The Object of the Society is to publish and make known the principles of the major Buddhist Schools and traditions and to encourage the study and practice of those principles. Today, still faithful to its Objects, the Buddhist Society provides classes and courses in the teachings of the major Buddhist traditions, as well as a general introduction to Buddhism and its historical development. In the process of expanding and improving its Library it hopes that this will become an important national resource. The Society has established two Raymond M. Percheron Research Scholarships for research in Buddhist Studies to be awarded from time to time. The Buddhist Society maintains an important London centre in Westminster where visitors from across the Buddhist world come and are made welcome. The Society is happy to work in concert with other Buddhist organizations in order to fulfil its declared Objects and generally to help and advise wherever possible. The Society remains small but active, encouraging as a matter of policy the establishment of independent parallel organizations.
The Buddhist Society was founded in 1924, by the late Christmas Humphreys, building on the pioneer work of the Buddhist Society of Great Britain and Ireland (1907 to 1925/6) and it is one of the oldest Buddhist societies in Europe. A lay organization, it is now the oldest Buddhist institution in the country. From its inception it has not been attached to any one school of Buddhism, remaining non-sectarian in character and open in principle to the teachings of all schools. Nor does the Society lend its official support to any activity of a political nature, whether national or international, this being proscribed by the terms of its constitution.
Christmas Humphreys, who was to become a High Court Judge, was President of the society he founded until his death in April 1983. Over the many years of his presidency the Society flourished and became widely known and respected, both at home and overseas. In 1956 the Society moved to its present address at Eccleston Square and in that same year participated in the Buddha Jayanti, the 2,500th anniversary of the Buddhas Enlightenment celebrations in India. In 1961 His Holiness the Dalai Lama became Patron to the Buddhist Society, the first in the West to be so honoured. During these especially fruitful years the Society received many distinguished visitors, including Her Majesty the Queen of Bhutan (1925), Their Majesties The King and Queen of Thailand (1966).
In the early days, much emphasis was placed on publishing and some of the books published in that period remain in print today, notably our founder-presidents Buddhism: An Introduction and Guide, which, published by Penguin Books has been in continuous print since 1951. The tradition of publishing continues, with the Society acting the part of an occasional publisher. Especially noteworthy in this connection is the Society's internationally respected quarterly The Middle Way, as the earlier Buddhism in England, has a publishing history going back to 1926.
The Buddhist Society is a member of the emerging Buddhist Network (UK) and publishes from time to time a Buddhist Directory covering the UK. Because of the Society's standing and special knowledge in this area it is frequently called upon to give help and advice to the BBC and other major news organizations. It also gives advice to publishers, as well as to visitors or callers who seek help or information. The Buddhist Society is a member of the Inter-Faith Network for the United Kingdom and is actively involved in the interfaith movement. It participates in constructive dialogue with members of other faiths in different contexts. This is both to learn more about other faiths and especially to learn how to live together in friendship and harmony, working for the good of society as a whole. The Buddhist Society is a member of the European Buddhist Union, the World Congress of Faiths, and the World Fellowship of Buddhists and sends delegates to international conferences from time to time. It is also represented on the British section of the United Nations Association and in touch with other organizations. Some members of the Buddhist Society are involved in the work of Angulimala, a Buddhist prison chaplaincy organization, visiting and helping prisoners. The Society has also begun to gain valuable experience in the field of mental health through chaplaincy work related to two London hospitals.
The Buddhist Society,
58 Eccleston Square,
London SW1V 1PH
tel: 020 7834 5858 fax: 020 7976 5238
email: info@thebuddhistsociety.org
The NBO (Network of Buddhist Organisations) was founded in 1993 to promote fellowship and dialogue between the UK’s Buddhist organizations, to facilitate co-operation in matters of common interest and to work in harmony with Buddhist and likeminded organizations – for example the Buddhist European Union and Inter Faith Network UK
Nowhere before has there been such a mixture of traditions from all parts of the Buddhist world as now in the West. Over the past thirty years, a diverse range of traditions have become well-established in the UK. Buddhism has started to permeate our culture. In addition to traditions which have their roots in Asia, we have new Western Buddhist movements. We also have – in the burgeoning mindfulness movement – a growing secularized form of Buddhist practice.
