{"id":4399,"date":"2026-05-26T07:10:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T07:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanbuddhistunion.com\/?post_type=member&p=4399"},"modified":"2026-06-03T09:28:56","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T09:28:56","slug":"the-triratna-buddhist-order-and-community","status":"publish","type":"member","link":"https:\/\/europeanbuddhistunion.com\/pt\/members\/the-triratna-buddhist-order-and-community\/","title":{"rendered":"The Triratna Buddhist Order and Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our Order and community began in London, UK, in 1967 with the foundation of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), by the Venerable Urgyen Sangharakshita. The first ordinations to the Western Buddhist Order (WBO) were conducted by him in 1968.

Triratna has since become a worldwide community. No longer purely western, in 2010 the WBO + FWBO were renamed the Triratna Buddhist Order and the Triratna Buddhist Community, respectively.

Drawing selectively on the teachings of the three historical phases of Buddhism, we wish to provide the conditions for all to Go For Refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

Neither lay nor monastic, we have around 2800 ordained women and men throughout the world, including 273 in 19 countries in Europe (121 women and 152 men) as well as 637 women and 696 men in the UK. (These numbers include a small number of Order members who identify as non-binary but trained for ordination as part of our women’s or men’s ordination training process.)

(Figures correct as of 2026.)

Triratna’s main website<\/a>
Free Buddhist Audio: Triratna talks<\/a>
Karuna: helping south Asia’s poorest people<\/a>
Triratna book publishers Windhorse Publications<\/a>
Safeguarding and ethics in Triratna<\/a>
2020 Report: Addressing ethical issues in Triratna<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Englishman, Sangharakshita was ordained a Theravadin monk in India in 1950 and studied with teachers from several other major Buddhist traditions. Returning to the UK in the mid-1960s, he began to develop new forms of teaching and practice suitable for modern westerners. He founded the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order in 1967 and conducted his first ordinations to the Western Buddhist Order in 1968.

There are now Triratna Buddhist activities in 28 countries around the world, including China and Russia, and among the very large numbers of \u201cnew Buddhists\u201d in India, mostly ‘Dalit’ people formerly known as “Untouchables”.

Drawing on the whole stream of Buddhist inspiration, Triratna is aligned to no one traditional school. Our founder sees Going For Refuge to the Three Jewels (triratna in Sanskrit) – Buddha, Dharma and Sangha – as the definitive act of a Buddhist, and the basis for unity among all Buddhists.

At our Buddhist centres we teach meditation, study the Buddha\u2019s teaching, engage with the arts, support each other, and engage in our local communities. We also promote residential communities and Right Livelihood businesses, in which Buddhists can live and work together.

Anyone who attends a Triratna class is a Friend. Anyone wishing to make a deeper commitment to Buddhist practice with Triratna may ask to become a Mitra (\u2018friend\u2019 in Sanskrit). Those wishing to deepen their practice further may wish to ask to train for ordination.

Neither monastic nor lay<\/strong>
Women and men are ordained equally, women by women and men by men. Neither monastic nor lay, the Order is open to anyone sincerely and effectively committed to the Buddhist path, regardless of caste, class, ethnicity, sex, gender-identity or sexual orientation. However, though Triratna as a whole includes non-binary people we do not yet have the resources to offer a full non-binary system of Dharma training or a non-binary ordination training course.

Addressing ethical misconduct in Triratna<\/strong>
Ethical misconduct is a common concern in many sanghas today. Triratna takes very seriously allegations of misconduct by any of its members, no matter how senior, and will make every effort to address such concerns. Where a concern may be criminal it is our policy that it is reported to the police, without exception. Anyone with concerns is welcome to email our Safeguarding team at safeguarding@triratna.community<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our Order and community began in London, UK, in 1967 with the foundation of the Friends of the Western Buddhist 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