In India, the Triratna Buddhist Community is known as the Triratna Bauddha Mahasangha. Its work in India has two aspects: firstly providing facilities for teaching the Dhamma among Buddhists from the communities formerly known as ‘untouchable’, and secondly running social work projects to contribute to the betterment of those communities.

When Triratna’s activities started there in 1978 it soon became clear that simply teaching Buddhism was not enough. There was clearly a need for practical and material help, so a charity, Bahujan Hitay (‘for the welfare of the many’), was set up to run social work projects. These projects, which have educational, medical and cultural objectives, are now spreading throughout India.

The main educational project involves running 20 educational hostels for children who would otherwise not be able to continue their schooling. Other projects include kindergartens, adult literacy classes, and non-formal education classes. Medical projects include health centres and networks of slum-based community health workers. Cultural activities include the Asvagosha Project, which uses story-telling and song to explore issues relevant to local

communities, and karate classes for children, which help greatly in the development of self-esteem.

Find out more about the work of the Karuna Trust, who work on behalf of the 250 million people in India who suffer fear, oppression and violence because of their caste or ethnicity.

Read Ambedkar and Buddhism, by Sangharakshita and Jai Bhim! Despatches from a Peaceful Revolution, by Nagabodhi (Terry Pilchick).

Listen to talks from India.

Many local Triratna Centres have families groups, offering weekends away and Dharma activities suitable for adults and children. In the UK, Buddhafield, Dhanakosa, and other Triratna retreat centres around the world offer family-friendly retreats. On Festival days there are often children’s activities and a crèche.

Generally young people in the Triratna Buddhist Community are not regarded as Buddhists until they are old enough to make a conscious choice for themselves. Most Buddhist parents, however, would want to bring up their children with a sense of Buddhist community and ethical values.

Listen to a talk on Buddhist Parenting by Karunagita.

Triratna and schools

School groups are welcome at many Triratna centres, by appointment. Two projects in particular are active in the field of Religious Education in the UK:

The Clear Vision Trust makes acclaimed audio-visual teaching materials for Buddhism in primary and secondary schools, and offers INSET for teachers as well as consultancy at local and national level. They also offer new online interactive tools for learning, some of which are available for free. In Germany, some of Clear Vision’s school materials are available in translation from Windross Publikationen at the Buddhistische Zentrum, Essen.

The Bodhi Tree project offers discussion and storytelling workshops on Buddhist themes for schools, meditation in schools and colleges, training for teachers, and drama and writing workshops for children and adults.

Ask a Buddhist – Video answers to your FAQ!

Buddhism encourages people to look the hard facts of life squarely in the eye, especially suffering and the truths of old age, sickness, and death. Many Triratna centres run meditation courses that help to reduce anxiety, alienation and stress, and encourage positivity and calm. Some also run courses aimed at specific mental health issues, such as recurrent depression, addiction, and bereavement. Mindfulness practice, in combination with elements taken from cognitive therapy, can be very helpful in preventing relapse. It can also support people in becoming aware of their pain, prepare them for what to expect, how to work with the grieving process, and to understand generally the nature of attachment.

Carers’ Retreats

These are short retreats in the countryside specifically for people who are the primary carers for family members or friends. They provide a valuable opportunity for carers to have a complete break from their caring responsibilities in the company of other carers. The retreats are very nourishing, combining instruction in meditation with tuition in massage, Alexander Technique and various therapies that help manage stress and tension. These are currently run

in the UK by the London, Brighton, Birmingham, and Manchester Buddhist Centres.

Mindfulness-based stress and pain management

Courses in Mindfulness-based stress and pain management teach a range of mindfulness-based techniques, such as relaxation, breath awareness and meditation. They can also provide training in life strategies such as goal setting and pacing, bringing awareness to daily activities. As led by members of the Triratna Buddhist Community, courses include meditations adapted from the Buddhist tradition, but they take an entirely secular approach. This makes them suitable for people of all creeds.

Breathing Space, in London, teaches Mindfulness Based Approaches that help prevent relapse into depression and addiction, and manage stress and anxiety.

In the UK, the Peace of Mind project, which originally ran pain management courses aimed at people with chronic pain

or illness, expanded to become Breathworks, a now international venture where the practical methods taught on courses are useful for anyone struggling with the stresses of modern life. Founder Vidyamala has had many years managing chronic back pain following a spinal injury.

