Buddhism in Britain

Terminally Disorganised?

Is Buddhism terminally disorganised? This arresting phrase was used in reference to recent controversy around bhikkhuni ordination. However, there does seem to be a lack of robust Buddhist institutions, and a marked reluctance to create them. Perhaps, in the West, this is a knee-jerk antipathy to 'organised religion' and a fear that Buddhism might develop oppressive and bureaucratic structures riven by political factions. Or perhaps there is too much fear and distrust between Western Buddhists.

But can we conceive of helpful organisations? Ones which strive for openness, democracy, consensus, involvement, and the truth? Surely, some inspired by the Buddha's teachings and having realised how valuable the Buddhist path is, might feel moved to volunteer time to help disseminate Buddhist news, support for students, networking initiatives, and other organisations which can help Buddhism to become firmly embedded in Western culture?

I notice that the NBO struggles to find sufficient voluntary effort, as does every other worthwhile Buddhist initiative that I have ever been involved with, whilst other 'faiths' appear to struggle somewhat less.

Buddhism in Higher and Further Education

As some will knowl, the focus of a recent unsuccesful bid for funding from the Community Development Fund was about researching and implementing support for Buddhist groups on campus. Recently I attended a day’s training on Student Leadership run by the Coexistence Trust at the Houses of Parliament.

There were about 60 young students representing predominantly the Jewish and Moslem faiths, but with some Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, Bahai and others. There were also around 10 representatives from various interfaith groups such as the Tony Blair Foundation, Interfaith Action, Three Faiths Forum, Faith matters, the City Circle and others.

The day itself was run by the Coexistence Trust which focuses on Jewish – Islamic links and explains why the audience was predominantly from these groups. The purpose  was to encourage young people of faith (particularly Jewish and Islamic) to initiate joint campaigns, social action, and interfaith projects on campus.

I seemed to be just about the only Buddhist there and was asked a few questions by students I spoke with. They asked me why there was not a Buddhist Society at some of their universities - in particular LSE (with a large Asian presence) and Nottingham. They also noted that Buddhism seemed largely absent from what might be characterised as the ‘public square’. They knew little about Buddhism and found it quite hard to make contact depending on their locations. I also became aware of the energy being devoted by other faiths towards involving and reaching out to young people.

Given the acknowledged ‘greying of Buddhism’ it seems to me that there is an important area of work here for  Buddhist organisations and groups to be aware of and contribute to – namely making contact with and supporting students on campus. Unless we get a bit more organised and active with young people and university students – tomorrow’s leaders, parents and activists – then it is likely that Buddhism will decline in the UK.

Although there are debates to be had about just what Buddhism is and what sort of engagement Buddhists might undertake in the ‘public square’, my own view is that if we at least accept that Buddhist teachings are helpful and lead to human flourishing and reduced suffering, then we must be prepared to share these teachings and practices with others. Buddhism is in the unique position of offering a non-theistically based way of life and thus avoiding the endless conflicts caused by different interpretations of ‘god’ and god’s will. (This is perhaps why those from theistic and especially Abrahamic faiths sometimes try to ignore or marginalize Buddhism – they bracket it with atheism or humanism).    

Perhaps if Buddhist teachings continue to have a strong imfluence in western psychology and therapy, then this is a good legacy. However, I cannot help feeling that such an outcome would lose a lot of great value – the ideas and practices inherent in community and Sangha, the subtle and profound insights into the relationship between emptiness and form, and the ethical teachings of Buddhism, come together in a unified way to form a complete path, a path that is not present in the deconstructed and packaged products created for therapeutic consumption.

Accordingly I suggest that a high priority for the NBO and the Buddhist Society is to plan and implement a joint range of activities intended to reach out to young people on campus, to provide support to Buddhist Societies, to provide local Buddhist contact information for students, to identify a range of good speakers and teachers who are prepared to visit universities, to create and maintain Buddhist student internet sources and to think of creative ways to engage young students.

