Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

This is the first in a five part series by Padmavajra on all aspects of the Metta Bhavana practice and 'The Great Love' in Buddhist discourse and practice - from metta (loving kindness) itself to Bodhichitta. His starting point here is to source notions of love in traditional teaching from the Pali Canon and in the great Mahayana sutras. A refreshing take on metta and how to cultivate it in your l...

In this short talk, Sanghamani reflects on the magic of transformation, her mythic connection with her preceptors and with Sangharakshita as a mythic guide. The imperfections of their humanness give her faith in her own process as it unfolds in the context of collective practice. Excerpted from the talk Discipleship, Magic and Myth given at Adhisthana as part of a Women's Area Order Weekend, 2014....

  Vajratara explores discipleship as a living, relational practice rooted in faithfulness rather than idealism. Discipleship is presented as a steadfast gaze on what we most deeply value, and a shared understanding of Going for Refuge that orients a whole life and is handed on through friendship, practice, and devotion. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Mysteries of Discipleship: Flowers and Ga...

There's a story about the Buddha bowing to the tree under which he has just gained Enlightenment. Inspired by this this story, Vajragupta sees the whole path to Awakening in terms of gratitude. The grasping mind cannot feel grateful. But the Awakened know and feel just how deeply they are supported and enabled by other people, other life, and conditions in the world around them. Excerpted from the...

Suryadarshini gives an account of the Buddha's teaching of the three lakshanas, the marks of conditioned existence. He taught that all phenomena have three characteristics: they are impermanent, insubstantial, and imperfect. Expectations can help or hinder our view of reality, and reflecting on the lakshanas can move us towards freedom rather than disappointment, both in meditation and in our live...

Suddhayu discusses the importance of meditation as a refuge in chaotic times, both as a way to tend to our own hearts, and as a way to change the world when we leave the cushion. Excerpted from the talk entitled Meditate Like a Buddha , January 13, 2026 at Aryaloka Buddhist Center in New Hampshire, USA. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now:   https://freebuddhistaudio.com/do...

Aryajaya explores the first seven verses of the Cetokhila Sutta ('The Wilderness of the Heart'), looking at the conditions that make spiritual growth possible or impossible. The focus here is on the 5 wildernesses (or wastelands) that need to be abandoned: being doubtful, uncertain, undecided and unconfident in the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and the training and being angry or displeased with...

This is a quietly passionate talk by Jinapriya on the quicksilver nature of the Enlightenment experience - impossible to pin down, utterly transformative. His main theme within the frame of such a big question - 'What is Enlightenment?' - is the struggle to live our lives in the present moment, especially in the face of pain. Excerpted from the talk entitled What is Enlightenment? given at Cambrid...

After an account of the Buddha's life, Sangharakshita asks how, if at all, such a man can be defined or categorised. Excerpted from the talk entitled Who is the Buddha? given as part of the series Introducing the Three Jewels of Buddhism , 1968. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now:   https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:  Bite-sized clip...

Here Sangharakshita shares two personal stories from his time in Kalimpong and how he came to learn that Vajrasattva is connected with death. This lecture is a series of reflections based around the Buddha's Parinirvana ('death'), stressing the importance of impermanence and explaining episodes recorded in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta. Excerpted from the talk entitled Between Twin Sala Trees as part...

The Buddha's time has come and his companion, Ananda, is completely grief-stricken for the teacher whom he loves so deeply. Vadanya shares the Buddha's gentle encouragement and public praise of his loyal companion in the moments before his Paranibbana. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Last Days of The Buddha given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre , 2008. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for ever...

Stories are powerful - they speak to parts of ourselves that respond to symbols, patterns and truths about human life that are deeper and far beyond our rational experience. Here, Kavyamani tells the moving story of the Buddha's final days, his Parinirvana. Excerpted from the talk entitled In the Footsteps of the Buddha Retreat (6 of 6) given at Taraloka Retreat Centre , 2022. *** Help us keep FBA...

