Adhisthana Teaching Community
The Adhisthana Teaching Community consists of some of Triratna’s most experienced Dharma teachers, many of whom studied with Sangharakshita. As well as those who are part of the residential community at Adhisthana, there are many others from every part of the world where Triratna is active, from the Americas to New Zealand.
For a great introduction to the purpose of the Teaching Community, check out Vidyadevi’s talk ‘Worlds within Worlds’ given on the August 2024 Combined Area Order weekend at Adhisthana.
Below you can see the events run by the Teaching Community or read more about membership which hugely discounts attendance on Teaching Community retreats.
meet the teaching community
Through a deeper engagement with each other and with Sangharakshita’s elucidation of the Dharma, the Teaching Community is exploring Bhante’s teaching in a way that is faithful to its essential elements while supporting a creative evolution in response to new needs and circumstances – a dynamic continuity. Our retreats aim to communicate that distinctive spirit and character of Sangharakshita’s teaching and to pass it on, so we can connect with the mind of the man, and with the adhisthana that flows through him.
वेसनतारा
Vessantara has assisted the development of several Buddhist centres, including retreat centres in England, Wales, and Spain and has extensive meditation experience, having gone on a three year retreat. He has written several books, among them ‘Meeting the Buddhas’, as well as some beloved pujas such as the ‘Midnight Star’ puja to Tara.
Ratnaguna
Ratnaguna has been practising Buddhism for 35 years. He was one of the founders of the Manchester Buddhist Centre and also lived and worked for some years in a study retreat centre in North Wales.
Candraprabha
Growing up in Ireland during the Troubles, Candraprabha worked at Tiratnaloka and was chair there for many years; an instrumental figure for many Dhammacharinis’ process of ordination. She is currently living in East Anglia.
Parami
Ordained into the Order when the women’s wing was still very small, Parami has been a prominent part of the women’s wing ever since. A public preceptors for many years, she is now enjoying living in Glasgow and engaging with the local centre and politics there.
Maitreyabandhu
Ordained in into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 1990, Maireyabandhu has since lived and worked at the LBC, teaching Buddhism and meditation. He founded Poetry East in 2010 and has won prizes for his poetry including the Keats-Shelley Prize, the Basil Bunting Award, and the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize.
Maitreyi
Maitreyi was ordained in 1989, the first year that women were ordained by women in the West. In 1997 she joined the team at Tiratanaloka leading retreats training women for ordination. Since then she has become both a Private and Public Preceptor and is also the president of Akashavana, the women’s ordination retreat centre.
Nagapriya
While studying for a philosophy degree in Leeds, Nagapriya began practising with the Triratna and was ordained in 1992. In 2013 he moved to Mexico and helped found the Centro Budista de Cuernavaca. Since 2019 he has been a member of the College of Public Preceptors.
Vajrapushpa
A very long standing order member, Vajrapushpa chose to raise a family with her husband, another Order Member, at a time when the movement was less encouraging of that lifestyle. She brings this pioneering integrity to the Teaching Community and the local Adhisthana Sangha.
Vidyamala
Ordained in 1995, in 2001 Vidyamala co-founded the mindfulness organisation Breathworks which is recognised by the NHS and health boards globally. She is also the author of three books and was awarded an OBE in 2022. A private preceptor and Kalayana Mitra to many, she moved to be close to Adhisthana soon after it opened.
Vidyadevi
Vidyadevi has been heavily involved in editing and compiling Bhante’s writings for many years, most recently with the Complete Works project. Living locally to Adhisthana, she sometimes pops into the library to check a reference for the Complete Works and stays for lunch. She brings a great breadth and depth of knowledge of Sangharakshita’s work to the Teaching Community.
Jnanadhara
Jnanadhara was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2003. Soon after he moved to Dublin, and since then has been teaching classes at the Dublin Buddhist Centre (DBC). Jnanadhara was chair of the DBC for 10 years, and handed over the reins in 2022. He has been the president of Sudarshanaloka in New Zealand since 2020, and recently became the first International Movement Coordinator.