Perhaps we can create a UK Student Buddhist organisation as has been done with most other faiths

Such a project has the possibility of bringing  a broad range of Buddhists together in a productive and good cause and can perhaps help reinvigorate and give some focus to the broader ‘Buddhist community’.

I must add that there are already many good Buddhist activities going on in Universities – Manchester is the one I know most about – although Cambridge and Oxford have various significant Buddhist initiatives. I am also aware that All Faiths and None (AFAN) is active in further education and has some excellent ideas and initiatives.

Healthcare Chaplaincy at the Buddhist Society

On Sunday I attended a healthcare chaplaincy meeting at the Buddhist Society. Dr Desmond Biddulph, the Vice President of the Buddhist Society  introduced Keith Munnings who proceded to talk to us about the progress the Buddhist Healthcare Chaplaincy Group has made in setting up and agreeing accreditation procedures for Buddhist chaplains wanting to work (invariably on a voluntary basis) in the NHS. Tim Battle, a CofE minister heads up the multifaith chaplaincy group which is agreeing a single accreditation process for each faith group, including Christianity.

The BHCG will present their process at the end of March or thereabouts to the Multifaith Chaplaincy committee. It is good to see the Bud.Soc. sponsoring this initiative.

The meeting was attended by around fourteen or so, a largish group (5) regarding the Forest Sangha as their home tradition. There is clearly some work to be done on the draft accreditation process, but there are detailed competencies and background information and these can be found at the Buddhist Society web site or at: http://www.buddhacommunity.org/lay_ministry_day.htm.

You can register an interest in healthcare chaplaincy via http://www.thebuddhistsociety.org/events/index.html

TripleGem think tank

I have had an enjoyable and busy two months or so setting up the new TripleGem (TG) enterprise. This has a website at http://triplegem.terapad.com. I investigated various technologies for websites and decided that terapad offers a good package for a blog and news based website. The terapad incarnation of TG will serve as a good proof of concept platform.

Hopefully TripleGem is going to be more that just a website. Hopefully it will act as a catalyst for a range of activities. Quite what these will be I do not know. I have described TG as a think tank since this provides plenty of scope, but I hope that TG will partner with charitable initiatives, as well as act as a focus for discussing news and issues that impinge upon Buddhism in the UK and the West.

Even though as Buddhists we are taught to regard words and concepts as uncertain, we are still very much conditioned by them. I am sure that the mental image conjured up in some minds by 'think tank' is of some intellectual, opinionated and pushy pressure group. If TG does go down this path it will fail, and I would not want to be part of it. Others perhaps see it as a long-overdue initiative which cuts across Buddhist traditions and which might flesh out some initiatives and plans for applying Buddhist approaches to contemporary issues.

But I trust in the good sense and wisdom of those who engage with TG to guide it along the middle way between... what? Perhaps indulgence in theories, ideas, conventions and structures on the one hand, and indulgence in emptiness, vacuity, impulse and randomness on the other. Or indulgence in worldly concerns at one extreme and indulgence in avoiding the world at the other extreme. We can get attached to just about anything...like the belief that Buddhists should not think. Or that we should not attach to anything. It is easy to fail to realise that non-attachment means that we do not attach to non-attachment either.

So If you want to suggest activities or ideas for TG to consider, or you want to get involved, have a look at the website http://triplegem.terapad.com and make contact.

The FCCBF and Manchester Conference

I notice that it is several months since I last posted to this blog. My contract as development worker for the NBO finished in April / May and I finally 'downed tools' in June, and unfortunately the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund (FCCBF) did not accept a bid for a further year. This is a great pity as it is very difficult to make a sustainable difference to any organisation in just one year, especially on a part-time basis. The impact of government funds on faith organisations would repay some investigation, I think. I would  like to thank the many people who met me, hosted me, and helped me over the year.

