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Commitment and Spiritual Community

by Sangharakshita

Why is the WBO an Order, and not just a Buddhist organisation? Sangharakshita here emphasises commitment to the Three Jewels of Buddhism, and indicates historical reasons for the degeneration of past spiritual communities in the East. (Note: the FWBO has grown considerably since this lecture was given.)

Talk given in 1979.

This talk is part of the series A New Buddhist Movement - the Meaning of the FWBO.

Tracks (click play to listen)

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1. General recapitulation of series (5:01) 
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2. Sangharakshita's experience of Buddhist organisations (9:17) 
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3. What is a 'committed' Buddhist? (10:43) 
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4. The FWBO: a spiritual community of committed Buddhists (11:25) 
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5. Inertia and force of habit in the West (2:49) 
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6. The devaluation of the 'Going Forth' (4:52) 
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7. The overvaluation of monasticism (5:37) 
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8. In what sense is the WBO an Order? (4:34) 
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9. The FWBO: a new Buddhist Movement (9:35) 


Total running time: 1:03:53