Saddhanandi
Dharma TeamTrained as an artist, Saddhanandi initially was involved in the Glasgow Sangha. She was at Taraloka for 20 years, and was Chair there for the last 13 of those years, before moving to Adhisthana and becoming Chair. In late 2021 she handed on this responsibility to Khemabandhu, but continues to live and work here as a member of the Dharma Team.
Saddhaloka
Dharma TeamGrowing up on the island of Jersey, after becoming involved with Triratna he moved to Norwich where he was for many years. Chair of the College of Public Preceptors, Saddhaloka stepped down in 2019 from this responsibility but continues teaching at Adhisthana. He has strong links with Eastern Europe, and travels to several countries every year to lead retreats.
Dhammarati
Dharma TeamOrdained for almost 50 years, Dhammarati grew up in Hamilton in Scotland, and came in contact with Triranta through the Glasgow centre. He moved to London in 1980, trained as a graphic designer at Central School of Art, and became Chair of the London Buddhist Centre in 1986. He was Chair of the College of Public Preceptors from 2005 till 2015, and during that time helped to set up Triratna’s International Council. He was part of the search team for what became Adhisthana, and moved here in March of 2013. He continues to dabble in graphic design, and his work can be found on books and publicity throughout Triratna.
Shubhavyuha
Dharma TeamInstrumental in establishing the Sydney Buddhist Centre, Shubhavyuha returned to the UK as the Assistant to the International Council. She joined the Adhisthana Operations Team in 2019 and later joined the Dharma Team and Teaching Community.
Vajratara
Ordained in 2004, Vajratara started working at the Sheffield Buddhist Centre and was one half of a Mitra Convening duo with Moksalila. In 2011 she moved to Tiratanaloka, where she is also Chair of the India Dhamma Trust and a kalyana mitra to many young women training for ordination.
Jnanavaca
Jnanavaca has been based at the London Buddhist Centre for many years, and is a central figure of the men’s community there. He was Chair of the London Buddhist Centre until 2018, has been a public preceptor for several years, president to the Cambridge Centre and is a trustee of Windhorse Trust and of Dharmachakra.
Mahamati
Mahamati is an experienced public preceptor and worked along side Bhante for years. As a result of being Director of Karuna, the charity supporting grassroots projects in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, he moved to India in 1992 where he was based for seven years. He now Chair of the Urgyen Sangharakshita Trust, the body dedicated to preserving Sangharakshita’s legacy; his books, artefacts and literary, photographic and audio archives. He lives locally to Adhisthana.
Dhivan
Dhivan moved to Adhisthana after working at Chester University throughout the pandemic. He is the author of a book on conditionality, and while at Adhisthana is making good use of his access to the Library and leading scholars retreats. He is also one of the scholars responsible for checking the names of ordinands prior to their ordination.
Subhuti
President of AdhisthanaSubhuti joined the Triratna Buddhist Order in 1973 and has since devoted himself to the practice and teaching of Buddhism. He played a significant role in establishing both the London Buddhist Centre, and the Guhyaloka retreat centre in Spain. Since 2000, he has also been a member of the College of Public Preceptors.
Vajrashura
Vajrashura started learnt to meditate first through university societies, and then in the Dublin Buddhist Centre. He was ordained in 2007 and since then has been one of the DBC’s main teachers, leading many courses, retreats, and events each year. He has worked for Sikkha Project, which aims to develop an integrated training at every level of experience.
Padmavajra
Ordained at 19, Padmavajra has been a member of the Ordination team at Padmaloka for almost 20 years, and is a preceptor and kalyana mitra to many. He is also a prolific giver of talks, and has a great amount of teaching experience.
Purna
Purna was attracted to Buddhism at a young age and was ordained into the Triratna Order in 1975. He spent several years in India as an anagarika helping set-up the early Sangha there. He is currently part of the team responsible for the men’s ordination training process in New Zealand and Australia and is New Zealand Men’s Order convener.
Ratnavyuha
Ratnavyuha leads courses, classes and retreats at the Auckland Buddhist Centre. He is also part of a local and international team responsible for the men’s ordination training process. He has been collaborating with others to develop retreat facilities in New Zealand.
