Buddhistisches Tor Berlin Podcast

Talk given by Arthaketu on 2026-06-20.  How do different ways of understanding the spiritual life shape our meditation practice? In this talk, Arthaketu explores the relationship between the Metta Bhavana and the three myths of the spiritual life described by Subhuti: the myth of development, the myth of surrender, and the myth of discovery. What do these three perspectives mean in practice? How m...

Talk given by Simhavara on 2025-01-18.  This talk brings to life the story of Machig Labdrön, an 11th-century Tibetan yogin whose radical clarity unsettled scholars and reshaped Buddhist practice across traditions. Speaking in a language people could immediately understand, she pointed directly to awakening itself, beyond intellectual refinement or doctrinal boundaries. Her story becomes a mirror...

Talk given by Kalyanaprabha on 2026-06-06.  In a time marked by conflict, uncertainty, and rapid change, many people find themselves asking how to respond without becoming overwhelmed, fearful, or resigned. In this talk, Kalyanaprabha explores a distinctly Buddhist response to the challenges facing both individuals and society today. Drawing on Sangharakshita’s visionary lecture series Buddhism fo...

Talk given by Padmasagara on 2026-05-24.  The stupa is one of the oldest symbols in Buddhism, emerging long before images of the Buddha became common. Across traditional Buddhist countries, these striking structures have stood for centuries as symbols of awakening, transformation, and the path itself. In this talk, Padmasagara leads us into the symbolism of the Stupa through the dramatic scene fro...

Talk given by Arthaketu on 2026-04-25.  In this follow-up to the talk "The Second Arrow: Working with Pain", we return to the Sallatha Sutta and deepen the inquiry. The Buddha’s image is simple but challenging: when pain arises, do we add a second arrow through resistance, or can we stay with the first? But what about the mind itself? Does this teaching apply only to physical pain, or ca...

Talk given by Padmavajra on 2026-05-16.  In this talk, Padmavajra evoked the spirit of Padmasambhava, the great tantric master of Tibet. He formulated four precepts that shall guide us as Buddhist practitioners in modern-day Berlin. These are: Arouse the great passion Live the great death Hurl the lightning bolt of compassion Revere the glorious mandala Listen in to learn what these mean for our p...

Talk given by Arthaketu on 2026-04-18.  In this talk, we explore the Sallatha Sutta, “The Arrow,” where the Buddha draws a sharp distinction between reactivity and practice. When pain arises, the untrained mind resists, adding a second arrow of suffering on top of the first. A practitioner, by contrast, learns to meet experience directly, without that extra layer. What does this mean in practice?...

Talk given by Suryagupta on 2026-05-02.  Suryagupta, Chair of the London Buddhist Centre, draws on her decades of Buddhist practice alongside experiences of activism, parenting, and work in the arts, to reflect on what it means to be fully human: to struggle, to long for growth, and to seek connection, meaning, and love. At the heart of her path, a powerful moment from a frightening international...

Talk given by Simhavara on 2026-04-06.  On 6 April 1967, in a modest basement in London, Sangharakshita founded the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, the seed that would grow into today’s Triratna Buddhist Community. Almost six decades later, we gather to mark this anniversary, not as something distant or historical, but as a living sangha shaped by practice, friendship, and shared commitment...

Talk given by Sanghadarshini on 2026-04-04.  An evening in April 1968 marked the beginning of something new in Western Buddhism: the founding of the Triratna Buddhist Order, a spiritual community rooted in friendship, practice, and equality between men and women. This talk revisits those early days in London and traces how this living tradition continues today in places like Berlin. It also includ...

Talk given by Padmasagara on 2026-04-11.  Buddhist mantras are often misunderstood. It can look like singing, prayer, or a superficial kind of magic and mysticism. But it’s none of these. In this talk, Padmasagara explores what a mantra actually is within Buddhist practice, and why it has been described as “the short path” to awakening. He reflects on how mantras work and invites us to try the pra...

Talk given by Tarapalita on 2026-02-14 . What are you afraid of: death, loss, or even your own potential? In this talk, Tarapalita explores how the Buddhist tradition encourages turning directly toward what frightens us. Drawing inspiration from the ancient practice of meditating in the charnel grounds, where the living sat with the dead, he reflects on how confronting fear and impermanence can tr...

