Tag: International Council

College of Public Preceptors

Letter from the College

By college on Sun, 1 Feb, 2026 - 00:20

Letter from the College

By college on Sun, 1 Feb, 2026 - 00:20

This month’s letter is from Mahamati - Chair of the College of Public Preceptors

+++

Dear Order members and friends,

I first contacted Triratna in September 1976, as a 21 year-old student in Norwich, when it was still called the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. I recall the atmosphere around the FWBO and the feeling that, if I took all my idealism and enthusiasm and threw myself into this young Buddhist movement, I would be part of something tremendously exciting. It would be...

College of Public Preceptors

Letter from the College - April

By parami on Tue, 1 Apr, 2025 - 00:00

Letter from the College - April

By parami on Tue, 1 Apr, 2025 - 00:00

This month’s letter comes from Parami, one of the Deputy Chair’s of the College: Parami first met Triratna in Glasgow, Scotland in 1977 after seeing a Change your Life! Poster. After moving into a community in London, Parami went on to be ordained by Sangharakshita in 1980. She has lived her life serving Triratna, which included moving to Spain in 1992 and becoming chair of the Valencia Buddhist Centre. Since then she has become both a private and public preceptor, served...

College of Public Preceptors

Letter from the Chair of the College – March 2025

By Mahamati on Sat, 1 Mar, 2025 - 00:00

Letter from the Chair of the College – March 2025

By Mahamati on Sat, 1 Mar, 2025 - 00:00

Dear Order members and friends,

Formerly one needed courage to attack institutions. Now one needs courage to defend them – and still more courage to create them.

This aphorism of Sangharakshita first appeared in print in 1998 in A Stream of Stars: Reflections and Aphorisms. However, as with many of his published aphorisms, we have no information about the context in which it was first said or written - it is quite possible that Bhante had jotted this down much earlier. Like...

College of Public Preceptors

Chairs' Letter – October 2022

By ratnadharini on Wed, 2 Nov, 2022 - 12:41

Chairs' Letter – October 2022

By ratnadharini on Wed, 2 Nov, 2022 - 12:41

Dear Order members and friends,

Yesterday at Adhisthana we marked the fourth anniversary of Bhante Sangharakshita’s death; with several events taking place it was a full shrineroom, and many more joined us online. Ratnavyuha gave a delightful talk, sharing the history of his personal experience of Bhante and the development of their connection from when they first met at Aryaloka retreat centre in the US, through further encounters in the UK and Spain. I imagine...

College of Public Preceptors

Chairs' Letter – June 2022

By ratnadharini on Sun, 3 Jul, 2022 - 22:51

Chairs' Letter – June 2022

By ratnadharini on Sun, 3 Jul, 2022 - 22:51

Dear Order Members + friends,

This month I seem to have emerged more fully from the era of Covid lockdowns. As well as my regular visits to South Wales, I’ve also been to London, Stratford-upon-Avon (wonderful to get to the theatre again: Henry VI and Richard III), and Leek in northern England (checking out a possible property for Tiratanaloka). I’ve also been kayaking down the River Taff to Cardiff basin, negotiating a couple of weirs and a lot of rocks...

College of Public Preceptors

Chairs' Letter – September 2021

By ratnadharini on Thu, 30 Sep, 2021 - 10:22

Chairs' Letter – September 2021

By ratnadharini on Thu, 30 Sep, 2021 - 10:22

Dear Order members and friends,

It’s a while since I’ve written, as there was no September Shabda.

It’s been a delight over the past few months to see a series of ‘hybrid’ events taking place at Adhisthana,‘in person’ as well as online. People have appreciated being able to reconnect in that way again, as well as enjoying the beautiful environment and the opportunity to visit the newly opened Urgyen House and exhibition,...

Jobs, Volunteering & Communities

Join the International Council Team

By akasajoti on Sun, 8 Nov, 2020 - 15:55

Join the International Council Team

By akasajoti on Sun, 8 Nov, 2020 - 15:55

We’re looking for an order member to work full-time for the International Council.

The International Council is the pivotal structure that creates a forum for communication and collaboration between the College, the Order and Movement from every geographical Area in Triratna. As Triratna has grown, the role of the International Council has become more important to support the work of spreading the Dharma and creating a unified spiritual community across the world.

Dhammarati has worked for the International Council since it was established...

College of Public Preceptors

Chairs' Letter – September 2020

By ratnadharini on Wed, 30 Sep, 2020 - 19:11

Chairs' Letter – September 2020

By ratnadharini on Wed, 30 Sep, 2020 - 19:11

Dear Order members

Two days ago I attended the public ordination of 16 women at Adhisthana. When Bhante chose the ‘miracle’ design of the stupa for Dhardo Rimpoche at Tiratanaloka, he said it was because the greatest miracle was Going for Refuge; it seemed especially miraculous to be having public ordinations, given the Covid 19 restrictions, with around 500 people joining the live zoom. I was on the balcony, above the flags and aware of the blessings of blue...

Tag: International Council

Pages