I was very sorry to hear of the death of the Reverend Gyosei Handa in August. I had met and spoken with him at the beginning of my time as nbo development officer and been impressed with his energy and directness.

However, I have welcomed the space that my unemployment has provided, since I have had to spend a lot of effort in dealing with two elderly relatives. So I have cleared two houses and been involved with selling and purchasing property on their behalf. This is still ongoing. At the moment I  am effectively a part-time carer and engaged with things like housing benefit, devices that help lower aged bodies into baths, and chiropodists. I would rather not be finding out about all these things in quite such a 'hands on' way, although it is useful practice from both a Buddhist perspective and also to give  clear insight into what might happen to my body as it ages and the problems I may present to my children.

Someone remarked to me recently that caring for elderly people develops (or tests) all of the Buddhist perfections, and I must agree. (For those interested in the Theravada and Mahayana perfections the following link is helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramita.)

I attended the second Manchester Buddhist Conference on the 16th July and thought it even better than the first one. It is very unusual (unique?) to meet such a diverse range of monastics, Reverends and Dhamma teachers in one place. The majority of traditions present in the Manchester area were represented and the programme for the day provided a rich mix of practice and discussion. The Reverend Saido (who is very creative) and I also prepared and erected an NBO display with details of member organisations and activities.

I hope that volunteers can be found to organise a third conference in 2008. Details of the 2006 and 2007 conferences can be found at:  http://manchesterbuddha2007.googlepages.com/

I hope to contnue to post as the time and issues coincide.

Amida Newcastle

Amida Newcastle is located in Linden Road, Gosforth in a tall cherry red brick Victorian terrace. After climbing (many!) flights of stairs the Reverend Sujatin Johnson and I settled in an attic meditation room. Like myself, Rev. Sujatin had practised with the Transcendental meditation organisation. I recalled coming across TM at university many years ago and exploring this along with Buddhist approaches. TM is basically a calming Samatha practice and as such, helpful. 

We discussed chaplaincy. Rev. Sujatin has been Buddhist Chaplain at Newcastle University for over 3 years and has also started to visit Northumbria University. The chaplaincy situation in Higher Education Institutions (HEI)  is complicated; there is no standard pattern. Some HEI do not have any chaplaincy; some have historic links with the CofE or other religious bodies; many are considering their positions in light of recent equal opportunities legislation.  Buddhist chaplains are usually invited in as volunteers managed by existing CofE chaplains and the situation they find themselves in is very dependent on the attitude of the Christian chaplain.

Some are welcoming, open and tolerant, others are keen to preserve their own position and status. This can make it difficult for volunteers from non-Christian faiths who may feel marginalized. Related to this, I heard recently of a Christian hospital chaplain who only accepted Buddhist volunteers if they professed a ‘theistic form’ of Buddhism. This type of imposition is unacceptable, but demonstrates the pressure being exerted in some quarters.

Rev Sujatin had gone through some difficulties in her chaplaincy role, but had been determined to continue and finds that her contribution is both recognized and valued.

We also spoke about meditation as a relaxation technique or self-help tool. This idea has been around for quite a while and there are organisations that teach various meditation techniques without mentioning any particular religious or traditional framework. Perhaps TM is an early example of this, where religious trappings are largely absent and the technique is taught in a prescriptive way. Although I found TM helpful, I still wanted to know more. Evidence of lower blood pressure and higher creativity was nice, but perhaps turned meditation into something more like a gym workout then part of a broader enterprise to understand suffering. I found subsequent experience of insight practice and Dhamma teachings within the Forest Sangha Tradition to offer a much more complete path.

Rev Sujatin runs a regular 'meditation for relaxation' class. The class is free of religious ritual, but does take place in a space with a Buddha rupa and Buddhist symbols, so although the religious elements are not stressed, these do provide an unspoken framework. I think this a good model, although there remains a debate to be had about the extent to which religious symbols are helpful, espececially for those new to Buddhist traditions and who may be leaving another religion. There are also other classes at the centre based on Amida Pure Land practice for those who are comfortable with devotional chanting and wish to explore this particular Buddhist context.

