Urgyen Sangharakshita (1925–2018)

Born Dennis Lingwood in South London, Sangharakshita realized he was a Buddhist at sixteen after discovering the Diamond Sutra and Sutra of Hui Neng in Watkins Books of Covent Garden. Conscripted to India during the Second World War, he stayed on to be ordained as a monk. After years of study under teachers from across the major Buddhist traditions, he became a prolific writer and teacher, notably supporting the revival of Buddhism in India alongside followers of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

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After twenty years in India, he returned to London and in 1967 established the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (later renamed Triratna). As a "translator" between East and West, he emphasized the decisive power of spiritual commitment, the transformative value of friendship, the vital link between religion and the arts, and the need for a "new society" supportive of spiritual aspirations and ideals.

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Sangharakshita’s legacy is also marked by complexity. As a founder creating a radical new tradition, some early experimentation included aspects that were later abandoned. In particular, he had sexual relationships with a number of his male disciples - a subject of significant discussion that led to a thorough investigation and report by senior members of the Order. We remain committed to transparency regarding these aspects of our history.

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Today, Sangharakshita’s vision has blossomed into a truly global Sangha, active in over 30 countries. With more than 100 centres and groups worldwide Triratna has become a diverse movement that continues to offer the Buddha’s teachings with life-changing consequences for thousands of people across the globe.

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He passed away in the company of friends on the 30th October 2018 and is buried at Adhisthana, his retreat-centre home in Herefordshire. Many of his disciples refer to him as ‘Bhante’—an affectionate term for one’s teacher.