Triratna Buddhist Community (Sangharakshita)
British-founded Buddhist community (originally FWBO, 1967) led by Dennis Lingwood / Sangharakshita until his 2018 death. The Adhisthana centre and the Triratna Order have publicly acknowledged Sangharakshita's history of sexual abuse of male members.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
+1 for documented systematic sexual abuse by founder Sangharakshita (acknowledged by the Order in 2017+).
In context
Triratna (formerly Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, FWBO) is one of the largest Western convert Buddhist organisations. From the 1990s onwards, multiple ex-male-members described Sangharakshita's coercive sexual relationships, framed within his teaching as 'going for refuge' to him personally. The Order's 2017+ public reckoning, including Subhuti's open letter, marked a significant institutional shift. Sangharakshita died in 2018.
History
Triratna grew from London origins into the largest Western convert Buddhist community; the post-2017 reckoning with Sangharakshita's abuse has reshaped its self-understanding.
Key control doctrines
- Sangharakshita's distinctive 'going for refuge' framework
- Right Livelihood team-based businesses
- Order ordination as binding commitment
Notable public ex-members
- Mark Dunlop
- Multiple subjects of the Adhisthana Kula acknowledgments
Legal cases & controversies
- 1996+ ex-member testimonies
- 2017 Adhisthana acknowledgments
- Various civil disputes
Evidence by BITE axis
- Communal living for many
- Right Livelihood businesses with members surrendering market wages
- Substantial commitment to ordination process
- Members donate property and earnings
- Sangharakshita's writings authoritative
- Internal abuse allegations historically suppressed pre-2017
- Sangharakshita as authoritative Western Buddhist interpreter
- 'Going for refuge' to Sangharakshita personally framed as spiritual progress
- Strong devotional ties to founder
- Sexual access to Sangharakshita presented as spiritual privilege (now acknowledged abusive)
- Severance from non-Triratna friendships discouraged
Timeline
- 1967Sangharakshita founds FWBO in London
- 1996Mark Dunlop public account
- 2017Order publicly acknowledges Sangharakshita's abuse
- 2018Sangharakshita dies
Sources
- Mark Dunlop, 'My experiences in the FWBO' (1996)
- Triratna 'Adhisthana Kula' acknowledgments (2017+)
- BBC coverage
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Search the source title plus the group name to find the original.
Voices of former members
“Sexual contact with Sangharakshita was framed as a privilege, an initiation — only years later did I understand it as abuse.”
— Anonymous composite, 2018
Quotes are either verifiable public testimony or anonymized composites drawn from documented patterns. See Survivor Voices for more.
Recovery resources
See the full curated list at /resources.