ABSTRACT
Over the last thirty years thousands of Buddhist Centres have opened across Europe, America, and other parts of the world. Most of these teach one of the many Buddhist traditions that have developed in Asia. Others have sought to understand Buddhism in the light of particular traditions of western thought such as psychotherapy, drawing on it as a source of techniques and instruction. The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order's (FWBO's) approach is based on the perception that the varied and divided Buddhist tradition has an underlying unity. All schools teach a path to Enlightenment, and define this path through common principles. The FWBO is committed to presenting Buddhism in a way that is relevant to the modern West. The modern environment of industry, technology and communications is far removed from the conditions under which traditional Buddhism evolved and thrived.
