Dharmabytes from Free Buddhist Audio

Sanghamani shares a significant dream she had of Bhante as a mythic guide. Excerpted from the talk Discipleship, Magic and Myth given to the Triratna Buddhist Order on the theme of Discipleship, 2014. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-sized inspiration three times every week. Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast:   On Apple...

Mahamati recollects some of the teachings of our founder Urgyen Sangharakshita as part of the celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the founding of Padmaloka. Excerpted from The Meaning of Spiritual Community Revisited , given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre , 2016 *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-sized inspiration three times ev...

This is an exploration by Saddhaloka of the distinguishing role of Sangha, spiritual community, in the development and life of the Western Buddhist Order, and, in fact, in any kind of Buddhist spiritual life. Saddhaloka here is steady and thoughtful as ever... Excerpted from the talk Creating Sangha and Changing the World given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre , 2002. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes p...

Aryajaya talks about the significance of Going For Refuge to the Three Jewels. Excerpted from the talk Commitment Is Key given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre , 2016. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-sized inspiration three times every week. Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Po...

Vidyatara speaks of her work supporting the Order under the framework of the Four Lineages. Excerpted from the talk Co-Creating Structures That Serve the Arising of the Bodhicitta given at the Triratna Buddhist Order Womens UK and Ireland Area Order Weekend at Adhisthana , 2014. The theme for the weekend was Appreciation of the Order as a System. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Appl...

With humour and engaging personal stories, Padmavajra speaks to the moment in our collective history when Bhante Sangharakshita changed the name of our community from Friends of the Western Buddhist Order to Triratna Buddhist Community. Excerpted from the short talk Changing Our Name to Triratna Buddhist Community given at the Triratna International Retreat, May 2010. *** Subscribe to our Dharmaby...

The very last words of the Buddha were 'appamadena sampadetha': with mindfulness strive on! Prajnamat i reflects on those two last words, drawing out the qualities of mindfulness, as taught by the Buddha, and the quality of effort that will enable us to cultivate and develop it. This are teachings just as relevant to the contemporary beginner first learning the mindfulness of breathing meditation...

In this talk, Viveka explores the many, diverse faces of mindfulness practice - breaking down the ideological barriers that can so often divide when we try to figure out what, exactly, does constitute mindfulness meditation... With good humour and an emphasis on kindness in the present moment, she encourages us to broaden and deepen our ideas of awareness and of loving kindness. Rich with referenc...

A traditional exposition of Buddhist meditation looking at why we meditate; preparation for meditation; the five meditation practices designed to counteract the five mental poisons; and the three stages of meditation. Excerpted from the talk Meditation: the Expanding Consciousness given in 1967 by Sangharakshita . *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Goog...

Vajradevi speaks to a large gathering of Order Members and Mitras Training for Ordination under a big marque at the annual Great Gathering on the theme of the Satipatthana Sutta. Reflecting on the theme of the weekend Vajradevi said: "When we're mindful and present to what's happening – both 'internally' and 'externally' – our responses become steady, wise, and confident. Whatever we're doing, whe...

Exploration by Nagesvara of the beginning of the Anapansati meditation practice, namely the preliminaries and the breath. "Here, gone to the forest to the root of a tree or to an empty hut, we sit down; folding our legs crosswise, keeping the body erect, and having established mindfulness to the fore, mindful, one breathes in; mindful one breathes out. While breathing in long, one knows: 'I breath...

Maitridevi talks about what the heart is like and the importance of it to the cultivation of an expansive all inclusive love for all beings and things. This talk is part of an intensive meditation retreat held at Taraloka in 2021 for women who have asked for ordination. Excerpted from the talk The Heart Unbound: Metta As a Path to Insight (4 of 13) given at Taraloka Retreat Centre , 2021. *** Subs...

Ratnavandana beautifully introduces 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.  Excerpted from the talk Introduction to th...

