Triratna Buddhist community

The Triratna Buddhist Community, formerly know as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO) was founded in London in April 1967 with the first Ordinations into the Western Buddhist Order (WBO) taking place the following year.

The Triratna Buddhist Community emphasises Buddhism as a vehicle for the development of the individual as well as for the transformation of society. It draws inspiration from the whole of the Buddhist tradition without adopting a specific teaching lineage or school, or the cultural expressions that can accompany these - language, liturgy or costume. It attempts instead to identify underlying Buddhist principles and apply these in a way that is relevant to modern culture.

The Triratna Buddhist Order does not maintain the traditional division between monks and laity, or have different Ordinations for women and men. Instead ordination is conferred to all postulants on the same basis – a lived commitment to putting the Dharma into practice. There are no higher Ordinations or empowerments, and ‘spiritual hierarchy’ within the Order is based on depth of practice not formalised authority. There are now over 1300 Order Members and thousands more Mitras and Friends all over the world, especially in India.

In terms of its position in the modern Buddhist world, Triratna can be seen as having six distinctive emphases and five pillars.

The distinctive emphases are what makes Triratna stand out from other traditions: it is ecumenical; it sees Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels as the central and definitive Buddhist act; it is a unified Buddhist order (men and women are regarded as equal practitioners and teachers); it emphasises and explores the importance of Right Livelihood; the positive value of the Arts in spiritual development; and the need for Spiritual Friendship.

The ‘five pillars’ support Triratna’s development as a new Buddhist movement. They are: its Ideas; Practices; Institutions; Experiments; and its Imagination. There are many ways that you can explore what Tritarna has to offer. Most people do this through one of our public teaching centres or by going on a retreat. Alternatively you could enroll on one of our online meditation and Buddhism courses through a site called Wildmind. There are also numerous books on meditation and Buddhism by Triratna authors available from Windhorse Publications, as well as many talks and lectures by Triratna teachers that can be downloaded for free from the Free Buddhist Audio website . In addition there are a growing number of articles by Triratna writers exploring the relevance of Buddhism to modern life.

Latest developments and significant events can be seen on the Triratna news website, or you can read about the lives and views of some individual Sangha members through their personal websites.

The main Triratna webite outlines its principles and ideals. A more critical perspective by Vishvapani explores how the it is perceived in the wider Buddhist world. Another very useful viewpoint is provided by Nagabodhi in his reflections on the Triratna / FWBO’s history and what that history reveals about the Buddhist Movement that it is today.