Dharmabytes from Free Buddhist Audio

The imagination is a superpower. Buddhism offers unique tools to harness this superpower for the benefit of all beings. Sagaravajra encourages us to let the muse communicate through us. Excerpted from the talk entitled Maps of the Imagination , given at the Buddhafield Festival as part of the series The Dharma Parlour: Buddhafield 2023 - Liberation Through Imagination . *** Help us keep FBA Podcas...

"Art is the organisation of sensuous impressions that express the artist's sensibility and communicate to his audience a sense of values that can transform their lives." Using his own definition, Sangharakshita investigates the relevance of art and the artist to higher evolution. Excerpted from the talk entitled Art and the Spiritual Life given as part of the series The Higher Evolution , 1969. He...

Following the theme of channeling our strong emotions into energy that can be used in our spiritual practice, Paranita will be exploring how we can direct the feeling of falling in love with another person towards cultivating deeper spiritual ideals and falling in love with those. Excerpted from the talk The Rite of Fascination - Falling In Love given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre , 2023. Help us k...

Parami gives the introductory talk for the 2015 Triratna International Urban Retreat live in Adelaide, Australia. Her theme - and the theme of the whole retreat - is Living in the Greater Mandala, and she brings this alive in the most human, poetic, and inspired of ways. Her range is broad as she evokes the mandala itself, and the profound, playful path of the Bodhisattva. Excerpted from the talk...

Does my life matter? Can I really say that actions have consequences? In this short talk Kavyamani explores the Yogacara teaching of the Alaya Vijnana, commonly referred to as the storehouse consciousness, reflecting that all our actions are like seeds and at some point they will bear fruit. Excerpted from the talk Everything Matters and Nothing Is Lost , part of the series Seeds of the Heart: Tal...

With precise reference to three poems by Sangharakshita, Samantabhadri explores the haiku at its best. Speaking on a Silent Retreat at Taraloka, she focuses on the evocation of the moment, on compassion and other implicit emotion, on the unworldliness of the poet and on the haiku as a communication of an insight experience. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Wonder of the Haiku given at Taraloka...

Sangharakshita tells the story of the Buddha's encounter with Brahma Sahampati. This lecture celebrates the anniversary of the Buddha's decision to teach, with an account of the events just after his Enlightenment. Excerpted from the talk entitled The New Man Speaks , 1971. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:  Bite-sized clips - Buddhis...

More of a lively ramble than a talk, Devamitra explores of the relationship between imagination and devotion based loosely around the Ti Ratana Vandana. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Heart of Triratna given at Birmingham Buddhist Centre, 2013. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:  Bite-sized clips - Buddhist inspiration three time...

Vidyamala introduces the key aspects of this part of the Sutta and then speaks of the importance of allowing for growth and integration in our practice. She speaks of the twin pillars of awareness and love and how mindfulness can lead to a deeper and deeper sense of connection with all of life and how kindness is a natural expression of that. She also speaks of her own practice after the recent de...

In this talk Dayanandi cov­ers the first of the five great stages of spir­itual exper­i­ence that develop and unfold as we pro­gress on the Path to Enlightenment — integ­ra­tion and whole­ness. Excerpted from the talk entitled Mindfulness and the Mandala of Integration , part of the series The Five Great Stages of the Spiritual Path given at Manchester Buddhist Centre , 2011. *** Help us keep FBA ...

In Sthiranaga 's exploration of this section of Canto 103, he provides some practical techniques to help keep us from becoming estranged from our meditation practice as well as tips to creatively explore the positive formulation of the precepts, which can form part of the 'enactment' of Padmasabhava's advice to Queen Ngang Chung, which leads to her liberation. Excerpted from the talk Working with...

A delightful talk to mark the re-launch of 'Mitrata, a journal (now discontinued) which helped develop the systematic study of Buddhism and was especially intended for 'mitras' ('Friends'). Here, Sangharakshita tells the story of Meghiya drawing out the theme of spiritual friendship and receptivity to one's teacher. Excerpted from The Launching of the New Mitrata , 1983. *** Help us keep FBA Podca...