Amida Newcastle is located at
Amida Sanctuary, Beacon House,
49 Linden Road, Gosforth,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 4HA

http://lotusinthemud.typepad.com/amida_newcastle/2005/02/amida_newcastle_2.html

British Buddhism and Hexham

Whilst in Northumberland on a short visit, I was pleased to be able to meet Dr Robert Bluck at his home near the  town of Hexham. Robert lives in a delightful old house overlooking the Tyne valley. There was a pleasing symmetry to this meeting at the end of my tenure as NBO development officer. One of my very first engagements a year ago had been at the friend’s Meeting House in Euston at an event organised by the Buddhist Hospice Trust. Dr Bluck had spoken at the event about his research into contemporary Buddhism in the UK (available as a book – British Buddhism*).

One element of his research has been in understanding the population of Buddhists in the UK. The last census provides some interesting source data. I mentioned some of the figures in my earlier blog entry. Robert wants to update the information in his book, and is interested in making contact with the large proportion of UK Buddhists who register themselves as Buddhist but do not appear to be linked with organisations. Many of this group are probably Buddhists by birth and see this as something of a cultural or religious identity. Getting in touch with, and understanding the outlook of this group is a challenge, as I have found to some extent over the past year.

There are difficulties with questions such as ‘how many Buddhists are there in the UK?’. Is a ‘Buddhist’ someone who says as much on a census form, or someone who is a member of a recognised Buddhist organisation, or someone who practises Buddhist meditation, or someone who is inspired and informed by, for example, the Dalai Lama’s books? Does being a ‘Buddhist’ mean one cannot also be a Christian, Marxist, Jedi Knight or Pagan? Does being a Theravada Buddhist mean one cannot practice Zen?

Statistics on numbers of religious adherents are potential political and propaganda tools as in ‘lies damn lies, and statistics’. The greater the number of members that a religion can justify, the greater the influence and privilege it can lay claim to.

My experience with those who are practising Buddhism is that many are not very interested in adopting and promoting their conventional identities; in fact quite the reverse. The liberation taught by the Buddha included freedom from attachment to identities of all sorts. So the desire to lay claim to the privileges associated with ones ethnic, cultural, sexual orientation, gender, physical attributes, geographical, and age identities may not be too appealing to many of those sincerely interested in the Buddhist path.

A woodpecker alighted at the feeding table in Robert’s garden. We watched through a spotting scope as it fed. Woodpeckers have developed quite a wide range of feeding habits. A few years ago I had a woodpecker regularly eating ants from nests in my lawn - an example of adaptation as the right sort of trees become harder to find.

I asked Robert about ordination practices that he had found whilst undertaking his research. What we call ‘ordination’, conditions us to think in Western terms, usually with ideas of monks or priests. Perhaps undertaking or embarking on a form of Buddhist training might be a better way to understand what happens when a lay-person becomes a traditional bhikkhu, for example. At Amaravati, which is a Theravada Monastery using the Vinaya for guidance, the process of an individual entering the community is a gradual one. Although in principle open to anyone, in practice, not only must one’s family agree with this course of action, but the monastic community must support the new member. In practice the process of becoming a full bhikkhu or siladara might take few years of progression through lay-helper, through white robed anagarika to monk or nun. There is no laid down time limit.

This contrast with adaptations that have been applied in various Westernised Buddhist traditions. As one example on a continuum, the FWBO have dropped the vinaya and the idea of householder or monk, and use a ten precept form. A request to be ordained as a member of the Western Buddhist Order may take many years (up to ten) before ordination is granted by the preceptors, and this is not automatic. In a sense this looks more like a graduation or perhaps initiation process than an embarkation on an ongoing training.

