Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

Jvalamalini offers suggestions to bear in mind when reading the Bodhicaryavatara, followed by a selection of guided reflections. She begins by exploring ways into the transcendental and then describes the bodhicitta, the heart of the exposition. Excerpted from the talk Reflections From the Bodhicaryavatara given at Bristol Buddhist Centre , 2016. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Do...

Padmavajra plunges fearlessly down into the lower realms of the wheel of life to meet the beings who inhabit - and the Buddhas who come to meet them. A sobering but strongly felt evocation of how we make the worlds with our minds - and what we might do to counteract the dangers. Excerpted from the talk On Hell and Hungry Ghosts , given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre , as Part of the series Tibetan Bo...

Saddharaja describes the qualities of Akshobya,  the great blue Buddha of the eastern quarter of the mandala - the Unshakeable One, the Imperturbable Akshobya, with a reading from the Bardo of Thodol. Excerpted from the talk Akshobya given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre , 2001 *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabyte...

According to Tibetan tradition, in the bardo, an 'intermediate state' in the endless round of birth and death, we are free for an instant from that round. The Tibetan book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol) describes six of these opportunities for escape from reactivity. From the talk Psycho-Spiritual Symbolism in the Tibetan Book of the Dead given by Sangharakshita as part of the series Aspects of Buddhi...

Here Candradasa shares Ted Hughes' rendering of the Bardo Thodol, Tibetan Book of the Dead. He uses Buddhist scripture, vision literature, and poetry to tease out a sense of the Buddha's awesome vision of what life is, and how that might affect our ideas of what happens after death. Big ideas, big questions to sit with - all pointing to a practically beautiful experience of seeing things clearly i...

Bhadra takes us through the myth of Persephone and an experiential exploration of awareness to celebrate the vital contribution the bardo; the in-between state, makes towards the spiritual life. Excerpted from the talk Celebrating the In-Between given at Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2016. ••• Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our...

Vidyamala offers ways to approach higher states of concentration in meditation and how they bloom out of paying attention to pleasant vedana that has a felt quality of openness within it. Dhyana is not random but a result of where we place our attention in each moment. Excerpted from the talk Introduction to Citta and Dhyana with Guided Meditation given at Taraloka Retreat Centre , 2019. ••• Help...

Here, Jnanavaca explores the Bardo of Life. Excerpted from the talk entitled Root Verses of the Six Bardos: Life given at Vajrasana Retreat Centre , 2023. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: Bite-sized clips - Buddhist inspiration three times a week. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/pod...

Vijayasri describes the Eight Freedoms and the Ten Endowments described in Gampopas teachings in the The Jewel Ornament of Liberation on the importance of a human birth. Excerpted from the talk entitled This Precious Human Life given  at Croydon Buddhist Centre , 2015. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes pod...

Arthaketu reflects on the Bardo Thodol, or Tibetan Book of the Dead, Here, he describes the hidden teachings, or termas, of Padmasambhava and how they are found. From the talk entitled Reflections on the Bardo Thodol given at Manchester Buddhist Centre , 2013. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: Bit...

Parami describes Avalokiteshvara; her relationship to the figure, his origins and mythology. In this talk, she helps listeners connect with his compassion and find meaning in his example of skilful action to end suffering of all beings. Excerpted from the talk Introducing Avalokiteshvara given at Glasgow Buddhist Centre , 2023. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://f...

Vishvapani has been studying, reflecting upon, and living out the Dharma life as presented by Urgyen Sangharakshita, Triratna's founding teacher, for over 40 years. To mark the fourth anniversary of "Bhante" Sangharakshita's death in 2018, this new audio essay delves deep into the heart of what Vishvapani calls a "unique and strange" intuitive approach to Buddhism that, at its best, seems to captu...

Saddhanandi offers reflections on creating sangha through meaningful, authentic friendships and communication. The talk includes references to her interviews about poetry with Sangharakshita. Excerpted from the talk A Vision of Communication given at Cardiff Buddhist Centre , 2023. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dh...

An exploration of Sangharakshita's poem 'Padmaloka' in which he looks forward to his own death. It's a poem about death, rebirth and nature, and Vishvapani connects it to other poetry which it echoes. The talk was given a week after Sangharakshita's death. Excerpted from the talk Sangharakshita Foresees His Death In 'Padmaloka' given at Cardiff Buddhist Centre , 2018. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts...

In this lovely talk following Sangharakshita's death, Ratnaguna urges us to get to know Bhante through his poetry. He then gives us a commentary on some of his favourite poems. Excerpted from the talk Getting to know Urgyen Sangharakshita through his Poetr y given at Manchester Buddhist Centre, 2018. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate...

Urgyen Sangharakshita - Bhante - who died last year, is not only the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order and Community, but also teacher and spiritual friend to Padmavajra. Padmavajra first met him when he was 17 and in this talk he shares some of his own most cherished memories of Bhante, including his experiences of being with him in India when he returned there in the 1970's to found the Ord...

Aryajaya explores Sangharakshita's relationship to his teachers, who form the lineage for the Triratna Buddhist Order. A lovely exploration of the experience of relationship to the Bodhisattvas of Buddhist tradition via meditations passed from teacher to disciple, evoking a wide open sense of connection to the great beauty they represent. Excerpted from the talk Sangharakshita's First Connection w...

Saddhaloka explores the key aspects of any practitioner's commitment, Going Forth and Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels, evoking how Sangharakshita engaged with these formative acts as foundations of his own practice in India at the end of the Second World War. With an introduction by Dhammarati. Excerpted from the talk Going Forth And Going For Refuge as part of the series Themes from the Dhar...

Balajit gives the second of a two-part talk on the 3rd and 4th of the Noble truths. The Buddha said that the whole of his teachings fits within the footprint of the four noble truths. Balajit explores the ways in which we can change our relationship to contraction and suffering by getting to know the deepest longing of the heart Excerpted from the talk In the Footsteps of the Buddha: A Noble Path...

Taranita discusses the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Twelve Nidanas; relating them to our own experience. Excerpted from the talk entitled Heart Sutra 5 - The Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Nidanas given at Bristol Buddhist Centre , 2007. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: B...

Saraha is clear as ever in this exploration of the Four Levels of Awareness. In this excerpt, we hear about the Awareness of Reality - the awareness of things, self and people as they truly are. Excerpted from the talk entitled Introducing Buddhism the Four Levels of Awareness given at Birmingham Buddhist Centre 2015. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhis...

In this talk, 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 entitled The Heart of the Dharma given at North London Buddhist...

Saddhanandi explores the effect of the Worldly Winds in our lives, and the need to know what are susceptible to. Then the need for personal instructions in the area of Dharma Practice, and where we might get that input from: reflection, a Kalyana Mitra, Reaction Practice. Excerpted from the talk entitled Milarepa: Inspiration From the Lineage Retreat (5 of 6) given at Taraloka Retreat Centre as pa...

Here Subhuti expounds on the analogy of the three lakshanas as like a magical show. Using opportunities that difficulties present us with along with meditation evokes a transcendent response within us. Excerpted from the talk entitled Eight Verses for Training the Mind: Talk 4 , part of the series Eight Verses for Training the Mind given at Madhyamaloka, Birmingham, 2004. *** Help us keep FBA Podc...

Reflecting on her favourite lines from the Paranibbana Sutta, Jvalamalini explores how to become an island in the midst of the eight worldly winds, especially how to steer through praise and blame, and fame and infamy by developing true individuality, and spiritual receptivity. Excerpted from the talk Make Yourself An Island - A Talk On the Parinibbana Sutta given at Bristol Buddhist Centre 2011....