In addition to these complex and rapid developments within UK Buddhism itself, there are strong governmental and cultural pressures on faiths. Some examples of these pressures can be seen in recent equality legislation which emphasises religious identity; in the schools religious education curriculum which identifies Buddhism as one of the six major faiths and requires it to be taught; and in the demand for Buddhist chaplains in hospitals, prisons, further and higher educational establishments and other civic bodies; and the demand for Buddhist representatives on educational, governmental and interfaith committees.
At a time when these demands and pressures are growing, the NBO is a national and non-denominational Buddhist representative body where these matters can be considered and policies developed.
Since these developments affect the whole Buddhist community and ignore denominations, it is essential that Buddhists from all backgrounds work together to produce coherent and thoughtful responses. The future direction of UK Buddhism will depend upon decisions that the Buddhist Community collectively make today. The alternative to cooperating together in bodies such as the NBO, is to work as isolated groups and react in an independent and fragmented way. Even worse, fragmentation could become sectarianism, with Buddhist groups vying for what they regard as their own advantage. There are already signs that this is starting to happen. The NBO exists to provide a framework and structure for individual Buddhists to cooperate together and respond in a coherent way to the growing demands being made on ‘UK Buddhism’. We are a voluntary charity that runs on the generosity and virtue of Buddhist groups and individuals.
We provide a neutral non-denominational ‘container’ where right action – intelligent, generous, and ethical action – is our foundation. We do not validate or endorse Buddhist traditions; we are only interested in acting well, for the benefit of a flourishing UK Buddhist Community, and for the common good.
Our volunteers all have their own traditions and forms of practice which inspire and motivate their behaviour. What they bring to the NBO is the intention to use their skills for the benefit of all and to make decisions which will help Buddhism to take root in the UK in a healthy way that exemplifies Buddhist values. The NBO is a charity where decisions are taken by an Executive Committee composed of members from a broad range of Buddhist traditions. Within the Executive are a core group of charity trustees who represent a number of major UK Buddhist organisations. These are currently:
Amaravati
Order of Buddhist Contemplatives
Soka Gakkai International – UK
Triratna Buddhist Order (Formerly the FWBO)
The list of trustees will grow over time.
The NBO invites your support
If you are inspired by the teachings of the Buddha and would like to help Buddhism to flourish in the UK, then join the NBO.
This is simple to do. You can register as an individual Buddhist or as a representative of a Buddhist group or organisation.
Once registered you will be kept informed of our activities and be welcome to participate.
Just as a reminder, our aims are:
a) To promote fellowship and dialogue between Buddhist Organisations.
b) To facilitate cooperation in matters of common interest.
c) To work in harmony with Buddhist and other like minded organisations
We do not endorse Buddhist traditions or groups and operate on the basis of Right Action.
Buddhism offers a practical path of self-transformation. Through practice Buddhists develop virtue, wisdom and compassion and can experience peace and release from the suffering and stress inherent in all human life. Buddhists believe that all actions bring results in accordance with the motives and intentions of the action. Good actions motivated by generosity, compassion and wisdom lead to good results. Many Buddhists believe that ultimately, at the end of life, the quality of an individual’s actions during their lives will condition rebirth in a new life.
Buddhism stresses love for all living beings and respect for all forms of life and emphasises self-discipline and meditation. Buddhism represents a way of life informed by moral rules of conduct and the establishment of good social relationships. Wisdom and compassion lie at the heart of Buddhism and in addition to their cultivation through generous and skillful action, are cultivated through various forms of meditation. These include chanting, mindfulness, loving-kindness and calming meditations amongst others.
The main traditions in Buddhism are Theravada (the earliest form now practised in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia), Mahayana (a later form practised in China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea and Mongolia) and Vajrayana (practised in Tibet). All Buddhist traditions are represented in the UK.