A beautiful introduction by Ratnavandana to the Brahma Viharas as an integrated set of practices flowing from metta- loving-kindness. Her central image is that of a tree, deep-rooted and spreading its canopy wide as she evokes a profound, personal connection to the cultivation of the sublime abodes- loving-kindness, compassion, joy with others, and equanimity. Ratnavandana also leads a guided medi...

Ratnaprabha takes us through the realisations that came to the Buddha during his all night meditation under the Bodhi tree, culminating in the vision of the morning star, the Star of Healing. Its light was the first sight of the Awakened One, a light symbolising the illumination of awareness itself. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Star of Healing given at West London Buddhist Centre , 2014. *...

A father, now wealthy, spots his long-lost son in the streets. He gradually befriends him until he has the self-confidence to take on his inheritance. This parable from the Lotus Sutra yields fascinating lessons in accepting the riches of our deepest nature. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Myth of the Return Journey by Akashadevi given at West London Buddhist Centre , 2018. *** Help us keep F...

Poetry is something that takes you deeper into the heart of things. Dharmavadana explores the impact of poetry on our spiritual life. Excerpted from the talk entitled Poetry and Spiritual Life given at West London Buddhist Centre , 2010. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:  Bite-sized clips - Buddhist inspiration three times a week. App...

Activism, slavery, the Bodhisattva vow and utopia. Welcoming rage, passion and kindness into our Sangha is the path to liberation. Successful responses to capitalism and other forms of suffering and injustice. from the Sigalaka sutta to real questions about how we treat our fellow human beings. Here, Saraha shares two poems that inspire him to engage fully with life. Excerpted from Your Liberation...

Padmasagara challenges familiar ideas of compassion. When we step beyond the ego, compassion may arise in many forms, not always what we expect. Excerpted from the talk entitled A Buddhist's Response to Global Crises - Part 1 given at Buddhistisches Tor Berlin , 2026. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:  Bite-sized clips - Buddhist insp...

Join Lalitaratna as he explores the essence of puja, a devotional practice honoring the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Discover how this practice can reshape our mental state and perspective on the world. The talk delves into Dharma Vinaya, unpacking the truths of impermanence, no-self, and suffering, along with the transformative path of ethical living, meditation, and wisdom. Excerpted from the tal...

Prasadavati invites us to explore how meditation can serve our lives on and off the cushion, and especially during challenging times. Excerpted from the talk entitled Befriend Your Mind given at Buddhistisches Tor Berlin , 2025. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:  Bite-sized clips - Buddhist inspiration three times a week. Apple Podcas...

Equanimity is the deepest level of metta: metta imbued with seeing reality. Maitrisiddhi brings in Kisa Gotami, Hiroshima and her own mother's death. Can we hold the paradox of loving, yet letting go? Can we drop the drama, and see the mettaful action that we could actually take? Excerpted from the talk entitled Equanimity: This Is The Way Things Are as part of the series Brahma Viharas: Living in...

Image of the sea and the raft: we hold onto our raft, but this brings suffering - can we let go, enter the sea and become spiritually reborn? This is the question Arthabandhu asks us.  Spiritual death does not only mean esoteric meditation practices; it means confronting the vagaries and difficulties of life with honesty and courage and seeing what we can learn from them. By opening up to new expe...

Orientation towards Enlightenment is a keynote talk by Kusaladevi marking both the Buddha's enlightenment over 2,500 years ago and the 30th anniversary of the Nottingham Buddhist Centre. Exploring themes of lineage, connection, and the symbolism of the Vajrasana as a point of orientation in a suffering world. Kusaladevi reflects on how Dharma practice and the life of a Buddhist Centre offer a brid...

Vaddhaka delves into the Buddha's unanswered questions; questions that Vacchagotta, Malunkyaputta and others asked him. Among them: 'What happens to a Buddha after death?' And what happens at our own death; what did the Buddha really say; and why did the renowned Buddhist scholar Paul Williams convert from Buddhism to Roman Catholicism? Excerpted from the talk entitled Death and the Self, and the...

Maitreyabandhu draws out the deeper meaning and finer detail of five different poems, each around the theme of death with the final poem focusing on spiritual rebirth. By discussing the background of the poems and poets, the intricacies of their structure, and bringing in a Buddhist interpretation of the themes raised in the poems, Maitreyabandhu shows us the importance and profundity of poetry an...