The Manchester Buddhist Centre is part of the Triratna Buddhist Community, formerly the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), an international network dedicated to communicating Buddhist truths in ways appropriate to the modern world
The FWBO was founded in London in 1967 by Sangharakshita after twenty years practising Buddhism in India.
Bringing Buddhism into an entirely new culture prompted Sangharakshita to look at the principles underlying all forms of Buddhism and work out how best to apply them here. So, Triratna is an ecumenical movement, aligned to no one traditional school, but drawing on the whole stream of Buddhist inspiration.
New structures
Triratna has evolved new structures enabling people to live out Buddhist teachings as an authentic Buddhist way of life in the 21st century.
Triratna on the web
The Triratna Community has an extensive website. Other Triratna sites include:
- Retreat centres — Goingonretreat.com
- Free Buddhist Audio — Talks, led meditations and study material
- Sangharakshita’s website
- Land project — Moving parts of Triratna to the countryside
Buddhism for the Modern World
In the Buddha’s time there was no television or internet to compete with, no need to be concerned about global warming. But Triratna is exploring how the Buddha’s teaching of human potential is still crucially important, how Buddhists can be socially engaged and contribute to a better world.
Growing and changing
In the last forty years Triratna has grown into a movement with dozens of centres all over the world. And not only in the West — Triratna has a substantial presence in India and other developing countries, and its change of name from the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order reflects this.
Sangharakshita has now handed on responsibility for Triratna’s spiritual vitality to his followers. Triratna is entering a new phase of growth and consolidation, learning from, and building upon its history, and developing into a broad-based, mature and experienced spiritual community. It is playing a significant role in bringing Buddhism to the West.
Triratna is an active partner in the UK’s main inter-Buddhist forum, the Network of Buddhist Organisations
Compassion in action
Karuna was formed in 1980 as Aid for India, Triratna’s response to the suffering of India’s Dalit community and continues to work with some of South Asia’s most disadvantaged people
The Triratna Story
Published in May 2010, Vajragupta’s Triratna Story is an honest account of our movement’s growth, including an examination of mistakes made, lessons learnt and how a Buddhist community was built.
Available from the Buddhist Centre’s shop at £7.99
