Dharmabytes from Free Buddhist Audio

Amidst the complexity of Buddhist teachings, we can discern a distinctive essence lying behind the various historical forms which developed to convey the Buddhaand#8217;s oral message. In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Parable of the Raft and#8221; Sangharakshita describes the essence of Buddhism: the parable of the raft and the advice to Mahaprajapati Gotami. Excerpted from the talk a...

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Four Means of Unification of the Sangha and#8221; Suvarnaprabha offers a thoroughly delightful guide as she explores the subject and#8220; What is the Sangha? and#8221; with a depth of feeling that comes startling through at times. An introduction to the idea of spiritual community in Buddhism this is a human and grounded presentation of one of the Dha...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; The Unsupported Practice of Generosity and#8221; is an inspiring excerpt from the third in a sparkling, wide-ranging, thoroughly comprehensive ten talk series by Padmavajra on and#8216; The Diamond Sutra and#8216; given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004. This talk is part of the series and#8220; The Diamond Sutra and#8211; Taking Mind to its Limits .and#8...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Sharing Without Reservation and#8221; is an inspiring short talk by Sue Susnik, a mitra in the Triratna Buddhist Community. This was given on a New Society Weekend 2011 from members in the Young Buddhistand#8217;s Sangha .

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; The Four Sanghrahavastus and#8221; takes us into the heart of the Mahayana tradition and#8211; the Four Means of Unification and#8211; generosity, kindly speech, beneficial activity, and exemplifying. The Sutraand#8217;s hero, Vimalakirti, was a master of the Bodhisattvaand#8217;s and#8216;Skilful Means.and#8217; From the talk and#8220; On Being All Thing...

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Who Can We Trust? and#8221; Saddharaja poses the question in the face of the three things mankind has traditionally relied upon: God, the Father, the group, and material possessions. He then explores what we really needand#8230; a mountain of confidence embodied in the figure of Akshobya. Includes a description of Akshobyaand#8217;s appearance in the B...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; The Show of Wealth, and#8221; is an excerpt from the talk and#8220; Padmasambhava and the King of Tibet and#8221; another tour-de-force from Vajratara. Looking to approach the great figure of Padmasambhava and#8211; the and#8216;Second Buddhaand#8217; and#8211; through his famous meeting with the King of Tibet. As ever, a provocative, fully engaged and fu...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; The Bodhisattvaand#8217;s Gifts, and#8221; by Padmavjra, is from the third talk in the series: and#8220; The Diamond Sutra and#8211; Taking Mind to its Limits .and#8221; Padmavajra takes a look into the world of the Bodhisattva and the six Perfections of Wisdom, especially dana and#8211; generosity which forms an essential basis of Buddhist practice and o...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Dana = Generosity and#8221; is brought to us by Sangharakshita, founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order and Community . An excerpt describing the practice of dana from the brilliant talk and#8220; Altruism and Individualism in the Spiritual Life and#8221; given in 1969 as part of the pivotal series and#8220; Aspects of the Bodhisattva Ideal .and#8221;

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Neither God Nor Man and#8221; is brought to us by Sangharakshita, founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order and Community . After an account of the Buddhaand#8217;s life, Sangharakshita asks how, if at all, such a man can be defined or categorised. The full talk, and#8220; Who is the Buddha? and#8221; is part of the series Introducing the and#8220; Three Jew...

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Why Choose Buddhism?, and#8221; Sangharakshita points out possible potentially misleading assumptions concerning Buddhism, and describes three principal avenues to a practical spiritual life. This track is from the talk and#8220; The Approach to Buddhism and#8221; given in 1966 as part of the series and#8220; Introducing Buddhism .and#8221;

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Facing the Truth, and#8221; Vidyamala leads us through the art of being with change in the moment. From the beautifully strong and popular talk, and#8220; Dying to Live .and#8221; Vidyamala shares from her own practice of living with chronic pain comes a sane and unsentimental perspective that affords us all a measure of genuine optimism as we meet the...