Buddhist temples are places of teaching, religious observance and meditation.
During religious observances, often led by a monk, nun or Buddhist priest or cleric, meditation and chanting are usually practiced, incense may be burned and a teaching, discourse or sermon given to those attending. In some traditions, fasting after midday is undertaken at each new and full moon.
There are many festivals, some of which are more important than others. They are celebratory in character rather than obligatory religious observances. Different traditions in Buddhism celebrate different festivals. Festivals follow the lunar calendar and therefore do not take place on the same day each year. The most important Buddhist festival is: Vesak or Wesak (Therevada tradition) between April/May (which celebrates Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death)
Other festivals include:
Parinirvana (February) -The anniversary of Buddha’s death.
Magha Puja Day (February/March)
Honen and Shinran Memorial Day (March)
Hana Matsuri (Mahayana tradition) – 8th April – celebrates Buddha’s birthday.
Buddhist New Year – varies according to tradition
Dharma Day – Celebrates three events in the Buddhist’s life, and is generally celebrated in a monastery in the presence of monks (July).
Abhiddhamma Day (October)
Kathina Day (October)
Bodhi Day (December)
Some Buddhists are vegetarian or occasionally so at the time of certain festivals. Vegetarianism is held in high regard and considered to be consistent with the spirit of the teachings.
Dress
There are no specific rules relating to dress but some Buddhists may prefer to wear clothing which conforms to their belief in non-harm (e.g. not wearing leather clothing or shoes). Buddhists also dress modestly with the upper body and arms and legs covered, especially at temples and monasteries and during meditation practice.
Rites of Passage
Weddings are civil rather than religious ceremonies but services of blessing usually follow in the temple or elsewhere. Funerals usually focus on a reflection on the transitions of life. Bodies can be either buried or cremated.
Meditation
Most forms of Buddhism teach a variety of meditation practices. These include chanting, mindfulness, loving-kindness and calming meditation as well as visualisation practices. Most Buddhists aim to include periods of meditation in their daily lives and appreciate quiet spaces for this practice.
Personal Conduct
All forms of Buddhism encourage skilful personal conduct. A widely used set of precepts found in the earliest Buddhist scriptures and used today in many major Buddhist traditions advocate:
Avoiding harm to living beings
Avoiding taking what is not given
Avoiding lying and harmful speech and communication
Avoiding irresponsible, coercive and manipulative sexual gratification
Avoiding intoxication and drunkenness
And forms of livelihood that lead to the breaking of these guidelines are discouraged.from a diverse range of communities and backgrounds. London 2012 values and embraces diversity – be it age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and belief or sexual orientation————————————————————————————————————————–
The ashes of Sally Masheder, longtime Secretary of the Network of Buddhist Organisations, were scattered at a ceremony at the Western Chan Fellowship’s Maenllwyd retreat centre on Sunday, 15 August. Photos of the event are available on the memorial website, http://mrwm.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/sally.html. Present there were Rev. Saido Kennaway and Yann Lovelock, representing NBO, and Ann Lovelock representing another of NBO’s supporting organisations. The ceremony was led by John Crook, following a short service in the centre’s chapel. The ashes were taken to a streamhead further up the hillside and scattered by her husband Mike, her children Jiva and Nick, and her three grandchildren, following which there was a fire puja accompanied by the chanting of the Kuan Yin mantra.
The NBO received the attached email via the Interfaith Network. This identifies two sources of funds which are available to Buddhist groups for interfaith week 21st - 27th November 2010. The first fund is open to umbrella groups such as the NBO.
However, the second fund is available to a wide range of Buddhist groups. It offers up to £2000 to highlight and showcase their community work. So organisations such as Angulimala, Karuna Trust, Amida, and many others would be eligible.
The timescale for submitting a proposal is short – groups have until the 13th September. We suggest that any group wishing to apply for funds, informs the NBO, so that we can coordinate information and possibly offer support if appropriate.
