In this book, a leading Western Buddhist recalls the heady days of the 1960s. While many people went to India to find gurus, Sangharakshita (Dennis Lingwood) was returning to England after 20 years in India. One of the first Westerners to become a Buddhist monk, he became a controversial figure in the Buddhist world and one of the founding fathers of Western Buddhism. This book gives the reader a revealing insider's view of: Buddhism in the UK in the 1960s; the start of a new religious movement, the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, one of the major Buddhist schools in the UK; and an insight into the life and thoughts of Sangharakshita, controversial innovator, respected teacher and Buddhist scholar.

Author Biography

A respected translator and author of over fifty books, Sangharakshita began studying BUddhism at the age of 16. After 20 years studying in India he returned to England and set up the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order which has over 65 centres worldwide, including the USA.