The image archive was established when Sangharakshita asked the Clear Vision Trust to look after his entire photographic collection. It quickly expanded when the Triratna Order Office passed on its entire collection of Triratna (FWBO) images, many of which feature Sangharakshita. These were soon followed by the venerable Dhardo Rimpoche’s own collection of black and white negatives, and a number of photographic collections from Triratna centres and individual Order members.

The archive now holds over 10,000 images, whether negatives, transparencies or prints. Over the years, despite a lack of funding, Clear Vision made efforts to store, protect, catalogue, database, scan, reproduce and make those images available. Those shared have proved an invaluable resource in publications, research and personal practice – but the work is far from complete.

The Urgyen Sangharakshita Trust has now come to the rescue and, with Future Dharma Fund as financial partner, we are working to complete the next stage of this precious legacy project.

Over the next two years every image will be scanned, repaired, catalogued and entered into a digital database. A new online Triratna Picture Library is being developed where thousands of images, including as complete a collection as possible of images of Bhante, are being made available in curated albums. We also plan to create an off-line image viewing facility in the Sangharakshita Library at Adhisthana.

This photographic archive and Picture Library is an incredibly rich and valuable part of Sangharakshita’s legacy, bringing to life his own story and that of Triratna. Though the archival work itself can be experienced as tedious and seemingly endless, one is freshly inspired stumbling unexpectedly across an old colour photo from the 1950s of Sangharakshita and Lama Govinda that is patiently waiting to be restored; or a handwritten note on a photo of Sangharakshita at Singapore Docks that reads, ‘To mother with love’; or black-and-white pictures of senior Triratna Order members as fresh faced young things. Seeing them one’s inspiration returns and one is reminded of Sangharakshita’s own enthusiasm for this very special project.