Order members

The Western Buddhist Order is a spiritual community of men and women who have pledged themselves to following the Buddhist path to Enlightenment. Order members have made that commitment — traditionally known as going for Refuge to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha — the central point of their lives. In particular, they have chosen to make the WBO the context in which they are trying to live ever more deeply imbued by Wisdom and Compassion.

The WBO aims to be a free association of individuals working towards a common goal. It is founded on the principle that spiritual community can be created only by free will and mutual aspiration, never by coercion. Therefore there are no rules in the Order, and all decisions made by bodies within the Order are made by consensus.

Every Order member undertakes to practise a traditional set of 10 ethical precepts. These point to basic principles applied to all actions of body, speech and mind. Men and women Order members take the same precepts, and practise on an equal basis.

The WBO is a radical alternative to most forms of Buddhism in Asia, where practitioners are either monastic or lay. The Order is open to any man or woman who is sincerely and effectively committed to the Buddhist path. Order members try to lead a wholehearted Buddhist life, bring a dharmic perspective to all aspects of their life. They are not monks or nuns. What matters is not the lifestyle that Order members adopt but the spiritual commitment they have made: commitment is primary, lifestyle is secondary.