The NBO Files
So called because there is a striking resemblance to the notorious FWBO Files: a set of documents circulated some years ago. The FWBO Files set out to blacken the reputation of one of our members, and much of the material contained in them has been regurgitated in the current attack on the NBO. The FWBO Files have been thoroughly discredited, although they are still in circulation.
Policy Statement 1st September 2006
It has come to our attention recently that an anonymous document, entitled "The NBO and Cults", has been in circulation in which attacks have been made upon the Network of Buddhist Organisations. This document was sent to a wide-ranging selection of prominent people within the religious community, many of them not Buddhist. The existence of this document was brought to our attention by Brian Pearce, the Director of the Interfaith Network of the UK. The allegations made a number of factually incorrect statements, some of which are as follows:-
There are in addition other allegations concerning government policy with regard to the NBO. We believe that it is for the Government itself to address these issues if it so wishes.
In response to these unfounded allegations, we have written a response and sent it to the same mailing list that was used by the sender of the original document. Although the original document was sent anonymously, we do in fact know who the author is and we shall be notifying him of our response. Below is a copy of that response in which our position on the matters raised is clearly set out.
"The NBO has always invited input and discussion from the whole Buddhist community, and no one has ever made these allegations to us directly. As the document is unsigned and it was transmitted by means of an anonymous Yahoo email address, we cannot respond in the way we would most like. Our preference would be for discussion with the author to see if we can address any legitimate concerns they might have. We don’t know why they have chosen to write anonymously or indeed what has prompted their concern: we see that the document makes no complaints about anything the NBO itself has actually done, other than the charge of not being sufficiently inclusive, which is referred to later in this response.
The document rightly says the NBO aims ‘to promote fellowship and dialogue between Buddhist organisations, to facilitate co-operation in matters of common interest and to work in harmony with Buddhists’. But it is wrong to say that we claim to ‘represent UK Buddhism or UK Buddhist groups’. In the NBO we understand and value the diversity of opinion within the UK Buddhist community and we would not try to ‘reach a consensus on what represents genuine Buddhist practice.’ In fact, we have never been asked by any government agency to do so.
The NBO does get asked from time to time for our views on various topics, and we have often debated how best to respond. On the one hand, the views of our members are varied and we are sensitive to the presence of other Buddhist organisations that are not members. Through our interfaith contacts we understand that these are perennial issues for all of the umbrella groups in each religion. Our approach is to consult fully with our membership, and in our response we always make it clear that the view expressed is ‘a consensus of our membership’, but that it should not be taken as a view representing all possible Buddhist opinion. Sometimes we have been unable to offer a ‘Buddhist view’ because none exists.
The NBO constitution states that we are ‘open to any organisation which is regarded by its members as Buddhist'. This inclusive policy means that our membership includes a broad range of organisations. For example, currently our Secretary is from a Chinese Mahayana group, our Treasurer is from the Serene Reflection Meditation Tradition (Soto Zen), our Interfaith Coordinator follows Burmese Theravada, and our Webmaster and Development Officer are both Thai Theravadin. In addition we have member groups from within the Pure Land and Shingon traditions, various Tibetan traditions, a Nepalese group, Gaia House, the Leeds Buddhist Council and the Buddhist Society which in themselves represent a diversity of traditions, and as well as some individual members.
This diversity of traditions means that our meetings represent a wide spectrum of Buddhist experience and are not dominated by any one group. Contrary to what the document says we do include a number of ‘ethnic Asian Buddhist members’ and we are working hard to broaden our membership further in this area.
This broad membership does indeed include Soka Gakkai International (SGI), the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), and the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) as stated in the document. As members of the NBO we have found them to be in good standing, and these organisations in no way dominate the culture of the NBO. It would be more appropriate for any specific concerns regarding these groups to be addressed directly to them and we know that they would be ready to respond to these.
The NBO is not self-appointed. Every year we hold an AGM at which all member organisations are encouraged to put forward candidate officers, who are then appointed by means of a democratic voting procedure.
We hope this response addresses any concerns that may have been raised by ‘The NBO and Cults’. If you would like to discuss it further please contact the NBO secretary at secretary@nbo.org.uk
We are also happy to meet with any UK Buddhists who have concerns about our constitution or our activities. We feel strongly that open discussion is the right way for us to address any differences. This would of course include discussion with the anonymous author of the present document if they were willing to engage in this.
