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and dharma talks, which have blossomed during the cultural respect for the monastic lifestyle. Whilst, as a
pandemic) and any number of Buddhist groups and nation, we certainly have a long and complicated history
communities that have a presence in Britain’s towns and with monasticism, we have a number of highly successful
cities. Of course, there remain access issues for those Buddhist monastic orders that are very well established
who live in more rural areas, but it is safe to say that in Britain, and that attract a large lay following.
Buddhism is now firmly established on British shores.
th
Since the early 20 century, Buddhists have been trying
However, although there are many hundreds of to establish monastic communities in Britain, and
Buddhist groups in Britain, and numerically Buddhism after the 1950s/1960s, these became more common
has significantly increased in the UK (there was about and they are now growing in number and diversity.
a 100,000 person increase between our two census Although much of the writing about Buddhism in the
dates of 2001 and 2011), it still remains a minority West suggests that Western converts to Buddhism
religion and some of my participants discussed with want to democratize the lay/monastic hierarchy,
me the strange looks that they still might receive when providing new roles for lay Buddhists, it is clear that
going out and about wearing Buddhist robes or after Buddhist monasticism is still a vital part of establishing
tonsure, and some lack of understanding about their Buddhism in Britain, and there remains a strong desire
religious affiliations and what support they might need to support and engage with monastic practitioners, both
to survive, particularly if they are monastics who do not from Asia and those that are ‘home-grown’.
handle money. Although this might be more difficult to
ascertain, one of the wider social changes that I feel has There is a gender imbalance in some Buddhist traditions
occurred is that Buddhism has developed significant in Britain, however, and there are more monasteries for
cultural capital and acceptance in a British context. male monks than for women. This affects some women’s
likelihood of being able to ‘go forth into homelessness’,
Buddhism is typically perceived as not a religion but a in practical terms. In the book, I discuss some of the
philosophy, as peaceful, as in line with modern ideas of very real difficulties that ordained women have when
rationality and science, and you can buy Buddhist icons trying to survive in a culture which perhaps isn’t always
and images in almost every supermarket or garden center. hospitable to Buddhist monasticism (especially for
It has also attracted a large number of British converts, and women), and where there were not established monastic
these are the focus of my book. Whilst Buddhism is still a environments ready to support them. It can be a different
minority religion in the British context, it has assimilated story for traditions with strong connections to Asian
in various ways into the mainstream, including in popular monastic organizations and lineages (for example, there
and aesthetic culture, which is fascinating to analyze. is a small but thriving Fo Guang Shan community of
nuns in England), and so yet again, the experience of
Many of the women you interviewed are monastics monasticism is diverse in this context. For those without
from various Buddhist traditions. Do you think strong institutional support, it is quite a difficult thing
Buddhist monasticism has a place today, especially to be a monastic without a monastery (which some are)
in the West? and still have to survive financially whilst upholding your
vows and living alone. In the book I discuss the various
I certainly think it does, and the successful establishment clever ways, borne of necessity, that women make this
of many Buddhist monastic communities across work in practical terms, but also the very real hardships
different countries outside of Asia will attest to this. In that some have faced.
terms of Britain, we have a particular relationship with
monasticism, forged in the sixteenth-century English What aspects of Buddhism do you find relevant
Reformation, and more than once my participants for modern day people today, especially for those
referenced this period of religious change, raising with a career, family commitments and other social
concerns that English people might not have sufficient responsibilities?