Listen free to a body scan meditation by Vidyamala.

Listen free to Paramananda’s Body Awareness And Relaxation guide from his bestelling book, Change Your Mind.

Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this Dhamma and Discipline of mine has one taste, the taste of liberation. 
The Buddha (Udana, v.5)

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Liberation for Buddhism is both internal and external. Internally, we seek to free ourselves from the poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance. Externally, we try to alleviate suffering wherever it’s found and to establish stable and supportive social conditions within which we and all others may live our lives to their full potential. This is what’s meant by Engaged Buddhism.

How to do this effectively depends on time and social circumstances. Engaged Buddhism in the West is a story of experimentation — finding ways to make a difference within the spirit of Buddhist ethical precepts.

Both the principles and practices of this work are still being clarified; the principles include always acting from a basis Love rather than Power, seeking to effect change by raising awareness, and exemplifying not coercing; Buddhists try to understandand affect the underlying causes that create suffering, and work to strengthen the connections that exist between all life, rather than slip into polarisation.

A major influence for Triratna is the example of Dr BR Ambedkar, whose life was one of non-violent struggle against the injustices of the Hindu caste system in India. It culminated in his conversion to Buddhism in 1956, and during the ceremony thousands of his followers converted to Buddhism.Engaged practices and campaigns include ‘Meditate to Liberate’ actions, eg. at animal research laboratories or London arms fairs; the ‘despair and empowerment’ work of Joanna Macy; working with other Engaged groups, for example on visits to Palestine or opposing the Iraq war; and dialoguing with other Buddhists who eat meat.

Activities within the Triratna Buddhist Community
Join Buddhist Action | Buddhafield Permaculture project | Eco-Dharma retreat centre

Other Engaged Buddhism contexts
Network of Engaged Buddhists | Joanna Macy

Listen to talks on Engaged Buddhism within our community in the West and in India.

Caring for the environment is a natural part of the Buddhist path. The Buddha encouraged us to understand more deeply the underlying unity and interconnectedness of life. Values such as simplicity of lifestyle, sharing with others, taking responsibility for one’s actions, and compassion for all living things have always been at the heart of the tradition.

In today’s world, we need to hold to these values ever more strongly. More and more, we are finding it appropriate to identify clearly Buddhist ethics with ecological awareness. This involves conscious choices in the way we lead our lives and run our own buildings and organisations. Many of our Buddhist centres are now using eco-friendly services and supporting local green initiatives, while some people in Triratna are also involved in campaigning for wider change.

From a Buddhist point of view, bringing about outward change is only half the story. Ecological awareness is an opening of the heart to the whole web of life, and a warm appreciation of the natural beauty we see around us. In this way, through ‘green retreats’, workshops and other events, we can find within ourselves the strength and inspiration

to bring about change in the world.

Read Saving the Earth, by Akuppa, and Vegetarianism by Bodhipaksha. Samacitta has also written a thought-provoking essay on veganism and its ethical and environmental perspective.

Listen to talks on ecology.

Visit EcoDharma, a wonderful resource for approaches to sustainable living drawing on the Buddha’s teaching.

Over the past 40 years or so, many people attending Triratna Buddhist Centres have chosen to live together in residential spiritual communities. Buddhists around the world have set up a wide range of communal living situations with the aims of living simply, developing friendships with like-minded people, and supporting and encouraging each others’ attempts to practise the Dharma.

These Buddhist communities vary from a few friends informally sharing a house or apartment to larger or more intensive situations with regular periods of meditation, study, ritual, and community meetings. Community life is a practice in itself – learning to share, tolerating other people’s habits and communicating honestly to resolve differences. It helps people to develop loving-kindness, loosen the divide between self and other, and gradually to realize the interconnected nature of life.

There is also an environmental benefit because communal life is generally cheaper; people can live more frugally, split bills, and need, say, only one fridge, washing machine and so on, shared between half a dozen or a dozen people.

Buddhist communities usually consist of individuals rather than couples. Many are in partnerships but choose to live with friends. In the early days of the Triratna Buddhist Community, communities were sometimes mixed and sometimes single sex; over time it emerged that the single-sex situations were more stable and satisfying. Currently some people are again experimenting in various ways with mixed and family communities. The experiment continues!

Listen to people engaged with the idea of living together communally.

Read Living Together by Sanghadevi.

