The Elephant in the Shrine Room
The first obvious sign that something is quite wrong in Triratna is the sexual abuse perpetrated by Sangharakshita and many others following his lead, which the inner circle...
Teaching: Rationalised Desires
Mark Dunlop's account
Mark Dunlop's involvement with the FWBO
Prasannasiddhi's letter
Dear Dhammarati and Order Members,...
Yashomitra's Letter
Last year I wrote in and said that I was contemplating whether or not to stay in the order and that I wanted to write about the issues that have raised the question in my mind....
Text of 1997 Guardian article highlighting abuse issues in the FWBO
As with many new religious movements, their enthusiasm and unconventional convictions have the potential to lead to problems associated with 'cults'.
Link:
The FWBO Files
The FWBO Files is one of the earliest, most comprehensive and thoroughly rehearsed exposés of the group, focusing mostly on Sangharakshita. Its author, a Buddhist scholar and practitioner who was never directly involved in FWBO/Triratna, was deeply concerned about the effect Sangharakshita was having on the development of Buddhism in the United Kingdom.
It covers Sangharakshita's history, from India and Kalimpong to Hampstead and the setting up of the Western Buddhist Order, and goes into his lack of traditional training, the un-Buddhist nature of many of his teachings, his predatory sexual behaviour and more.
First published in 1997, it provoked a response from the organisation, and may be one of the key reasons why the organisation changed its name.