Moving against the stream : the birth of a new Buddhist movement / Sangharakshita.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sangharakshita, Bhikshu, 1925-2018.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Buddhism--Great Britain.

Buddhism.

Buddhists--Biography.

Buddhists.

Great Britain.

Genre:

Biographies.

Autobiographies.

Physical Description:

407 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Birmingham : Windhorse, 2003.

Summary:

In 1964 Sangharakshita, the seniormost Buddhist monk of British birth, left India for a visit to the UK. After twenty years in the subcontinent -- travelling and lecturing, writing, working among the most deprived, and extending and deepening his knowledge of the Dharma -- he had been invited by leading British Buddhists to help resolve tensions in the British Buddhist scene. While he was trying to ease conflicts and create harmony, an unexpected turn of events brought Sangharakshita to a crucial decision. This fourth volume of memoirs, covering the years 1964 to 1967, deals with Sangharakshita's return to Britain and describes the difficulties he encountered in his attempts to unite English Buddhists. We witness the turning point at which he decided to dedicate his life to working 'for the good of Buddhism' in his native land. This culminated in the birth (in a shop basement in central London) of a new Buddhist movement. Thirty-six years later the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order is spreading the Buddha's message in more than twenty-six countries around the globe.

Contents:

Chapter 1 A Cool Reception 1

Chapter 2 The Story So Far 4

Chapter 3 The Embroidered Cushion 16

Chapter 4 Family Reunions and A Big Disappointment 21

Chapter 5 At the Summer School 25

Chapter 6 Rustle of Autumn 30

Chapter 7 Healing the Breach 33

Chapter 8 'The World of Publishing' 41

Chapter 9 London Twenty Years After 47

Chapter 10 A Portrait in Oil

and A Few Sketches 52

Chapter 11 Monks and Laymen 59

Chapter 12 The Penalties of Success 65

Chapter 13 Enter the Special Branch 72

Chapter 14 A Startling Claim 77

Chapter 15 The History of A Depressive 82

Chapter 16 Strangers Here 92

Chapter 17 Visitors From East and West 102

Chapter 18 Shadowy Figures and A Strange Experience 108

Chapter 19 Meditating Among the Ruins 113

Chapter 20 An Important Milestone 121

Chapter 21 The Divine Eye and Dialectic 127

Chapter 22 An Inquisitive Princess 134

Chapter 23 Changes at the Vihara 141

Chapter 24 North of the Border 151

Chapter 25 A Secret Life 156

Chapter 26 Restoring the Balance 160

Chapter 27 Circles Within Circles 166

Chapter 28 News From Sikkim 175

Chapter 29 Buddhism and the Bishop of Woolwich 180

Chapter 30 A Important Anniversary and A Typist's Nightmare 189

Chapter 31 Giving the Three Jewels A Final Polish 194

Chapter 32 Ordinations on the Easter Retreat

and A Birthday 198

Chapter 33 Preparing for Greece 203

Chapter 34 Boyhood Haunts 210

Chapter 35 Over the Alps 214

Chapter 36 Reclaiming A Heritage 219

Chapter 37 The Road to Delphi 230

Chapter 38 Athens and the Peloponnese 247

Chapter 39 Naples, Rome, and Florence 264

Chapter 40 Picking up the Threads 278

Chapter 41 Back to the Vihara 282

Chapter 42 Journey to India 286

Chapter 43 A Letter From India 293

Chapter 44 Among the New Buddhists 300

Chapter 45 On Pilgrimage 313

Chapter 46 Editorial Interlude 324

Chapter 47 Friends, Teachers, and a Letter From London 329

Chapter 48 The Man in the Pit 339

Chapter 49 Packing and Printing 344

Chapter 50 The Valediction that Failed 351

Chapter 51 Agra

Almora

Cairo 361

Chapter 52 What the Dispute Was About 366

Chapter 53 A Basement in Monmouth Street 375

Chapter 54 Cui Bono? 379.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

1899579117

OCLC:

51870972