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Dear National Faith Community Representative Body contact,
Earlier this I week heard from Andrew Stunell, Minister for Cohesion in the Department for Communities and Local Government, the welcome news that CLG will be making some funding available towards activities for this autumn’s Inter Faith Week in England.
I have now received further information from Warwick Hawkins, Head of Faith Communities Engagement at CLG, that some funds have been earmarked to support a number of possible projects by the national communities of the Bah’ai; Buddhist; Christian; Hindu; Jain; Jewish; Muslim; Sikh and Zoroastrian faiths. Specifically:
a) Grants to encourage involvement in the Week by local faith community members
Funding up to a total of £2,000 per faith community is available to assist national communities to promote participation in Week activities by their member organisations at local level and by places of worship and faith based organisations.
These grants are to assist in production and distribution, by the end of October, of relevant materials such as leaflets or web resources indicating the nature of the Week; why it is important; the basis for involvement of the faith community in question; and how to get involved. The expectation would be that these would be would be issued jointly by all the main representative bodies within the faith community concerned.
b) Grants to enable national faith communities to highlight and showcase their communities’ work – individually and together – for the good of society.
Support to a level of £2,000 per faith community is available for focused and informative events which will enable sharing of good practice and which have the prospect of being well covered by local and national media. The aims of the Year are the same as last year. However, Ministers are particularly interested, in the context of the Big Society agenda, in faith based social projects. National faith community bodies might, for example, choose to use as a location for their event a local faith based voluntary organisation from their community – such as a faith based care home for the elderly or a faith based youth initiative. While CLG recognises that some faith communities will opt for London based events, it has indicated that it hopes that a number will be held outside the capital as it is keen to see events happening in different areas of England.
Any applications for this funding must reach Warwick Hawkins at CLG by Monday 13 September. Faith communities can apply for both types of grant. The Department has said that applications for this limited amount of funding will be assessed on the basis of merit. It has indicated that any proposal should explain clearly:
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- the intended outcomes to assist success of the Week
- value for money (including why the applying organisation is particularly well placed to arrange the event)
- how the event’s success will be gauged and reported on
- how the event will be developed and who will be its immediate beneficiaries
- how it is planned to publicise the event
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The funding is being offered by CLG on the basis that bodies will liaise with IFN to ensure, so far as possible, that there is good interconnection in planning and coverage of the Week.
You can also contact Warwick Hawkins at warwick.hawkins@communities.gsi.gov.uk
I am very pleased that funding has been found for the 2010 Week in England and the IFN office looks forward very much to working with you again to make the Week a big success.
Best wishes, Harriet Crabtree
Dr Harriet Crabtree
Director
Inter Faith Network for the UK
8A Lower Grosvenor Place
London
SW1W 0EN
Tel: 020 7931 7766
At its AGM in London on Thursday, 8 July 2010, Ven. Bogoda Seelawimala, Head of the London Buddhist Vihara, was elected as one of the four Vice Chairs of the UK’s Inter Faith Network and NBO’s Interfaith Co-ordinator Yann Lovelock was re-elected as an Executive Member. The National Meeting beforehand had as its theme “Shaping Our Shared Society: The Key Role of Local Inter Faith Organisations” and was attended by several Buddhists engaged in interfaith work across the country. Read Sis. Modgala’s report of the eventhere…..
We encourage all who support the Buddhist community and the NBO to click the image and join our Buddhism UK group.
Alternatively try this.
IOP Seminar Series
Creative Awakening
Seminar One
Ordinary or Extraordinary Living ?
July 10th 2010
I am writing to tell you about a day seminar organised by The Institute of Oriental Philosophy – UK. This follows our very successful conference last year on Buddhism and creativity. It will be the first in a series of interwoven seminars exploring the idea of ‘Creative Awakening’.
The first seminar ‘Ordinary or Extraordinary Living?’ will consider how creativity, attention and consciousness can inform the quality of our daily lives. The speakers are Dr Gay Watson and John Danvers.