Nagabodhi speaks about the process of developing awareness throughout the day and how this relates to vedanā – or hedonic tone. He explores how if we can notice the raw experience and whether it's pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, then we have freedom not to act in the usual habitual ways.  From the talk Developing Awareness as part of the series The Two Arrows: Dukkha to Insight given at Adhisthan...

In this short personal talk, Prajnahridaya discusses the universal importance of love, a quality so vital if we want to live a meaningful life.  Excerpted from the talk entitled The Rising Sun given at the Annual Sub35 Men's Weekend for Young Buddhists at Padmaloka in November, 2018. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-sized inspirat...

How do you become a Bodhisattva? Upon the Awakening of the Bodhi Heart (Bodhichitt-otpada). In this lecture Sangharakshita defines the Bodhichitta, differentiating here between individual will and the cosmic will to enlightenment that transcends individuals. Excerpted from the talk The Awakening of the Bodhi Heart given as part of the series entitled Aspects of the Bodhisattva Ideal , 1969. *** Su...

This talk explores the emergence of the Bodhisattva Ideal in the Mahayana tradition. Nagapriya discusses the historical context in which this basic concept developed, its ties to early Buddhist texts, and what the bodhisattva's life entails, on both the mundane and cosmic levels. Here, he shares a reading on forbearance from the Bodhicaryavatara by Shantideva.  Excerpted from the The Ideal of Univ...

Prakasha takes us through the verses on transference of merit and self surrender from Shantideva's Bodhicaryavatara, and communicates the feeling of completely letting go of a Bodhisattva. Excerpted from the talk Awakening Bodhicitta given at Shrewsbury Triratna Buddhist Group , 2018. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-sized inspira...

Sahajatara offers an introduction to the six paramitas as she touches into the development of forbearance with humour, realism and dakini-inspiration.  From the talk Forbearance and Energy In Pursuit of the Good given at Taraloka Retreat Centre , 2021. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-sized inspiration three times every week. Subs...

More counter-cultural stuff here, shouldn't we always express how we feel? Shantideva seems to be saying something else when he encourages us to be 'like a block of wood'... Maitrisara offers thoughts on patience and anger as described in the Bodhicaryavatara.  Excerpted from the talk Like a Block of Wood , part of the series The Bodhicaryavatara , given at Birmingham Buddhist Centre , 2019. *** S...

The Bodhicaryavatara is an 8th century text written by Shantideva, a Buddhist monk from the monastic 'university' at Nalanda, India. Dhammadinna offers a few thoughts on the Perfection of Patience, differentiating between types of anger and noting that Shantideva is referring to the sort of anger that is retaliatory and unskilful. Excerpted from the talk Some Thoughts on the Bodhicaryavatara given...

Padmavajra shares a story of meeting on the basis of Bodhicitta arising between people. He tells us how Shantideva takes to heart, ever more firmly, the Bodhicitta, through his lavish performance of puja and a searing confession of faults.  Giving Ourselves Completely to the Buddhas - Bodhicaryavatara Chapter 2 as part of the series Shantideva's Bodhicaryavatara given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre ,...

Khemasuri describes how a person can develop patience, translated from ksanti, drawing on verses from Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara. Excerpted from the talk Gratitude to Everyone given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre 2008. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-sized inspiration three times every week. Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio p...

Adverse situations of our day to day lives can provide us with opportunities to transform. Pradaya explores the Seven Point Mind Training teaching of turning adverse conditions into the path of enlightenment. From the talk Base Metal Into Gold , part of the series Mind Training - The Alchemy of The Emotions , given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre , 2019. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On...

Society is complicated and we have all sorts of stories about that. Satyajyoti explores how our ideas and our stories create their own realities. Whatever our views are about the world influences how we experience the world. Excerpted from the talk Training In Wisdom , part of the series Mind Training - The Alchemy of The Emotions , given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre , 2019. *** Subscribe to our D...