Forty Years On - The Six Emphases of the FWBO

Sangharakshita gave this talk at the Manchester Buddhist Centre on the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the Western Buddhist Order. He has some reminisences about the early days of the movement and considers what were the uniting factors of this diverse group of people. He continues by describing the six emphases of the FWBO, namely that Going for Refuge is Primary; the openness to men and women equally; the inspiration from all Buddhist scriptures; the importance of Spiritual Friendship; Team-based Right Livelihood; and the importance of the Arts in the spiritual life.