Dr Gay Watson: ‘Clearing the Ground’
This talk will consider paying attention to attention as the prerequisite for creative awakening. It will present an exploration in words and experience of our attention in support of a journey through presence, receptivity, openness, curiosity, and cultivation towards creativity.
Dr Gay Watson trained as a psychotherapist with the Karuna Institute of Core Process Psychotherapy, a Buddhist-inspired psychotherapy training in the UK. She has a doctorate in the field of Buddhist Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies of London University. She is the author of Beyond Happiness: Deepening the Dialogue between Buddhism, Psychotherapy and the Mind Sciences (Karnac 2008); The Resonance of Emptiness (Routledge Curzon 2001) and co-editor of The Psychology of Awakening(Rider 1999). Continue reading »
Duncan Fisher of the Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada) presented a traditional decorated lantern to the group at their recent Vesak celebration held on the 27th May 2010 at the United Reformed Church in Kendal. “Vesak lanterns are very popular in Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka and Thailand – so I thought it would be nice to try making one” said Duncan, “however, I didn’t realise how much work it would require – in fact it has taken 10 months to complete!”
The festival of Vesak commemorates the Birth, Enlightenment and Passing Away of the Buddha and so Duncan’s lamp features illustrated scenes from the life of the Buddha. “After much hard work I am pleased with the final result – I hope it serves the group at Vesak for many years to come” added Duncan.
Duncan Fisher pictured with his traditional Vesak Lantern.
Leeds Buddhist Council recently celebrated Wesak 2010:
The photo includes representatives from:
Dhammapala
Jamyang
Triratna (FWBO)
Soka Gakkai
David Evans
We had contibutions from the various traditions followed by tea and biscuits. Next year we are hoping to get more traditions represented from the Leeds Area.
Contact:
Dr Barbara Coplans
The Secretary
Leeds Buddhist Council
12 Granby View, LEEDS, LS6 3AT
The Network of Buddhist Organisations
Today the Network of Buddhist Organisations UK (NBO) formally moved to a new, charitable, structure as a company limited by guarantee.
At the NBO’s Annual General Meeting held today at the Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, the NBO committed itself to a policy of ‘Supporting Right Action’; to exemplifying Buddhist values in action whilst providing an informed voice on behalf of the great diversity of UK Buddhist traditions.
The NBO has been active for many years bringing together British Buddhists from many backgrounds and traditions and working on their behalf. The changes announced today are a response to the growing profile of religion in modern British life. This is making increasingly complex demands on NBO time, for information and consultation.
This page contains a variety of links to Buddhist organisations, both to sites run bysupporters and members of the NBO and others. Please note that although we try to keep the colour coding current, we cannot guarantee that the status of organisations is correctly shown.
Disclaimer: The NBO does not endorse the teachings or practices of any Buddhist organisations included on this list and takes no responsibility for the content of any site linked to from this page.
Particularly for those non-Buddhists who visit this site seeking information about Buddhism, we would remind you that there are many diverse traditions & schools of Buddhism. Interpretations of teachings may differ from school to school, so care should be taken in drawing any conclusion as to the generality of any specific interpretation.
In case you prefer photos to text, here’s some images of Buddhist Centres around the UK – more contributions are welcome! Email us and we’ll send you the details to add your own.
