Development

The Network of Buddhist Organisations was formed at a time when Buddhism had become consolidated in Britain, with a membership scattered over a large number of different bodies. They varied from traditional interpretations of the teaching dependent on Eastern monastics to popular and influential groups classified as New Religious Movements. The NBO's stated intent was to promote greater openness to dialogue and increased co-operation between the many different Buddhist organisations.

As its policy met with success, the Network also turned its attention to dialogue and co-operation with other faiths and to taking part in consultation with government and other public bodies, including the Charity Commission

Charity Commission

The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the non-ministerial government department that regulates registered charities in England and Wales....

 and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Nationally, it plays an active role in the work of the Religious Education Council, the Inter Faith Network UK and internationally in the European Buddhist Union

European Buddhist Union

The European Buddhist Union is an umbrella organization of Buddhist communities and organizations in Europe founded in 1975. It is open to Buddhist organizations of all schools and traditions....

.

Another aspect of NBO's work has been the series of conferences and events it has helped organise on topics centred upon the application of Buddhist teaching to the modern world. Noteworthy among these have been the UK-wide Buddhist arts festival, "A Lotus in Flower", in 2005; the 2006 conference, "The Dharma Revolution: 50 Years On", on Ambedkarite (Indian) Buddhism ; the 2007 Eco-Dharma conference held in Birmingham; the 2008 "British Buddhist Landscape" conference held at Taplow Court, covering many aspects of Buddhist social practice and experience in Britain; and the 2009 arts conference, "Buddha Mind, Creative Mind", also held at Taplow Court. The last of these resulted in the formation of the Dharma Arts group, an association of Buddhist artists. Again in Birmingham, a day seminar for Buddhists working with schools was organised by Clear Vision Trust in assocation with NBO as part of Celebrating RE month in March 2011.

During the run-up to the 2011 census, the NBO, in common with many other organisations, ran a public campaign for adherents to identify themselves in the box indicating religious affiliation in order to gain enhanced official recognition.

Criticism

The Network's openness to dialogue with groups that some orthodox Buddhists regard as controversial has brought it a certain amount of criticism. Although veteran author Ken Jones has praised NBO for its work, he sees certain dangers for it as well: The Network of Buddhist Organisations is performing an invaluable role in opening up dialogue and bringing potential antagonists together in common concerns. Much useful communication takes place off the record, though the Network remains vulnerable to sectarianism.

The risk of sectarianism of which he speaks came to the fore in 1998, when the New Kadampa Tradition

New Kadampa Tradition

The New Kadampa Tradition ~ International Kadampa Buddhist Union is a global Buddhist organisation founded by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso in England in 1991. In 2003 the words "International Kadampa Buddhist Union" were added to the original name "New Kadampa Tradition"...

 applied for membership not long after its members had been involved in demonstrations against the Dalai Lama concerning the Dorje Shugden controversy

Dorje Shugden controversy

A controversy arose in the late 1970s when the Fourteenth Dalai Lama started to speak out against the propitiation of Dorje Shugden, which has intensified since 1996 when he issued an "explicit ban", suppressing the practice within the Tibetan exile community....

. Several NBO members considered the conduct of the NKT incongruous with the Network's aims. When the NKT's application was accepted, some groups therefore left the NBO including approximately 30% of its Tibetan Buddhist members.

The connection also came under scrutiny when Parliamentary Questions were raised in the UK Parliament, some about the 'new religious movements' among its membership and some concerning what assessment had been made of the NBO's representative status by Government before consulting them. Various short responses to these questions were made by the Government, including:

• The Home Office has made no such assessment. The Network of Buddhist Organisations is just one of the Buddhist organisations that the Home Office consults with.

• the Network of Buddhist Organisations is a member of independently formed multi-faith group which the Department maintains close contact with as part of our commitment to a multi-faith approach to NHS Chaplaincy.

• The Network of Buddhist Organisations is one of the organisations that the Department consults on relevant issues.

The NBO posted a document on their website in response to the relevant Parliamentary Questions that referred to it.

The Code of Conduct

In early 2009, the NBO launched a Code of Conduct for its members. The Code had previously been publicised and discussed by the membership in 2008 . The NBO code is based upon the five Buddhist Precepts

Sila

Śīla or sīla in Buddhism and its non-sectarian offshoots, is a code of conduct that embraces self-restraint with a value on non-harming. It has been variously described as virtue, good conduct, morality, moral discipline and precept. It is an action that is an intentional effort...

which members are asked to affirm their support for and to undertake that their members would not "defame other Buddhist organisations or teachers in public or via the media," and that every effort should be made to resolve any disagreements within organisations, or with other organisations or groups, "through internal processes or through private discussion and mediation."

External links

• The Network of Buddhist Organisations (UK) official website