• First meeting with Bhante
• Recording Bhante’s talks on tape
• Buddhism, poetry and feelings
• Ideas of male friendship at the time
• Ananda’s trajectory on the path

(Interview recorded in 2015 & 2017)

ANANDA’S ANNALS:

In 1968 I was a 24 year old hippy living in a Buddhist commune in Purley.  I was also a sound engineer working at the BBC.  I was ordained into the Western Buddhist Order in April 1968.

In 1978 I was an ex-hippy art student studying for a Diploma in Graphic Design at Croydon College of Art.  I also began writing poetry, influenced strongly by Keats, Coleridge and Blake.

In 1988 I was an ex-art student living with a friend in Purley and travelling around France and Italy.  At this time I began to have serious doubts about Buddhism and the FWBO’s rendering of it, and lived on an increasingly wide (and lonely) orbit.

In 1998 I was living in Bristol trying to make a living as a Designer and mostly failing.  Also trying to find my way back to the Buddhism I had left behind. Set up Wolf at the Door and travelled extensively with Manjusvara leading writing Workshops.

In 2008 I was still living in Bristol in a house with other Buddhists and taking myself more seriously as a Buddhist and Poet.

In 2018 – more of the above!

• First meeting with Bhante
• Recording Bhante’s talks on tape
• Buddhism, poetry and feelings
• Ideas of male friendship at the time
• Ananda’s trajectory on the path

(Interview recorded in 2015 & 2017)

Ananda’S ANNALS:

In 1968 I was a 24 year old hippy living in a Buddhist commune in Purley.  I was also a sound engineer working at the BBC.  I was ordained into the Western Buddhist Order in April 1968.

In 1978 I was an ex-hippy art student studying for a Diploma in Graphic Design at Croydon College of Art.  I also began writing poetry, influenced strongly by Keats, Coleridge and Blake.

In 1988 I was an ex-art student living with a friend in Purley and travelling around France and Italy.  At this time I began to have serious doubts about Buddhism and the FWBO’s rendering of it, and lived on an increasingly wide (and lonely) orbit.

In 1998 I was living in Bristol trying to make a living as a Designer and mostly failing.  Also trying to find my way back to the Buddhism I had left behind. Set up Wolf at the Door and travelled extensively with Manjusvara leading writing Workshops.

In 2008 I was still living in Bristol in a house with other Buddhists and taking myself more seriously as a Buddhist and Poet.

In 2018 – more of the above!