Talk given by Simharava on 2026-03-14.  What does it really mean to be on a journey? In this talk, Simharava reflects on a recent trip to India through the lens of three interwoven journeys. The first traces the life of the Buddha and the unfolding of the Dharma. The second follows Sangharakshita, whose own spiritual quest in India led to the eventual founding of the Triratna Buddhist Community. T...

Talk given by Padmasagara on 2026-03-28.  Is it really possible to be happy in a world that is full of suffering? In this second talk on a Buddhist response to global crises, Padmasagara turns from the theme of heartbreak to happiness. But this isn’t about cheering ourselves up or looking on the bright side. Instead, the talk explores how we can stay open to the reality of suffering, both in our o...

Talk given by Padmasagara on 2026-03-21.  After 15 years of practice, Padmasagara asks a difficult question: what difference has it really made, in a world marked by ongoing crisis? Reflecting on the First Noble Truth, that there is dukkha, he explores whether suffering is something we must learn to face, rather than solve. This talk also challenges familiar ideas of compassion. When we step beyon...

Talk given by Arthaketu on 2026-03-07 .  In this talk, Arthaketu explores the Buddhist teaching of the five hindrances, the mental obstacles that prevent us from entering deeper states of meditation and awareness. Using the image of queuing outside a club like Berghain and being turned away at the door, he illustrates how these hindrances can block our way. But the story does not end there. Alongs...

Talk given by Padmasagara on 2026-02-28.  In this talk, Padmasagara picks up threads from his last talk on The Wheel of Life and turns to the story of the Japanese Zen master Hakuin, who at one point in his life pushed himself so hard in practice that he became seriously unwell. Describing exhaustion, fearfulness, and physical distress, Hakuin sought help from a mountain hermit who diagnosed him w...

Talk given by Padmasagara on 2025-12-06. This talk explores the story behind the Karaniya Metta Sutta, one of the Buddha’s earliest and most important teachings on metta, or loving-kindness. The talk begins with the context in which this teaching was given: a deep and unsettling forest, filled with strange sounds, shadows, and fear. From there, the story turns inward, pointing to the "forest...

Talk given by Dharmasara on 2025-11-15. In this talk, Dharmasara explores the role of community and friendship in Buddhist practice and the potential of spiritual life lived together. Reflecting on his own experience, he describes how an initial search for a teaching gradually opened into a network of friends, teachers, and fellow practitioners, revealing new ways of understanding and deepening re...

Talk given by Dharmasara on 2026-02-07 . In this talk, Dharmasara explores the Buddha’s final days and his Parinirvana, complete Enlightenment beyond birth and death. An event that tells us much about the meaning of Enlightenment, the nature of the mind, and the spirit in which Buddhism is to be practised. Drawing on three stories from the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, Dharmasara paints a picture of the...

Talk given by Tarapalita on 2025-11-08 . In this talk, Tarapalita explores the Buddha’s teaching in the Meghiya Sutta, a clear and practical teaching on the conditions that support genuine spiritual progress. The Buddha outlines five key factors that lead to what he calls the heart’s release: regular contact with spiritual friends, a wholehearted commitment to ethics, careful and kind speech, the...

Talk given by Arthaketu on 2025-11-29 . To become free, it is helpful to have a system to practice within. In this talk, Arthaketu guides us through the Triratna System of Practice/Meditation, designed to support us on the path from the beginning all the way to freedom. The five stages of the Triratna system are presented in their traditional order: Integration, Positive Emotion, Spiritual Death,...

Talk given by Dharmasara on 2025-11-01 . In this talk, Dharmasara explores the meaning of Sangha, the third jewel of Buddhism, and what it really means to create a genuine spiritual community. Sangha is not simply the sum of all Buddhists or everyone who comes to a centre. It is a high ideal and a practice in its own right, one that seeks to bring wisdom and compassion into the world through frien...

Talk given by Vidyadaka on 2025-09-20. In this talk, guest speaker Vidyadaka from Padmaloka Retreat Center explores the question "What is the Dharma?" using the river as a guiding analogy. Drawing on verses from the Dhammaguṇavandanā, part of the Tiratana Vandana, he reflects on the qualities of the Dharma, how it guides, supports, and carries us along the path of practice. Enjoyed this...

Talk given by Padmasagara on 2026-01-31 . In this talk, Padmasagara reflects on commitment at its most practical level, moment by moment, here and now. Rather than focusing only on big ideals, we can ask ourselves: What are we turning towards right now? Where is our attention going, and how does this shape the direction of our lives? Drawing on the Tibetan Wheel of Life, the talk explores how our...