Who we are
The Triratna Buddhist Community
The Triratna Buddhist Community
was founded in 1967 as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO) by Urgyen Sangharakshita (pictured), an Englishman who realised at the age of 16 that he was a Buddhist and, after a long process of searching, was ordained as a Buddhist monk in India in 1950. After a further 14 years living and teaching Buddhism in India, he returned to England in 1964, and saw the need for a new kind of Buddhist organisation - a community of Buddhist practitioners committed to living a Dharma life, who were neither monastic nor lay. Despite feeling that he was not the ideal person to found such a thing, he felt it was needed and so he founded the FWBO in 1967 an a year later, the Western Buddhist Order (which was renamed the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2010).
was founded in 1967 as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO) by Urgyen Sangharakshita (pictured), an Englishman who realised at the age of 16 that he was a Buddhist and, after a long process of searching, was ordained as a Buddhist monk in India in 1950. After a further 14 years living and teaching Buddhism in India, he returned to England in 1964, and saw the need for a new kind of Buddhist organisation - a community of Buddhist practitioners committed to living a Dharma life, who were neither monastic nor lay. Despite feeling that he was not the ideal person to found such a thing, he felt it was needed and so he founded the FWBO in 1967 an a year later, the Western Buddhist Order (which was renamed the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2010).
The Triratna Community is made up of Order members and all those people who attend Triratna Buddhist centres and groups across the world. The idea behind the Community is to make the living principles and practices of Buddhism accessible to people in the modern world, both west and east. It is now represented on all the world’s inhabited continents. For more information on the Triratna Buddhist Community, click here www.thebuddhistcentre.com.
The Triratna Community is made up of Order members and all those people who attend Triratna Buddhist centres and groups across the world. The idea behind the Community is to make the living principles and practices of Buddhism accessible to people in the modern world, both west and east. It is now represented on all the world’s inhabited continents. For more information on the Triratna Buddhist Community, click here www.thebuddhistcentre.com.
The Triratna Buddhist Order
The Triratna Buddhist Order
is a community of men and women* who have made the decision to place the practice of Buddhism within the Triratna Community at the heart of their lives. Order members live and practise in a wide variety of situations across the world - some live with their families and work in conventional jobs, others live in communities and work together in Buddhist teams, others live and practise in retreat centres with a more monastic focus.
is a community of men and women* who have made the decision to place the practice of Buddhism within the Triratna Community at the heart of their lives. Order members live and practise in a wide variety of situations across the world - some live with their families and work in conventional jobs, others live in communities and work together in Buddhist teams, others live and practise in retreat centres with a more monastic focus.
The Shrewsbury Triratna Buddhist Centre
The Shrewsbury Triratna Buddhist Centre
Shropshire and mid-Wales are currently home to around 20 Order members who run the activities of the Shrewsbury Triratna Buddhist Centre. Here is an introduction to some of them:
Shropshire and mid-Wales are currently home to around 20 Order members who run the activities of the Shrewsbury Triratna Buddhist Centre. Here is an introduction to some of them:
Saravantu
Saravantu
Chair; trustee; teacher at the centre
Chair; trustee; teacher at the centre
Jayaratna
Jayaratna
Trustee (treasurer); teacher at the centre
Trustee (treasurer); teacher at the centre
Akasharaja
Akasharaja
Men's Mitra convenor; teacher at the centre; Mitra study leader
Men's Mitra convenor; teacher at the centre; Mitra study leader
Utpalavajri
Utpalavajri
Mitra study leader
Mitra study leader
Abhayanara
Abhayanara
Trustee responsible for the building; teacher at the centre; Mitra study leader
Trustee responsible for the building; teacher at the centre; Mitra study leader
Tejodharini
Tejodharini
Teacher at the centre
Teacher at the centre
Shraddhabha
Shraddhabha
Teacher at the centre
Teacher at the centre
Nagamani
Nagamani
Teacher at the centre
Teacher at the centre
Jyotidana
Jyotidana
Teacher at the centre; Mitra study leader
Teacher at the centre; Mitra study leader
Prabhakari
Prabhakari
Women's Mitra convenor; Mitra study leader
Women's Mitra convenor; Mitra study leader
Samantabhadri
Samantabhadri
Teacher at the centre; retreat leader
Teacher at the centre; retreat leader
Vajradevi
Vajradevi
Trustee; teacher at the centre; retreat leader
Trustee; teacher at the centre; retreat leader
Vajrapriya
Vajrapriya
Trustee; teacher at the centre; Foundation course study leader
Trustee; teacher at the centre; Foundation course study leader
*Gender diversity
*Gender diversity
We're very aware that not everyone identifies with the binary genders of male and female, and we're looking at ways of being more inclusive to gender non-conforming folks (as well as more generally). To read more about our gender diversity policy, click here.
We're very aware that not everyone identifies with the binary genders of male and female, and we're looking at ways of being more inclusive to gender non-conforming folks (as well as more generally). To read more about our gender diversity policy, click here.