The Thought of Sangharakshita - A Critical Assessment - Robert M. Ellis
Introduction
The Thought of Sangharakshita - A Critical Assessment - Robert M. Ellis
Robert M. Ellis [+]
Middle Way Society
Robert M. Ellis is author of a range of interdisciplinary books on Middle Way Philosophy, both within and beyond Buddhism. These have included The Buddha’s Middle Way: Experiential Judgement in His Life and Teaching (Equinox Publishing, 2019) and Archetypes in Religion and Beyond: A Practical Theory of Human Integration and Inspiration (Equinox Publishing, 2022). He is also founder of the Middle Way Society and of Tirylan House Retreat Centre in Wales.
Description
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.