Suvajra
One of the earliest members of the Order to ordain people once Bhante started handing it on, Suvajra has a very wide network of friends. This extends across continents, as he dedicated a lot of time to visiting the movement’s Indian wing. He was one of Bhante’s carers towards the end of his life, and now lives in Wales.
Khemabandhu
Chair of Adhisthana, Dharma TeamOriginally from Australia, Khemabandhu met the Dharma while working as a computer scientist in London and was nomadic before coming to Adhisthana to do the DharmaLife course in 2017. He then stayed to live and work here, becoming Manager of the Operations Team and then Chair of Adhisthana in 2021.
Vijayamala
Vijayamala has been practising for 35 years, and teaching meditation retreats ever since coming back from a 3 year retreat in 2011. She feels really fortunate to be able to pass on some of the tools, confidence and love of meditation and dharma practice she herself received during this time. She has taught on DharmaLife courses and lives locally.
Vishvapani
Vishvapani edited Dharma Life magazine for nine years and broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Thought for the Day’. He is editor of Challenging Times: Stories of Buddhist Practice When Things Get Tough and author two books, as well as being in the process of writing a third about his connection to Sangharakshita.
Sona
Being introduced to Bhante in 1972, Sona was the first ever mitra, later ordained in 1974. He co-founded Breathworks, an internationally recognised mindfulness organisation, and now lives locally to Adhisthana, where he helps to run to local sangha night class.
Ratnaghosha
Dharma TeamBorn in Ireland, Ratnaghosha became a Buddhist after an encounter with a Sri Lankan monk in Berlin. He worked for Windhorse Trading for several years, and was Chair of the Cambridge Buddhist Centre. He moved to Adhisthana in 2021 to join the Dharma Team.
Prajnaketu
Prajnaketu co-founded the Oxford Triratna Buddhist Centre, where he continues to work, and for five years ran a Europe-wide network of young Buddhists. He is also the director of the Urgyen Sangharakshita Trust. He is the author of ‘Cyberloka: A Buddhist Guide to Digital Life’.
Subhadramati
Subhadramati is a very experienced meditation teacher and retreat leader, for a long time based at the London Buddhist Centre. She is the author of Not About Being Good: A Practical Guide to Buddhist Ethics, and currently is working with the Tiratanaloka team helping them to fundraise for a larger retreat centre for women’s ordination training.
Paramartha
One of Sangharakshita’s closest friends, Paramatha lived with him for many years, including during Bhante’s time at Adhisthana. He now lives close by, and brings his wealth of knowledge and personal connection to the Teaching Community, handing on a part of Sangharakshita’s legacy that few others could do.
Nagabodhi
Nagabodhi worked closely with Bhante, sometimes living in communities with him. In 1982 they travelled on tour in India, an adventure Nagabodhi chronicled in ‘Jai Bhim! Dispatches from a Peaceful Revolution’. More recently, Nagabodhi has written a book about Sangharakshita entitled ‘The Boy, the Monk, the Man’.
Prakasha
A well respected meditation teacher, Prakasha has been chair of the London Buddhist Centre, and was a founding member of Guhyaloka, the men’s ordination retreat centre in Spain, as well as a key figure at Vajraloka Retreat Centre. In 2023 he and his partner Srisambhava very generously donated their large Padmasamabhava rupa to Adhisthana.
Kalyanaprabha
Like Vidyadevi, Kalyanaprabha has edited and compiled Bhante’s writings for many years, including the Complete Works project. She lives locally to Adhisthana, has strong connections with the German sangha, and often offers her experience of internationality on the DharmaLife courses.
Ratnaprabha
Ratnaprabha is the author of The Evolving Mind: Buddhism, Biology and Consciousness and Finding The Mind: A Buddhist View. He has held numerous responsibilities over the years, most recently Chair of the North London Buddhist Centre.
Vidyaruchi
Vidyaruchi has been heavily involved with running the Men’s DharmaLife courses at Adhisthana over the years, as well as maintaining a strong connection with India. He is currently writing a commentary on Sangharakshita’s Survey of Buddhism.