Faith is longing for what is possible, lucidity to what has value, and conviction as to what is real. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Faith as Surrender, Faith as Emergence and#8220;, is a little gem from the talk: and#8216; We Know What Youand#8217;ve Studied, But What Have You Seen? and#8216; by Kulaprabha.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte and#8220; When Reality Knocks on the Door and#8221; is a selection from the talk and#8220; What is Enlightenment? and#8221; by Jinapriya. This is a quietly passionate talk on the quicksilver nature of the Enlightenment experience and#8211; impossible to pin down, utterly transformative. When Reality knocks at the door are we able to own painful experience and surrend...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte and#8220; Come and See for Yourself and#8221; is a selected Dharmabyte from the talk and#8220; Introducing Buddhism and#8221; delivered to teacher-training students in 1966. In this excerpt, Sangharakshita explores tolerance and the freedom to grow and shows that there is no place for God in Buddhism. The full talk serves as an excellent general introduction to Buddh...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Taking Awareness Deeper ,and#8221; by Paramabandhu, is from the comprehensive and invaluable talk titled and#8220; Mindfulness For Just About Everything and#8221; given at the San Francisco Buddhist Center in 2006. Drawing on many years of experience as a consultant psychiatrist and Dharma teacher, he invites us to consider the lessons Buddhist techniques...

The great ocean is strange and wonderfuland#8230; and#8220;Just as the mighty ocean has but one taste, the taste of salt, even so the Dharma-vinaya (Buddhism) has but one taste, the taste of Freedomand#8221;- The Udana . In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;What is Freedom?and#8221; Sangharakshita explores how the Dharma vinaya is both strange and wonderful. From the cracker of a talk, and#...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220; Salutation to the Three Jewels and#8211; The Tiratana Vandana and#8221; is a classic Buddhist salute to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. This is chanted every day the world over by practitioners from different Buddhist communities and#8211; a true touchstone for practice. Chanted by Vipulakirti

We bring to you todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte on the eve before the full moon in July: and#8220; Celebrating Dharma Day .and#8221; Here Sangharakshita shares the story of the Buddhaand#8217;s first teaching, the Turning of the Wheel of the Dharma, or Dharmachakra . From the talk: and#8220; The Word of the Buddha and#8221; given in 1972.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; A Touch of Magic and#8211; The Dharanis and#8221; is another gem from the Vimalakirti Nirdesha Series: and#8220; The Inconceivable Emancipation and#8221; by Sangharakshita. The Sutraand#8217;s hero, Vimalakirti, was a master of the Bodhisattvaand#8217;s and#8216;Skilful Meansand#8217;, discussed here in terms of the Magical Formulae. From the talk and#822...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; What is and#8216;Magical Actionand#8217;? and#8221; is a little gem from the Vimalakirti Nirdesha Series: and#8220; The Inconceivable Emancipation and#8220;. Sangharakshita reminds us that the aim of spiritual life is complete emancipation, but that this aim and#8211; and in fact the whole of existence and#8211; is inconceivable. From the talk and#8220; T...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Direct and Indirect Relationships with Reality and#8221; is a subtle exploration of the direct and indirect connections with the depths of Reality. From the talk and#8220; The Bodhisattva Hierarchy and#8221; by Sangharakshita given in 1969.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; Mahayana Scriptures and#8221; by Nagapriya is an overview of the vast literature of Mahayana Buddhism. He discusses how the new texts emerged, why so many are still preserved, and how they found legitimacy in the larger Buddhist tradition. In the full talk, Mahayana Buddhist Scriptures , he further explores ow Mahayana texts are different than those of th...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte takes us into the wonderful, magical, mythical world of Vimalakirti Nirdesha. In and#8220; Shariputraand#8217;s Worries and#8221; we are warned of the danger of getting sidetracked when worrying about little things when what we really need to do is find and#8220; The Way of Non-Duality .and#8221; Talk given in 1979 as part of the series and#8220; The Inconceivable Em...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , and#8220; The Richness of the Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra and#8221; is an introduction to one of the seven themes in the sutra, The Way of Non-Duality, from chapter nine of the work, The Dharma Door of Non-Duality. The full the talk and#8220; The Way of Non-Duality and#8221; was given in 1979 as part of the series and#8220; The Inconceivable Emancipation and#8211; T...