Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels" — meaning the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha — is considered to be what makes someone a Buddhist.[!2] 3. A unified Order. Unlike some sangha, the community does not propagate a monastic lineage. Sangharakshita devised a non-monastic ordination system, whilst also allowing the undertaking of the "anagarika" precept which enjoins celibacy. Identical ordination is open to both sexes. While the ‘movement regards single-sex activities as important to spiritual growth, men and women are recognised as being equally able to practice and develop spiritually.2!) 4, An emphasis on spiritual friendship. There is a strong emphasis on the sangha, and spiritual friendship based on shared values. The community teaches that spending time with friends who share ideals, and engaging in ritual practice with them, supports ethical living and the arising of the bodhicitta.{'81 5. Teamwork. Working together in teams, in the spirit of generosity and with a focus on ethics, is considered a transformative spiritual practice.|!4) 6. Importance of art. Engagement in, and an appreciation of, the arts are considered to be a valuable aspect of spiritual practice. The community teaches that a refinement of one's artistic tastes can help refine emotional sensitivity and provide a channel for the expression of right living, and spiritual growth. More broadly, the movement seeks ways to re-express Buddhism by making connections with sympathetic elements in the surrounding culture, regarding the arts as such an aspect of western cutture,2] "The FWBO's attitude to spreading the Dharma is one of heartfelt urgency,” wrote Stephen Batchelor, a prominent British Buddhist author, in a book published in 1994.25] "For the FWBO, Westem Society as such needs to be subject to the unflinching scrutiny of Buddhist values.” The Triratna Buddhist Order The Triratna Buddhist Order is the focal-point of the community,4! and is a network of friendships between. individuals who have made personal commitments to the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha, in communion with others.'2] Members are known as dharmacharis (masculine) or dharmacharinis (feminine), and are ordained in accord with a ceremony formulated by the founder. At ordination they are given a religious name in Pali or Sanskrit.!25] While there is an informal hierarchy within the order, there are no higher ordinations, A small number of members, however, take vows of celibacy and adopt a simpler lifestyle. Contrary to the traditional Buddhist structure of separating lay and monastic members, the order combines monastic and lay lifestyles under one ordination,('! a practice not dissimilar to that which evolved in some Japanese schools of Buddhism.?*) As with followers of the Shingon school of Buddhism, order members observe ten precepts (ethical training rules)."8) These precepts are different from monastic vows and do not appear in the Vinaya Pitaka, but were formulated on the basis of the so-called "dasa-kusala-dhammas" (ten wholesome actions). These are found in Iiips:iienwikipedacorgwikTriaina_ Budehist Community 39