Norwich Buddhist Centre

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The Norwich Buddhist Centre (UK) was established in Norwich, Norfolk, England in 1976. The centre is run by people associated with a Buddhist organisation called the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order.

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[edit] Main Activities

The Norwich Buddhist Centre is involved in teaching Buddhist Meditation techniques to the general public. The centre also teaches Yoga and other methods of personal development. It also operates an ethical trading shop in Norwich called Evolution [1].

[edit] Criticism

The Norwich Buddhist Centre's parent organisation, the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO) has been the object of a good deal of criticism, due to controversial religious practices, unorthodox teachings, and allegations of sexual abuse and misogyny.[2]The FWBO is considered by some Buddhists to be a cult[3], and is also listed on a number of cult awareness organisations' websites[4][5][6]. Throughout 2007, a number of questions were raised in the UK Parliament concerning allegations of cultic behaviour against the organisation.[7]

Fuller details of the criticisms, and of the FWBO's responses to criticisms, can be found in the main article about the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order.

[edit] Critical Perspective

The Norwich Buddhist Centre's parent organisation, the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO) has been the object some criticism and allegations of sexual abuse and misogyny. However allegations relate to activities of the 70's and 80's, times in which sexual experimentation was culturally prevalent.

[edit] Counter Criticism

This statement from the NBO – Network of Buddhist Organisations (UK), signed by some of the most prominent UK Buddhists speaks for itself about the allegations raised about the fwbo – The FWBO Files set out to blacken the reputation of one of our members, and much of the material contained in them has been regurgitated in the current attack on the NBO. The FWBO Files have been thoroughly discredited, although they are still in circulation.

The FWBO Files is the primary document used to criticise the fwbo and in this entry, the Norwich Buddhist Centre.

There is not a shred of evidence to show that the Norwich Buddhist Centre has been at fault or involved in any illegal or or unethical activities. Please read entry by in the discussion section. Jeromeflintstone (talk) 12:22, 16 April 2008.

To read the full article, see [1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Evolution gift shops - pith ethical statement
  2. ^ Coleman, James William (2001), The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition, p. 163, 171 and 144 
  3. ^ Crook, John, “Dangers in Devotion: Buddhist Cults and the Tasks of a Guru - '...It is this that leads many of us to see the FWBO more as a cult than as a Buddhist institution or school in accordance with tradition.'”, Western Chan Fellowship, Paper presented at the conference 'The Psychology of Awakening' at Dartington Hall, UK, October 1998, <http://www.westernchanfellowship.org/dangers-in-devotion.html> 
  4. ^ Cult Information Centre. Links Page.
  5. ^ Hassan, Steven. Freedom of Mind Center. Resource Center.
  6. ^ Ross, Rick. The Rick A. Ross Institute for the Study of Destructive Cults, Controversial Groups and Movements. Links Page.
  7. ^ PQs 147208&9, 152364, 152368, 156701, 157746 & 7. A further PQ (45434) was raised in 1998 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/cgi-bin/semaphoreserver?DB=semukparl&FILE=search

[edit] External links