Ellis/The Thought of Sangharakshita, 1. Introduction

This section gives the book context in the author’s experience, outlines Sangharakshita’s life, and explains the overall critical approach. Sangharakshita’s achievements were substantial: the founding of a successful Buddhist movement and the first major moves in adapting Buddhism to Western conditions. He was a highly creative figure and in some ways open to critical discussion, but weaker on adapting his ideas in response to feedback. The approach taken to critical assessment in the book is entirely practical – which in many ways means judging Sangharakshita’s thinking in terms of its own best features.