Learning and Healing from our Past

The story of our community is one of sheer audacity and even hubris: an unconventional British Buddhist monk, breaking away from a traditional monastic context, to work with a group of unruly young people in the late 1960s who had only the vaguest ideas about the Dharma. It’s a tale of idealism and naivety, growth and growing pains, hard work and burnout, friendship and fallout.

Our community has attracted criticism, and rightly so. Triratna’s journey, especially in the early days, has included intoxicating self-certitude, spiritual arrogance, and harmful sexual misconduct. Around the world, Triratna sanghas live with the enduring consequences, direct and indirect, of serious mistakes made by our founder, and the unskillfulness of some of Order Members.

Many people have very positives experiences with Triratna, and then struggle to reconcile their experience with the painful aspects of Triratna’s story. This can be made worse if people are not made aware of this background early on, so it’s important we share this history and our process of learning and healing from our past.

In looking back at Triratna’s history, there is also much to rejoice in. It is up to each of us to come to terms with this in our own way with this very “mixed bag,” as we deepen our connection with the sangha locally, and Triratna more widely.

It is also up to each of us to take care that the same mistakes never happen again. This is made possible by cultivating a culture of transparency, awareness, care and accountability. 

Below are a list of resources to help clarify and understand Triratna’s past and the particular controversies that arose in relation to aspects of Sangharakshita’s behavior and the culture of a Buddhist movement that was formed within the British youth culture of the late 60’s and 70’s.

Read about the work of the Adhisthana Kula here. The Adhisthana Kula was a body of Order Members formed to address issues arising from difficulties and controversies from Triratna’s past, including the sexual behavior of Triratna’s founder Sangharakshita. You can also access their full report here.

Read the free ebook, The Triratna Story here. 
Read the Triratna Controversy FAQ here.
Read Sangharakshita’s public apology here, and a further statement from the College of Public Preceptors here.
Read about Restorative Process work here.
Read about safeguarding policies and ethical guidelines here.

You can find out more about these areas by reading the Triratna Controversy FAQ.

To make a complaint about Triratna NY • NJ, please contact the Council. You can read our local grievance policy here. You can also report a concern on our central platform here.

All of us who have committed to this path as expressed in Triratna have gone through our own painstaking process with this history. We continue to do the work of deepening of understanding and restoration. Please discuss these matters with your spiritual friends and mentors. Any member of Council is also available to listen, answer questions, provide resources and offer support. 

Together we can continue the good work of the Dharma, keeping the lessons learned from past unskillfulness clearly in view. May the spiritual community we continue to create together be a living example of skillful and harmonious social transformation — starting with us.