Robert and I also discussed the way Buddhism has collected cultural accretions – like barnacles - over its history. Although this image suggests the largely discredited idea of an essential core Buddhism lying beneath the barnacles.

Why should Western people sit cross legged on cushions for meetings for example? Or the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives use a form of English organ music?

However, such minor adaptations are surely pretty trivial when set against the aim of freedom from suffering, and perhaps the irritation or lack of patience we might experience makes these things useful examples of the way we can so easily generate dukkha.

*British Buddhism : Teachings, Practice And Development
(Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism)
by Robert Bluck
Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Ltd
ISBN: 0415395151

Amaravati in February

Amaravati Buddhist Monastery is my home monastery and one that I have been attending for many years. I invariably experience a sense of peacefulness as I enter the gates and a feeling of inspiration at the sight of ochre robed Theravada monks and nuns. 

I had dropped in to speak with Ajahn Jutindharo, who has been a monk at Amaravati for some 13 years. He had received an invitation to a charities commission event. This had been sent to all UK Buddhist charities, and Ajahn J. wanted to appreciate whether I knew who might be attending this and whether it had been discussed within the NBO.

In actual fact, I was not aware of the charities meeting, although subsequently information did circulate through NBO channels. This is a good example of the disparate range of requests that are received by the Buddhist ‘community’ in the UK. Many of these requests or invitations are not specifically Buddhist or religious, they are to do with mundane matters of health and safety or other legislation that impacts many organisations.

Some requests do have a religious character or are looking for a Buddhist ‘voice’ and this leads to quite a few issues. There is a constant demand for Buddhist representatives to join SACRE’s – standing advisory committees for religious education in local education authorities – which I have mentioned before in this blog. Other requests that come through NBO channels might ask for a Buddhist representative at events ranging from Commonwealth Day to government sponsored faith communities consultative councils, religious leaders meetings running alongside G8 summits, (and intended to influence their deliberations), and sexual orientations equality and other legislation. The list goes on.

Many of those who gain benefit from Buddhist organisations or might regard themselves as Buddhists may feel inspired to join one or other committee or consultatative meeting; perhaps without fully appreciating what is involved. Often, a faith representative is regarded as representing, in some sense, all Buddhists. SACRE Buddhist members are expected to reflect all Buddhist persuasions in a local authority area. Exactly how such a responsibility can be discharged is a matter for debate.

Another common issue is for our naïve Buddhist representative to find himself the victim of tokenism or of an agenda which might only become apparent later and with which she or he is uncomfortable. Discretion must be exercised therefore; there is little doubt that constructive engagement is valuable but it has to work for the individual. For example, teachers or educational professionals who are also Buddhists may feel completely at home at SACRE’s and find this forum very useful.

Some rough guidelines for engagement could include clarifying :

the purpose of the group or committee

the role that a Buddhist is expected to fulfil

the benefit that arises from this activity in the broadest sense

If the benefit is limited or low then involvement should be reconsidered. Our time must be regarded as valuable.

Like many Buddhist organisations, Amaravati is involved with a broad range of activities. Things can occasionally seem quite hectic.School visits are hosted, speakers may be identified for various engagements, and contributors to interfaith and other meetings may be provided. The main activity of the monastery, though, is the maintenance of a Theravada monastic community following the Vinaya, and of a linked lay (householder) community. The purpose of this fourfold assembly of monks, nuns, lay-men and women, is the practice of the Buddha’s teaching. And the purpose of the Buddha’s teaching is to realise enlightenment.

For details of Amaravati see www.amaravati.org.

An associated website focusing on lay-activity is www.buddhacommunity.org

Western Chan Fellowship

I spent an enjoyable evening at the end of February in Bristol discussing Dhamma with Sally and Mike Masheder, both practitioners within the Western Chan Fellowship. Later we were joined by Gareth Fysh-Foskett a student completing a dissertation on Buddhism at the University.