Jamie Cresswell. Chair. (Soka Gakkai International UK)
Sally Masheder. Secretary. (Western Chan fellowship)
Caroline Brazier. (Amida Buddhist Order)
Rev. Saido Kennaway. Treasurer. (Order of Buddhist Contemplatives)
Dhammarati. Membership Sec. (Western Buddhist Order)
Wilson Young. Webmaster. (Buddha Vihara Temple, Birmingham)
Yann Lovelock. Inter-faith Co-ordinator. (Birmingham Maha Vihara)"
It has recently come to our attention (July 2007), that a letter of a potentially libelous nature, and making much the same accusations as in last year’s anonymous email has been widely circulated to educational leaders. The letter is signed and we believe the author to be the same as that of the anonymous email. We believe this to be the case because the file properties on the anonymous material contained the names of a person and the school in which this person is known to have been a teacher at the time. The name is the same as that of the author of the recent letter.
Since the latest letter simply repeats the same accusations against the NBO and some of its members, our reply from last year still applies. The only new material that the author mentions is a series of parliamentary questions which we include below. These parliamentary questions are intended to raise doubts about three member organisations of the NBO and about the NBO itself as a representative organisation. The questions are vague and clearly linked with the accusations in last year’s anonymous email and this year’s letter.
We believe that all of these questions were instigated by the same person, the author of the anonymous email in 2006 and the letter this year. This is effectively a one man campaign.
The NBO has made repeated overtures, by various means of communication, to the author to request a meeting where grievances can be aired and resolved, but at the time of writing we have received no reply.
The parliamentary questions and corresponding Ministerial answers (text taken from Hansard) below. Readers will note that although addressed to different government departments, the question remains essentially the same one, asked (with one exception) by the same MP
16th July 2007: Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund
Mr. John Leech (Manchester, Withington): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Mr. Dhanda: The Department has received correspondence from a member of the public regarding the alleged cultish behaviour of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, New Kadampa Tradition and Soka Gakkai International. No other representation has been received by the Department. Communities and Local Government has commissioned the Community Development Foundation to administer the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund. Officials made the Community Development Foundation aware of the existence of the allegations. The Department considered whether these allegations had any relevance when set against the Fund's stringent criteria and guidelines. The decision was made that the criteria was satisfied and the award of funding was made.
28th Nov 2006: Network of Buddhist Organisations
Mr. Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Department’s list of organisations consulted on religious issues, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Network of Buddhist Organisations is representative of that faith's adherents; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Byrne: 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.
16th Oct 2006: Buddhist Groups
Mr. Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 9 August 2006 to Question 85303, which other Buddhist organisations his Department consults.
Mr. Byrne: The list of contacts the department has for Buddhist groups includes The Buddhist Society and the London Buddhist Vihara as well as the Network of Buddhist Organisations. We do not hold records when or how often organisations are consulted.
4th Sept 2006: Network of Buddhist Organisations
Mr. Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Department's list of organisations consulted on religious issues, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Network of Buddhist Organisations is representative of that faith's adherents; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Byrne: The Home Office has made no such assessment. The Network of Buddhist Organisations is one of the Buddhist organisations that the Home Office consults with.
Mr. Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2006, Official Report, column 308W, on Buddhism, what factors were taken into account in including the Network of Buddhist Organisations on his list of consultees; what other Buddhist organisations are included on the list; and if he will make a statement.
Jim Knight: The Department will always seek to consult as widely as is reasonably practicable. Factors taken into account include the nature, scale and subject of the consultation. The Network of Buddhist Organisations has 27 member organisations and 25 associate member organisations, from a range of Buddhist traditions, and is one of the groups with which the Department has consulted on relevant issues. The Department has previously consulted the Clear Vision Trust, The Buddhist Society and individual Buddhists.
24th July 2006: Religious Issues
Mr. Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her Department's list of organisations consulted on religious issues affecting matters concerning her Department, what assessment she has made of the extent to which the Network of Buddhist Organisations is representative of that faith's adherents; and if she will make a statement.
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has made no such assessment. The Network of Buddhist Organisations is one of a range of faith organisations that the Department consults with on relevant issues. For example, 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.
18th July 2006: Buddhism
Mr. Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Department's list of organisations consulted on religious issues affecting matters concerning his Department, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Network of Buddhist Organisations is representative of that faith's adherents; and if he will make a statement.
Jim Knight: The DfES has made no such assessment. The Network of Buddhist Organisations is one of the organisations that the Department consults on relevant issues.