Over the past few days Mokshapriya has been transforming the exhibition room inside Urgyen House. The previous exhibition, Precious Teachers has been removed, and the new Inicios has been installed and opens today.
This exhibition looks at Sangharakshita’s activity in the 1960s; his return from India and the vision behind the beginning of a new Buddhist movement and Order. Though things such as the kesa design have changed, it is striking how the principles and vision for the movement are consistent.
The Urgyen Sangharakshita Trust has extensive archives of previously unseen diaries and correspondence from Bhante, and want to share those as much as possible as they offer new insights into his thinking in setting up the Order and Movement. Central to Inicios are Sangharakshita’s diaries, offering an intimate peek into our founder’s thinking, as well as a chance to listen to the first ever ordination ceremony.
The exhibition offers a chance to understand our roots and history, how and why Bhante decided to set up the movement, the state of and problems with British Buddhism at the time, and the effect he had on it. There are new glimpses into what actually happened when he came back in the mid sixties. In only five years the staid, dull society he returned to transformed into a rich, colourful, radically changing one, and the story of our origins is mirrored in and born from that transformation.
This exhibition is also made available En linea. As there is lots of reading material, even if you are visiting in person, you may want to give yourself more time to read the content at your leisure. We look forward to you visiting.