Right Livelihood is an important aspect of the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha encouraged his disciples to engage in compassionate activity, and to make their living in a way that does not cause harm and that is ethically positive.

Given that almost everyone’s life includes an economic dimension, work and career need to be integrated into life as a Buddhist. Most of us spend the majority of our waking lives at work, so it’s important to assess how our work affects our mind and heart. How can work become meaningful? How can it be a support not a hindrance to spiritual practice — a place to deepen our awareness and kindness?

In Triratna we believe it’s crucial that the sangha is not dependent on the support of outside donors, who may influence its values and priorities. He has therefore encouraged those students who are free to, to explore working together — in partnerships, teams, and businesses. These have pioneered new ways of working based on generosity, co-operation, honesty and ethical trading.

Right livelihood teams
Working in one of these teams is a strong spiritual practice. It supports individual efforts to grow and usually encourages spending ample time on retreat. It also challenges team members to collaborate, to take responsibility for their lives, and to loosen limited views of themselves.

Some of these Right Livelihood enterprises have been financially successful and become substantial ventures, raising funds for Dharma teaching and other altruistic projects. One of the pioneers in this area was the now closed windhorse:evolution, a UK-based company which ran a wholesale retail business and a chain of gift shops.

Listen to explorations of Right Livelihood.

Get more resources around Right Livelihood

The Triratna Buddhist Order is a spiritual community of people who have pledged themselves to following the Buddhist path to Enlightenment. Order Members have made that commitment – traditionally known as Going for Refuge to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha – the central point of their lives. In particular, they have chosen to make the Triratna Buddhist Order the context in which they are trying to live ever more deeply imbued by Wisdom and Compassion.

The Order aims to be a free association of individuals working towards a common goal. It is founded on the principle that spiritual community can be created only by free will and mutual aspiration, never by coercion. Therefore there are no rules in the Order, and all decisions made by bodies within the Order are made by consensus.

Every Order Member undertakes to practise a traditional set of ten ethical precepts. These point to basic principles applied to all actions of body, speech and mind. All Order Members take the same precepts, and practise on an equal basis.

The Triratna Buddhist Order is a radical alternative to most forms of Buddhism in Asia, where practitioners are either monastic or lay. Our Order is open to anyone – regardless of race, sexual orientation, or gender identification – who is sincerely and effectively committed to the Buddhist path. Order members try to lead a wholehearted Buddhist life, bring a dharmic perspective to all aspects of their life. They are not monks or nuns. What matters is not the lifestyle that Order members adopt but the spiritual commitment they have made: commitment is primary, lifestyle is secondary.

What happens in the triratna buddhist order?
Members of the Order take seriously the task of deepening spiritual fellowship, so there are many opportunities for them to spend time together and form supportive friendships. Order Members get together each week in small local groupings called chapters. These are spiritual workshops, where people share their insights and difficulties and try to help each other in their Dharma practice. On the first weekend of every month the members of the Order in any region meet up for a weekend of collective Dharma practice. And every two years there is a three-week Convention of the whole Order, with members gathering from all around the world.Some Order Members live together, others may work together. Most Order Members have ordinary jobs, expressing their values in a range of professions

and vocations. A minority work full-time in Buddhist Right Livelihood businesses, or are supported to work at their local Triratna centre. In whatever ways they try to share their spiritual lives, and to co-operate in the various means through which the Order takes what it has to offer into the world. All of its structures aim to facilitate communication, and create a basis of kindness and clarity on which the Order can meet and work.

Joining the order
The Triratna Buddhist Order has around 2,500 members in 27 countries worldwide. Ordination is a lifelong commitment, and a very serious step, so it usually takes a number of years to become ready for ordination. Anyone can ask for ordination, and can then participate in the structures and retreats that make up the ordination training course. A range of retreats are held around the world by Order Members experienced in ordination training.

As the senior Order Members responsible for ordinations, and Order Members at their local Triratna centre, get to know the person who has asked, they will discuss their readiness for ordination. Nobody is ever refused ordination, but people take varying amounts of time to prepare themselves.

Ordination is a commitment that requires a fair degree of self-knowledge as well as considerable experience of the Buddhist path, of the Triratna Buddhist Community, and of effective friendships with Order Members. Ordinations are performed by a senior Order Member known as a Preceptor, usually in the context of a special ordination retreat. 

Listen to testimony from 50 years of the Triratna Buddhist Order