The Western Chan fellowship follows the teachings of Master Hui-kong Sheng-yen of the Chinese Chan tradition. He has identified a number of Western Dharma heirs of whom John Crook, based in Maenllwyd in mid-Wales, is one. Chinese Chan is the tradition which led to Zen schools in Japan and is famously described as:

A special transmission outside the scriptures

No reliance on words or letters

Direct pointing to the heart of humanity

Seeing into ones own nature.

This is a bold and attractive statement, but one which raises a number of questions. The obvious one being what is the relationship between the Dhamma (teachings as embodied in scriptures) and the enlightenment experience? I am not sure that any mainstream Buddhist tradition would ever have claimed that enlightenment was an intellectual accumulation of information, or was dependent upon absorbing the right facts or involved the ‘worship’ of sacred texts.

It would seem, though, that the Buddha’s teachings both point towards and shape our understanding of what is an ineffable experience. It is a healthy instinct to question our reliance on ancient texts and to encourage a practical engagement and application of such teachings without developing a blind and possibly dogmatic attachment to them.

It would be possible to justify the assertion that at certain times in the 2500 years of the Buddhist tradition, individuals and schools have developed an unskilful relationship with scriptures, seeing them as infallible and sacred objects rather than invaluable guides for reflection and action. Or, interpreting the Buddhist path as closed in this degenerate age, and believing that all that is possible is to maintain certain scriptures and the letter of Buddhism rather than being able to apply teachings in the way originally intended. This belief can be found both in some Theravada circles as well as in more recent Mahahayana schools.

Such a belief - that enlightenment is now impossible - does obviously have a profound impact on subsequent behaviour. We can, however, be aware of our beliefs and recognise the uncertainty of such mental formations. This is the key to working with scriptures. They are very helpful pointers, but uncertain. They are for reflection and insight rather than 'worship' or turning into metaphysical truths.

The idea of lineage was amongst a number of subjects of discussion. Lineage is a way of increasing the likelihood of an authentic transmission of the Buddha’s teaching and of granting authority to teachers. If teachers can be traced back all the way to the Buddha himself, then this makes it more likely that what is taught today is based on real insight into the Buddha’s teaching. However, lineage is only part of the picture; other ways of checking a teacher’s insight include his or her behaviour and whether it is in accordance with practice, teachings and precepts.

Later as I prepared to sleep I read a little from 'Illuminating Silence' by Master Sheng Yen. I found much that resonated with my own Theravada practice. This seems a common experience. At the level of practice there is much agreement between Buddhist schools. It is at the level of doctrine and the intellect that differences arise.

Information on Western Chan Fellowship can be found at: http://www.westernchanfellowship.org/ 

Bristol Theravada

I met David and the Venerable Bhatsakorn Piyobhaso at the Starbucks in the Borders Bookshop in Bristol. It was the 28th February and I had just driven across the city very slowly through the morning traffic. I was very pleased that David had managed to bring Bhante with him. Not only was I looking forward to meeting him, but a bhikkhu in robes is a lot more obvious than a carnation in a lapel, and I knew that identifying David would not be a problem.

Venerable Piybhaso is a Thai Theravada bhikkhu studying at the university and living at the Theosophical Society. He has been leading meditation meetings at the Society now for several months and gradually building up a community of interest. There are now meetings on Wednesday evenings and on Sunday morning for the Thai community. There is apparently little else in the way of Theravada Buddhism in the immediate area although other traditions are well established.

The Theosophical Society is supportive of Buddhism and of the meetings and provides spacious premises. Eventually, perhaps, a dedicated Theravada centre might be needed. David was interested in building relationships with other Bristol groups and we talked of the Bristol Buddhist Forum. Organising joint Wesak events with local Buddhists is a good way of establishing friendships and I mentioned the hope that the NBO would start to partner with regional Buddhists assemblies.

Meeting details can be found at : http://www.theravadabuddhisminbristol.org/whats-on.htm