Building Buddhism in England
Emma Tomalin and Caroline Starkey
University of Leeds
The Project
To assess the meaning and significance of faith
buildings amongst Buddhist communities in
England. To
1. Enable EH and the broader heritage sector to
develop its expertise and protect these buildings
appropriately;
2. To better understand the heritage, nature and
significance of Buddhist buildings for their
respective communities/users;
3. To better understand the ways in which building
use reflects and enables Buddhist practice.
The Project
• Mapping of Buddhist buildings (online)
• Qualitative interviews with 14 groups in 10
locations
• Online survey
• Completion: October 2014
• Article published on
‘Public Spirit’ website
• Blog launched (3500+ page
views)
Starting point
• What did English Heritage want to know?
• What impact did they expect the project to
have?
What they wanted to know
• Where are Buddhist buildings and how many
there are?
• What kinds of buildings do Buddhists
communities use and what do they use them
for?
• What is the value of these buildings to the
communities and individuals?
What impact did EH want the project
to have?
•
•
•
•
Add terms to the ‘heritage gateway’
Add to listed buildings
‘Introduction to Heritage Assets’ resource
Update and amend details on the ‘heritage
list’
• Principles of selection for ‘Buddhist buildings’
to be listed
What is a ‘Buddhist building’?
• Rooms in private houses – private practice
• Rooms rented for weekly class by Buddhist
groups
• Rented or squatted full-time
• Purchased residential (suburban semis to derelict
mansions)
• Purchased other (shops, libraries, swimming
baths, courthouse, schools etc.)
• Purpose built (much less common)
Little academic work in this area
Peach and Gale (2003) – looking at relationship of faith groups with
town planners over time. Four stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
‘Tacit change and planning denial’: ‘Faith communities were
often unaware that British planning regulations require official
permission to change the use of premises’ (2003: 482).
‘The search for larger premises’: ‘often conversions of disused
chapels of churches or the conversion of factories, cinemas, or
other commercial premises to places of worship’ (2003: 482).
‘Purpose-built premises: Hiding and Displacement’: “hiding the
buildings from public view of truncating their iconic features”
(2003: 483).
‘Purpose-built premises: Embracing and Celebration’: this is
where the full range of architectural features are on show (2003:
484-5).
1) Finding and developing the
buildings
Throssel Hole Abbey (Soto Zen)
[The] monks started to build…the ceremony hall building,
where you have the meditation, you know, the shrine
room…unfortunately, all gung-ho…they started building it,
then of course they hadn’t really done it well enough, so most
of it had to get taken down…But what did happen later on is
that we did have a member of the congregation who was an
architect, who was very, very helpful with all our buildings. He
was working for the local authority, and he’s drawn up lots of
plans, and was able to help us quite a lot. Because, as you can
imagine, with a lot of these places like us, we’re not all
swimming in cash.
1) Finding and developing the
buildings
Wat Buddhapadipa, Thai
Funding for buying both
the house and the land,
and later building the
temple, was granted by
the Thai Government.
2) Buddhist Building Terminology
• Convert groups are more likely to adopt the
word ‘centre’
• Diaspora groups prefer to use Asian terms
such as pagoda, gompa, wat or vihara
• Also visited the Bhutanese stupa at Harewood
House
2) Buddhist Building Terminology
• Convert groups are more likely to adopt the
word ‘centre’
• Diaspora groups prefer to use Asian terms
such as gompa, wat or vihara
3) Range of functions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Buddhist practice and cultural activities
Monastery
Community centre
Retreat centres
Schools
Buddhist businesses e.g. Lama’s Pyjamas
‘Secular mindfulness meditation’ courses
Hire out rooms to other groups, including nonBuddhist
4) Value of Buddhist Buildings
Manchester Buddhist Centre (Triratna)
it’s the place where they first discovered
Buddhism... Buddhism changed their lives… You
know, a lot of people say, ‘I don’t know where I’d
be…’. In fact, last night, somebody even said ‘ I
don’t know if I’d be alive if it wasn’t for
Buddhism’…
4) Value of Buddhist Buildings
Manchester Buddhist Centre (Triratna)
I like the fact that it’s an old building that’s been renovated. I
like the idea of recycling the building. So this building’s been
put to new use, and I like that. Aesthetically, I like this building.
It think what is more important to me is that this building now
has a history of Buddhist use. That’s what’s important. And I
know that a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into
renovating this building, and those blood, sweat and tears
were put in because there was a vision—a Buddhist vision.
And there’s been a continuation of that over time. That’s
what’s meaningful for me being in this building. It is great that
it’s an old building.
4) Value of Buddhist Buildings
Amaravati, Thai Forest Sangha
There's a difference between being attached and
taking care. And so, non-attachment doesn't mean
having no structures, or no conventions. The
monastic discipline that the Buddha crafted is
extremely intricate. It's a long, long, long list of 'do
this, don't do that.' It's a form. If you cling to it, and
you attach to it, then it becomes an obstacle…The
use of structure without attachment is like the
famous simile of the raft…
Issues Raised
• Diversity: ‘Convert’ vs. ‘Ethnic’ (or ‘ethnic
minority’) building style, emphasis, and use
• Buildings and Mindfulness: Wider Community
Use
• Buildings as Buddhist Practice: Community
Involvement and ‘Right Effort’
• Contribution to heritage
• Significance and Insignificance; Attachment/nonattachment
• English Heritage Involvement: Help and Listing
Future Plans
• EH funding next phase on Hindu, Jain and
Zoroastrian buildings
• Extending project to Australia, and to all of the
UK?