Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

Trusting Love Maitrisiddhi shows us the importance and value in holding the ideal of spiritual friendship alongside the reality of life in the Sangha. Our teacher Sangharakshita has said: "It is in friendship (maitri) that we may find the emotional equivalent of the intellectual understanding of the doctrine of 'no self'". The gift of these teachings can help us move beyond self-clinging into a de...

Skillful Interactions with the World Around Us Subhuti explores why working together in a team based on right livelihood is so important for transformation of the individual and the world. Excerpted from the talk The History Of and Value In Team-Based Right Livelihood given at Windhorse: Evolution , 2010. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcas...

Sangha as a Spiritual Practice  Saravantu talks about one of Triratna's emphases - a unified Order - by looking inwards. If we turn away from elements of our own character, we will find ourselves turning away from others. A unified Order needs us to be able to turn towards all aspects of ourselves. From the talk An Inclusive Order -Turning Away, Turning Towards, Meeting the Shadows In Ourselves an...

Acting Out of Kindness Dhammarati explores Going for Refuge and its central emphasis in the Triratna Buddhist Order here, bringing in the story of his own spiritual journey as an example of finding one's unique response. He also looks to historical sources to identify some of the ways we can deepen our connection practically and experientially. Excerpted from the talk The Triratna Emphasis On Goin...

Giving Yourself to the Three Jewels  What is it to look to the 'Three Jewels' as a response to our dissatisfaction? Viveka takes a wide-ranging look at one of the most important aspects of Buddhist practice, whose significance is upheld in every tradition. From the talk entitled Going for Refuge given at San Francisco Buddhist Center , 2006. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Pod...

Subhadramati gives an introduction to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha as refuges and explores the practical implications of holding these values in one's life. From the talk The Endless Round and the Point of Freedom given as part of a series on Going For Refuge given at London Buddhist Centre , 2014. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bit...

An Ecumenical Movement Taranita explores the tension between tradition and adaptation in an ever-changing world in discussing how the Triratna Buddhist Community came to have its distinctive ecumenical nature. Excerpted from the talk The Six Distinctive Emphases - An Ecumenical Movement given at the Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2015. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On S...

Friendship in the Spiritual Life Sudrishti celebrates sangha, community, spiritual friendship with this talk on Kalyana Mitrata. Enlightened beings exemplify unconditional, unlimited love – something we as unenlightened beings can emulate and draw inspiration from to transform our relationships, self and world. Excerpted from the talk The Good Friend given on Buddha Day at Sydney Buddhist Centre ,...

Going Beyond Duality How do we go beyond the duality of subject and object, self and other, to experience the true nature of reality? Jnanavaca shares how the practice of sangha is vital in making spiritual progress. From the talk What Is Sangha & Kalyana Mitrata? Given at London Buddhist Centre as part of the series The Bi-Tendential Value of Being & The Greater Mandala , 2019. *** Subscribe to o...

Culagosingha Sutta Kalyanavaca shares the story of three monks living in harmony with each other, like milk and water blended together. From the talk entitled Kalyana Mitra given at London Buddhist Centre , 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...

Appreciating Natural Beauty We seek happiness, but often we find that our desires and aspirations are in conflict. Sangharakshita implores us to appreciate nature for her own sake. From the talk Nature, Man, and Enlightenment , part of the series Transformation of Life and World in the Sutra of Golden Light , 1976. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Goo...

Magical Aspects of Emptiness Kamalashila looks at our whole relationship to nature and the elements: how the artificiality in our lives can get in the way of seeing what things are actually like - and what we might do about that in practice! Kamalashila uses these reflections as a way into evoking a more natural, deeply encouraging perspective, one that allows us to open up to the reality the Budd...

Coming Into Your True Nature A tender and moving talk by Paramananda . Transformation is basically allowing the protective shell of self to dissipate. This shell only falls away if you come into relationship with your real, impermanent, fragile, vulnerable nature and soften into that or open up to that. Excerpted from the talk The Nature of Transformation given at West London Buddhist Centre , 201...

Being Open to the Beautiful Saddhanandi shares observations on retreat of expressions of metta, kindness, and celebrates the simple beauty of such gestures. From the introduction to meditation entitled Metta and Beauty , the ninth in a series from a 12 day meditation retreat on Metta as a Path to Insight , 2015. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google...

Allowing Sensitivity + Poignancy  Maitridevi explores how things that are broken can be given a fresh perspective through their repair and how, through this process, a greater beauty can be revealed. Excerpted from the talk entitled Love and the Beauty of Broken Things given at Manchester Buddhist Centre , 2018. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google...

Padmamati explores the spirit, or soul, of place, that of animating your physical context to experience it in an emotional and psychological way. The speaker is Padmamati - aka Stephen Coates - founder and frontman of cabaret band The Real Tuesday Weld, who have made so many contributions to London creative life. Excerpted from the talk Urban Imagination given at West London Buddhist Centre , 2014...

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. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-sized inspir...

Dayajoti explores the metaphor of 'sh*t happens' - it's what you do with it that matters! Turning towards your poo as a reflection on the process of transformation.  From the talk Bodies of Earth - Beyond Me and Mine - Dukkha from a two-week women's retreat at Eco-Dharma Retreat Centre , 2012. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-size...

Thoughts are like ghosts that haunt the mind, those thoughts become speech that become actions. Most of the terrible things that have happened in the world have had to do with views and ideologies spreading like a virus through a culture, driving a culture mad. Maitreyabandhu reminds us that Buddhism says again and again, what you think and what you do matters. Everything you do matters.  Excerpte...

Maitridevi explores looking at ways to re-vision breaking and brokenness in ourselves and in relationships so that we can hold them with love. Excerpted from the talk A Love of Broken Things given at Manchester Buddhist Centre , 2018. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-sized inspiration three times every week. Subscribe to our Free...

Atula , a long-time practicing Buddhist and psychotherapist, offers stimulating words around the role of myth, metaphor and all our ways of cognizing, thinking about and expressing experience in what we call 'spiritual life' – and a clear encouragement to see that process as one that is profoundly relational.  In this excerpt we hear about the tendency to polarize and project onto others. From the...

Nagapriya encourages us to read Mahayana Sutras, when reading such a text, if we allow ourselves to really enter into it, we find ourselves transported into it. The scripture, through our participation in it, unveils a samadhi, a particular vision-world that a Bodhisattva dwells in.  Excerpted from the talk Mahayana Buddhist Scriptures , part of the series Visions of Mahayana Buddhism , given at M...

Buddhism appeals no less to the heart than to the head, using the language of myth to do so.  Sangharakshita introduces the myth of Muchalinda, the serpent-king that appears after the Buddha's enlightenment, representing the forces of the unconscious mind in their most positive aspect.  From the talk Buddhism and the Language of Myth is part of the series Ritual and Devotion in Buddhism , 1967. **...

By keeping our heart open, we communicate our values to all beings, offering an opportunity to break down polarisation in our world. Parami   reminds us that a bodhisattva creates the conditions where all beings can see through the causes of conditions and therefore create the conditions for future happiness. Excerpted from the talk After the Enlightenment: Breaking Through to Freedom given on Bud...

Dhivan brings us face to face with the rich and moving legacy of a brilliant and truly compassionate individual, changing the world he took part in, stepping out of history "with the walk of a lion, the walk of a swan." From the talk What Do We Really Know About the Buddha? given at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre , 2008 *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:   On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On...