| Amaravati Lay Buddhist Association (ALBA) | www.buddhacommunity.org | ||
| The Amida Trust | www.amidatrust.com | ||
| Awakened Heart Sangha | www.ahs.org.uk | ||
| Birmingham Buddhist Vihara | www.birminghambuddhistvihara.org | ||
| Buddha’s Light International | http://ibps.org.uk/ | ||
| Buddhist Healthcare Chaplaincy Group | |||
| Buddhist Hospice Trust | http://www.buddhisthospice.org.uk/ | ||
| Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley | www.watthaiuk.com | ||
| The Clear Vision Trust | www.clear-vision.org | ||
| Dechen | www.dechen.org | ||
| Diamond Way Buddhism UK | www.dwbuk.org | ||
| Triratna Buddhist Community (formerly known as the FWBO) | www.fwbo.org | ||
| Gaia House | www.gaiahouse.co.uk | ||
| Independent Nichiren Buddhism | www.independentnichirenbuddhism.com | ||
| Jamyang Leeds | www.jamyangleeds.co.uk | ||
| Jamyang London | www.jamyang.co.uk | ||
| Buddhist Group of Kendal | www.communigate.co.uk/lakes/buddhistgroupofkendal/ | ||
| Lam Rim Buddhist Centres | www.lamrim.org.uk | ||
| Leeds Buddhist Council | |||
| Longchen Foundation | www.longchenfoundation.org | ||
| Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK) | www.lumbini.org.uk | ||
| Manchester Buddhist Convention | www.manchesterbuddhistconvention.org.uk | ||
| Network of Engaged Buddhists | www.engagedbuddhists.org.uk | ||
| Order of Buddhist Contemplatives | www.obcon.org and www.throssel.org.uk | ||
| Pure Land Buddhist Fellowship | www.wheelswithinwheels.net/purelandnotes/index.htm | ||
| Samye Ling Tibetan Centre | www.holyisland.org | ||
| Rissho Kosei-kai of the UK | www.rk-world.org | ||
| Soka Gakkai – UK | http://www.sgi-uk.org | ||
| The Triple Gem Buddhist Foundation | www.triplegem.com | ||
| Western Ch’an Fellowship | www.WesternChanFellowship.org | ||
Buddhist Information SourcesThe following sites have proved to be useful sources of information about Buddhism. Note that they are not in any particular order | |||
| His Holiness the Dalai Lama | Official Website | ||
| Buddhist Society | The London based Society founded by Christmas Humphries | ||
| BuddhaSasana | An excellent source of Theravada on-line books & articles | ||
| Amaravati Buddhist Monastery | Forest Sangha teachings and Theravada writing etc | ||
| Leaves from the Buddha’s Grove | Another excellent source of Theravada writing etc | ||
| The Life Of The Buddha | Does exactly what it says in the title! | ||
| BuddhaNet | A Buddhist Information and Education Network | ||
| New Kadampa Tradition | New Kadampa Tradition | ||
| A Handful of Leaves | A multitude of Dhamma readings and much more | ||
| Not Two | Original artwork related to Theravada Buddhism | ||
| Buddha Mind | Buddhism with a smile – and much more. | ||
| Buddhist Therapists Database | Search for a Buddhist counsellor or psychotherapist | ||
| The Barn Retreat Centre | Buddhist meditation retreat centre in the Devon countryside | ||
| BuddhaBell | Time your meditation session | ||
| www.bhpromo.org | Buddhist Heritage in India | ||
| IOP-UK | The Institute of Oriental Philosophy | ||
| www.sutrasmantras.info | Buddha Sutras & Mantras | ||
| www.ammituofo.com/ | More Sutras | ||
| Positive News | On-line newspaper. Exactly what it says it is | ||
| Journal of Global Buddhism | An on-line academic journal that functions as a traditional scholarly journal. | ||
| The Buddhist Channel | A Buddhist on-line ‘Newspaper’ | ||
| I am Awakening | Many resources with spirituality information | ||
| Buddha Chat | A Buddhism Discussion Forum | ||
| Museum of World Religions | An excellent virtual museum project | ||
| The International Dunhuang Project | information and images from Dunhuang and other Silk Road sites | ||
| The Interfaith Network | Building relations between all the major faiths. | ||
| Dharma the Cat | The coolest site on the web! A must for Buddhist cat lovers | ||
| The Lighter Side of Buddhism | We should never lose sight of our sense of humour | ||
| Dharma Games | If you have kids (or are one yourself!), send them here | ||
| Buddhist Search Engine | Run by the Western Chan Fellowship, this search engine operates in the usual way, but specifically searches a list of (currently 100) Buddhist websites for your key words. If you know of a site that you thinks merits including in the search engine list, please send the URL of the site to searching@westernchanfellowship.org | ||
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