Buddhism in Britain Today

Written by Vishvapani.

Theravada. There are two main dimensions to Theravadin practice in the UK: monastically-based traditions and lay-oriented practice. The Chithurst Sangha, the largest Theravadin monastic Sangha in the West, was founded by Ajahn Sumedho who established the Chithurst Buddhist Monastery in Sussex in 1978. This Sangha practises in the Thai forest tradition, and emphasises meditation practice and following a simple life. Other monasteries have also been established, including those in Northumberland, Devon, and the largest monastery, Amaravati in Hertfordshire. These are the focus for a sizeable group of lay practitioners who attend classes and retreats organised by the monks.

The Forest Hermitage in Warwickshire is a separate monastery, under the leadership of Ven. Khemmadhammo. The House of Inner Tranquillity in Bradford- on-Avon is another monastically based group, but one which has adapted many of the traditional rules to the Western environment. There are substantial viharas catering for particular communities of Buddhist immigrants in the UK, notably the Sri Lankan London Buddhist Vihara in West London, and the Burmese Buddhist Vihara in Birmingham.

Gaia House in Devon is the main UK Centre for the what has been called ‘the Vipassana Sangha’, a tradition deriving from both Thailand and Burma, which emphasises insight meditation as a path open to all, with an emphasis on catering for lay people. The principal teachers at Gaia House are Christopher Titmuss and Christina Feldman, who lead intensive meditation retreats all year round, and also host other retreats led by teachers such as the non-affiliated Stephen and Martine Batchelor.

The Samatha Trust is another network of meditation groups drawing on the Vipassana tradition and there are numerous smaller and relatively informal Theravadin groups. The Karuna Institute in Devon has drawn on Theravadin and particularly Vipassana sources in developing a Buddhist-based psychotherapy training.

Zen Buddhism. Zen is one of the principal forms of Buddhism in the USA, but it has had relatively less impact in Britain. The largest Zen-based Buddhist group in the UK is the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, whose UK base is at Throssel Hole Abbey in Northumberland. The OBC was founded by an Englishwoman, Jiyu Kennett, who received Dharma transmission in the Soto Zen tradition. On returning to the West she established a monastery at Shasta Abbey in California, and made various adaptations in her interpretation and application of her tradition. The OBC runs numerous ‘serene reflection’ meditation groups around the UK and has recently opened a monastery in Reading.

There are several other Zen-related groups meeting around the country, mostly without their own premises. The Western Ch’an Fellowship is a federation of students of the Taiwanese teacher Sheng Yen. The Community of Interbeing follows the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese meditation teacher and social activist. Closely associated is the Network of Engaged Buddhists.

Tibetan Buddhism. Serious interest in Tibetan Buddhism started in the late 1960s and early '70s, with the arrival in the West of Tibetan refugee teachers. All four principal schools of Tibetan Buddhism have some kind of following in the UK, but the Kagyu and Gelug traditions are represented far more fully than the Sakya or Nyingma.

Samye Ling monastery in Scotland was established by two Kagyupa lamas, Trungpa Rimpoche and Akong Rimpoche. Trungpa left shortly afterwards for America, where he founded a Buddhist movement now called Shambhala, which has its own centre in South London, but Akong stayed and has developed Samye Ling into one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in Europe. There is a particular emphasis on the traditional three-year retreat, and at any time up to 40 students are engaged in this. There are meditation groups around the UK associated with Samye Ling and a network of city centres called Kagyu Samye Dzongs, including a large centre in central London that opened in 1998.

The largest Gelug movement in the West is the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, whose UK base is Jamyang Meditation Centre in South London. The FPMT has around 90 centres worldwide, and derives from the tradition most closely connected with the Dalai Lama.

The New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) is the largest Tibetan-derived movement in the UK, although it describes itself as 'Mahayana', rather than Tibetan, being keen to separate what its teacher, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, considers the core elements of his lineage (deriving from Tsongkhapa) from Tibetan culture and the Tibetan Buddhist state. Indeed, Geshe Kelsang split from the FPMT in 1978, in difficult circumstances, and has recently been involved in a dispute with the Dalai Lama over his banning of the worship of Dorje Shugden, whom they see as a Buddha figure central to their tradition. The largest NKT Centre is Manjushri Institute in Cumbria, but there are around 30 other centres in the UK, and many groups.

The largest Nyingma-related group is Rigpa, based in London and founded by Sogyal Rimpoche. His best-selling book, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, has led to a dramatic growth of interest in his teachings. These derive from the Rime tradition, a movement of Lamas who lived over the last century and sought ways to bring the different Tibetan schools together.

The Dechen Community, which follows the Kagyu and Sakya traditions, takes a quite strictly traditional approach to practice. It was established by Karma Thinley Rinpoche and his English Dharma-regent, Lama Jampa Thaye - to whom Karma Thinley Rinpoche is root guru. The Longchen foundation, in the Kagyu tradition and associated Srimala Trust is led by Shenphen Hookham and Ridgzen Shikpo who lead courses and retreats from their Oxfordshire base.

There are numerous smaller Tibetan Buddhist groups, usually associated with a particular Lama.

Japanese Traditions. Following the end of World War Two Japan saw an explosion of interest in a variety of new movements catering for lay people, many of which were Buddhist in their orientation. The largest of these, Soka Gakkai, is also one of the largest Buddhist movements in the UK, claiming several thousand adherents. It derives from the Nichiren tradition of Japanese Buddhism that has historically had a difficult, and some would say inherently problematic, relationship with other forms of Buddhism. Practice is based around the chanting of nam myo ho renge kyo, which is an invocation of the Lotus Sutra, and Soka Gakkai is organised via groups which meet locally across the country.

Two other groups with a similar background are Rissho Kosei-Kai, and Agon Shu. The Pure Land Buddhist Fellowship draws together followers of the Pure Land tradition, which emphasises faith in the Buddha Amitabha.

The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. The FWBO draws on what it believes to be the core principles of the Buddhist tradition as a whole in ways which are suited to the conditions of the modern West. [see other pages]

The three largest Buddhist movements in Britain are the FWBO, NKT and Soka Gakkai.

Inter-Buddhist Groups

The Network of Buddhist Organisations (UK) is a forum for representatives of the many traditions of Buddhism in the UK to meet together and co-operate on matters of common interest. In late 1998 it had 40 member organisations.

The Network of Buddhist Organisations The Old Courthouse Renfrew Street London SE11 4NB 0171 582 5797

The Buddhist Society seeks to encompass many Buddhist traditions in the range of activities it offers.

The Buddhist Society 58 Eccleston Square London SW1V 1PH 0171 834 5858

Finding Out More

Directories

Religions in the UK, The Interfaith Network, University of Derby, 1997

The Buddhist Directory, The Buddhist Society, 1997

Further Reading

Stephen Batchelor, The Awakening of the West - the encounter of Buddhism and western Culture; HarperCollins, 1994

Andrew Rawlinson, The Book of Enlightened Masters: Western Teachers in Eastern Traditions, Open Court, 1996

John Snelling, The Buddhist Handbook, Element, 1990

• << western buddhism
• top
• on the web >>