Here, Amarachandra recounts a few themes from the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, beginning with a problematic character named King Ajatasattu, a disciple of the Buddha, who wishes to go to war. Excerpted from the talk entitled Themes From the Mahaparinibbana Sutta given on the occasion of celebrating Parinirvana Day, during the Coronavirus lockdown, at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 2021. *** Help us keep FBA...

Punyamala explores the Buddhist teachings of impermanence and shares reflections on how to live with the fact of death, using her recent experience of death. Excerpted from the talk entitled Impermanence of This Body given at Taraloka Retreat Centre , 2015, on a mitra retreat called Reflection: A Path of Wisdom and is the Second in a series of four talks given on the four reminders. *** Help us ke...

Bodhidasa poetically explores the image of the reclining Buddha - at his physical passing, the Buddha did not stop being a force for good, did not meet a final end in oblivion - and neither do we. The Buddha acts as an inspiration, a story, an influence, a guide, an exemplar - and that continues in the lives of those who remember him. Excerpted from the talk entitled Death Is Not the End - Parinir...

A Sangharakshita lecture celebrating the anniversary of the Parinirvana or 'death' of the Buddha. It outlines six basic meditation practices crucial to the attainment of the 'Deathless': Enlightenment. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Meaning of Parinirvana given as part of the series Parinirvana Day , 1972. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now:   https://freebuddhistaud...

Here, Sraddhagita reflects on a poem by Rumi entitled On Being Woven as she explores the path of  spiritual friendship. Excerpted from the talk entitled Things You Can Learn From Geese given at London Buddhist Centre , 2016. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now:   https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:  Bite-sized clips - Buddhist inspirat...

Here, Vishangka explores what it means to live a full buddhist life, and the place of meditation and community within it. Excerpted from the talk entitled Awake to Life given on the Summer Great Gathering: What Meditation really is at Padmaloka Retreat Centre , 2025. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now:   https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes pod...

Here Ratnaghosha explores various ways of contemplating the qualities and virtues of a Buddha. This fifth talk in the series on the Five Stages of Spiritual Life goes into the theme of spiritual rebirth and what that means for us. Given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre , 2016. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now:   https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabyt...

Here, Khemasuri talks about Milarepa, the consequences of his actions and the law of karma. His understanding deeply affected his life, can it do the same for us? Excerpted from the talk Milarepa And What Karma Really Is given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre , 2011. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now:   https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast...

Nagapriya offers a good, pithy introduction (not to say quirky - check out the football references!) to the traditionally thorny and rather misunderstood area of karma and rebirth, teasing out its relationship to Buddhist ethics in general. Instant karma is yours... Excerpted from the talk Understanding Karma and Buddhist Ethics given in Manchester, 2000. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for eve...

Here, Akasaraja reflects on the question of why the Buddha apparently left this suffering world rather than returning to lead all beings to freedom, as a Bodhisattva promises to do. In doing so, he explores the nature of presence and absence in encounters between people and concludes that we can only be truly present when we are "absent", i.e. when we get out of the way. Excerpted from the talk Wh...

Here, Dharmaprabha explores conditioned co-production through her personal experience of living with a chronic illness. She traces the early formulations of pratitya samutpada back to the Pali canon and discusses how the four noble truths and the spiral path can guide our practice in challenging times. Excerpted from the talk The Heart of the Dharma given at North London Buddhist Centre, 2015. ***...

Suryadarshini interweaves her personal experience of turning away from suffering and towards joy, with the teaching of the spiral path. Excerpted from the talk entitled Moving Away From Suffering; Moving Towards Joy given at Norwich Buddhist Centre , 2018. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: Bite-si...

Ordinary experience is governed by the endless round of the Wheel of Life, which can be gradually halted by treading the spiral path to Enlightenment until progress becomes irreversible. Excerpted from the talk entitled Stream Entry given by Sangharakshita in 1965 as part of the series The Meaning of Conversion in Buddhism . *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://free...