People involved in the Network
Many readers of this web-site will be familiar with the 'biography' of the Buddha, from which a few points will be mentioned here. He was born approximately 2,500 years ago in what is now the Nepal-India border region. He grew up with the name of Siddhartha Gautama, and was son of the ruler of the Sakya clan. The story has it that he was raised in great luxury and sheltered from the hard facts of life. This changed when, in his twenties, he went out on a series of chariot rides from his palace, encountering first an old man and then a sick man. On a third trip he saw a corpse being carried to the cremation ground; finally he saw a 'holy man' who, in a famous Indian tradition, had left home to seek the truth. Soon afterwards the Buddha did the same, and after a 6 year spiritual quest he gained Enlightenment in the place now called Bodhgaya (in the modern Indian state of Bihar). From this time on he became known as The Buddha, 'he who is awake'. Whilst the enlightened state is considered indescribable, it has been suggested that 3 elements are central. These are compassion, a great fellow feeling with all beings; awareness or wisdom, so that the enlightened person is able to "see things as they really are"; and perfectly judged use of energy, as reflected in the Buddha's next 45 or so years of spiritual teaching.
The Buddha has been an inspiration to countless millions over the subsequent centuries. Although Buddhism largely disappeared from India, it spread to many other countries; amongst the numerous traditions are the Theravada of Sri Lanka, Thailand and Burma, Zen Buddhism from Japan, and the 4 main Tibetan 'schools' (with the Dalai Lama being from the largest one, the Gelugpas). It has been argued that Buddhism is less about 'things to believe' and more about 'things to do', with the latter including meditation, study of the Dharma (the Buddha's teaching), spiritual friendship, devotional ceremonies etc. The aim of Buddhist practice is to cultivate skilful 'positive' states of being, creating good karma and taking us (however slowly!) in the general direction of Enlightenment.
It has been argued that no-one can be 'born a Buddhist', since deciding to follow the Buddha's path has to be a conscious choice. Traditionally, becoming a Buddhist involves 'taking the Refuges and Precepts', with the person thus declaring their commitment to the 'Three Jewels' i.e. the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha (the community of practising Buddhists). The Precepts are ethical guide-lines, whereby killing/harming other beings, 'taking the not given', sexual exploitation, lying and the use of intoxicants are to be avoided/renounced, and opportunities for kindness, generosity, contentment, truthfulness and 'mindfulness' are to be cultivated.
The history of 'Western Buddhism' is short, with the first Westerners taking the Refuges and Precepts in the 1880s. Denis Lingwood, a teenager from Tooting, managed to meet a few Buddhists in early 1940s London. Convinced he was a Buddhist, he found himself 'called up' into the army and sent to India to work in the Signals Corps. He remained in the East for over 20 years, meeting teachers from a full range of Buddhist traditions; latterly he was based in the Himalayan town of Kalimpong, learning much from lamas who had left Tibet following the Chinese invasion. By now long-known by the Buddhist name Sangharakshita ('he who protects the Sangha'), he was invited back to the UK in the 1960s, subsequently founding the FWBO (Friends of the Western Buddhist Order) and the Western Buddhist Order.
In doing so, he was eager to promote Buddhism, and to avoid various pitfalls. In the East he had sometimes found the split between lay people and 'monks/nuns' unhelpful. The emphasis on monastic life as the 'true' spiritual path appeared to ignore diversity amongst people; someone may have a strong attraction to Buddhism, but have no desire or aptitude for a celibate life in a monastery. Thus Sangharakshita championed commitment to the Three Jewels as being the defining feature of a Buddhist, and argued that 'life-style' is a secondary, though still important aspect. So after some years of preparation someone is ordained as Dharmacari (male) or Dharmacarini (female), meaning he/she who follows the Dharma. At an earlier stage a person may wish to declare her/himself as a Buddhist by becoming a mitra (a word from the Sanskrit language meaning 'friend').
There are many other people around FWBO Centres who are finding out about Buddhism, or have a general interest, or appreciate some aspects (such as the calming effects of meditation) without regarding themselves as Buddhists. These friends of Centres are most welcome. FWBO Centres are found in most larger UK towns and cities, and in many places around the world, with about half the 1,000 Order Members being from India.
Sangharakshita will be 80 in August 2005, and he has been largely 'retired' for some years. The FWBO movement has changed significantly in recent years. Many FWBO Buddhists continue to work and live together, though, for example, newly ordained people are increasingly likely to have families, careers, mortgages etc in the wider world. There are probably more links than there have ever been with other Buddhist groups, and arguably a broader interest in other spiritual traditions. At the same time, I think FWBO people, when asked, will usually point out the distinctive aspects of Buddhism, and will feel confident that the Buddha's teachings have much that is unique to offer the world.
As noted elsewhere on this web-site, the early days of the FWBO were somewhat associated with the hippie culture of the 1960s and 1970s. To some extent such youthful and 'alternative' links continue, as with the Buddhafield camping festivals and retreats held throughout the summer. However, the average age of Order members is rising, and around the FWBO there are people of all ages who have health and social care needs.
To what extent are FWBO people responsible for one another in this respect? There is the story of the Buddha finding a monk who is ill with dysentery, and who is being neglected by his spiritual brethren. The Buddha and his companion Ananda firstly help the man; he is on the floor and lying in his own excrement and needs to be cleaned up and made comfortable. Having done this, the Buddha calls together the other monks and gives them clear guidance on their duty of care to one another; "Brethren, ye have no mother and no father to take care of you. If ye will not take care of each other, who else, I ask, will do so? Brethren, he who would wait on me, let him wait on the sick". Of course, there are cultural differences between ancient India and the contemporary West. For example, becoming a full-time follower of the Buddha in his lifetime seems to have put people outside the networks of family obligations which would have provided most 'care services'; in contrast, many people in the FWBO are highly involved with their families. Nonetheless, questions of responsibility seem relevant, and my research looks at some aspects of these.
Equally, the Buddhist tradition of Right Livelihood encourages us to seek employment which is of benefit to others, and the care sector appears potentially a good arena for new projects, be they in sheltered housing, home care services etc - the possibilities are very broad. It is also an area where Buddhism's generally positive public image could be of assistance, meaning that a good range of non-Buddhists might be happy to receive care from a service which has a Buddhist foundation to it.
Of course, as I write I think also about financial questions, staffing issues and other difficulties, and it may be years before any relevant projects emerge, if they ever do. Projects do emerge in the Buddhist world, however, and I hear of Thai monks assisting people with AIDS, a community hospice team with a Buddhist foundation in Queensland, Australia, San Francisco Zen Centre's hospice programme etc. My theory about the neglectful monks mentioned above is that they were immature, reared in a society where care was highly 'gendered' and as a group of men living together they just hadn't thought about what they would do if anyone became ill. So I hope this website will encourage reflection and action - please get in touch.
With all good wishes - Dayasara.