The Triratna Buddhist Order and Community
The Triratna Buddhist Order and Community is a worldwide movement of people who try to engage with the Buddha’s teachings in the conditions of the modern world. Neither monastic nor lay, we are simply Buddhists, at varying stages of commitment and understanding, adopting to the best of our ability in our lives the ethical standards of the Dharma.
Triratna is a Sanskrit term meaning ‘Three Jewels’: the Buddha, Dharma (his teachings) and Sangha (the community of all those who follow the teachings). The founder of the Triratna Buddhist Community and Order, Sangharakshita, considers the defining act of a Buddhist to be Going for Refuge to these Three Jewels. This is the central principle or orientation of the Triratna Buddhist Community and everything we do. At our Buddhist Centres we teach meditation, study the Buddha’s teaching together, engage with the Arts, support each other through life, and engage in our local communities. We also promote projects in which Buddhists can live and work together, and explore how to turn our work into a spiritual practice.
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Find out more about Triratna at thebuddhistcentre.com.
Read more about the Six Distinctive Emphases of Triratna.
If you have read about controversies in Triratna and want to know more, see the FAQ on thebuddhistcentre.com -
Founded in London in 1967 by Urgyen Sangharakshita, and originally called the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, Triratna’s unique approach has enabled a living Buddhism to flourish in diverse cultures across the world. Read more about the founder of our movement here
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Listen to many talks by Order members at freebuddhistaudio.com
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Triratna is an international movement, click here to see all our Centre’s around the world!