The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order
The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO) is a worldwide network devoted to communicating and practising the basic truths of the Buddhist tradition in ways appropriate to the modern world. You can visit the main FWBO website for further information.
Buddhism has expressed itself through a huge range of systems and practices over the last 2,500 years. This range of approaches can be rather baffling, especially since many of them were developed in very particular historical and cultural contexts. Rather than try to apply any one of these approaches the FWBO seeks to mine the whole Buddhist tradition for its essential truths and then apply them in a way that is well suited to the needs of people living in the 21st century.
The FWBO was founded by Sangharakshita, an English man who spent twenty years practising in a variety of Buddhist traditions in India, before returning to the UK in the 1960s. Since 1967 the FWBO has grown to be one of the largest Buddhist movements in the West, with Centres and activities in many cities around the world. Our aim is to make Buddhism a viable spiritual path for the modern world and a force for good in society.
The FWBO comprises people practising as Buddhists with a wide diversity of approaches according to their culture and interests. You can find out about FWBO news stories created by these people and also about the particular approach of the FWBO in India (where it is known as the TBMSG).
Karuna Appeals are UK-based fundraising retreats raising money to support social and dharma projects in India run by the FWBO charity, the Karuna Trust. Click on the logo to find out how you can get involved.
You can find out more about the FWBO here
