We don’t say we are Theravada or Mahayana, that we follow Tibetan Buddhism or that we are a Vajrayana tradition. We are simply Buddhists.
Integral Buddhism
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In Triratna we see ourselves as part of the long tradition that stretches back to the Buddha himself. Many of the Buddhist schools developed to meet the challenges they faced when circumstances changed, and Buddhism has always renewed itself by going back to the inspiration at its core.
Triratna focuses on the core Buddhist teachings and finds guidance and inspiration in all the major strands of the tradition: the teachings of the Buddha as we encounter them in the Buddhist Discourses, the scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism and the inspiration we derive from the Vajrayana Buddhism of Tibet.
The different schools are united in teaching a path leading to Enlightenment or Buddhahood, that is embodied in the figure of the Buddha. To be a Buddhist is to commit yourself to following that path by practising the Buddhist teachings (the Dharma) in the company of friends and mentors (the sangha). The traditional Buddhist term for this commitment is ‘going for refuge’. Together the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are known as The Three Jewels, and ’Triratna’ is the Sanskrit word meaning ‘three jewels’.
The different schools are united in teaching a path leading to Enlightenment or Buddhahood. To be a Buddhist is to commit yourself to following that path by practising the Buddhist teachings (the Dharma) in the company of friends and mentors (the Sangha). The traditional Buddhist term for this commitment is ‘going for refuge’. Together the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are known as The Three Jewels, and ’Triratna’ is the Sanskrit word meaning ‘three jewels’.
Triratna’s approach is to find the profound meaning of whole of the Buddhist path in its most basic, and seemingly simplest, practices, such as going for refuge. Dharma practice, for us, means bringing this deepening experience of the path to the whole of our lives. We also stress the importance of taking a balanced approach. Meditation is important, and so is mindfulness, but these need to be integrated into a wider path of practice that starts with lifestyle and includes faith, study, action and meditation.
Sangharakshita, Triratna’s founder, sometimes called this approach ‘integral Buddhism’, because it integrates the Buddhist tradition and creates an integrated approach to Dharma life.
