Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , Kusala Karma = Skillful Action Vajragupta explores the meaning of kusula karma, that being skillful action. It's not about being right, it's about what's human, what's kind, what's mindful. From the talk Positive Emotion given at Croydon Buddhist Centre in January 2016 in a study group on The Journey and The Guide by Maitreyabandhu.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , Fear, Terror, and Heroic Virtues is an exploration of the cremation ground as a symbol of transformation. Are we ready to face our own death, and the total transformation it symbolises? From the talk " The Symbolism of the Cremation Ground and the Celestial Maidens " by Sangharakshita given in 1971.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte explores four reasons Why We Fear Death drawn by Kulaprabha from the Abhaya Sutta in the Pali Canon. Itand#8217;s a lovely segment from a larger talk looking at the roots of fear, how it relates to change and transformation in spiritual practice, and how we can live more fearlessly. From the talk System of Meditation Retreats and#8211; Spiritual Death, Fear and Fearl...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte speaks here on the challenge of building a Buddhist movement. In What is a Committed Buddhist? he discusses the need for Buddhist movements to be run only by committed Buddhists and who actually practice the Buddhaand#8217;s teachings, not by those who merely have an intellectual interest. But how can one know who is a committed Buddhist? From the talk and#8220;Commi...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte features Dhammarati on the topic of Going for Refuge. In Mind and the Nature of Commitment he talks about setting the mind to purified intention and making correction after failure and#8211; crucial aspects in cultivating a committed Buddhist practice. From the talk and#8220;A System of Trainingand#8221; .

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte gives a short introduction by Sangharakshita to the Pali Canon in and#8221; A Passage from the Mahaparinibbana Sutta and#8221; and#8211; one of the earliest and most well-known Buddhist texts. From the talk and#8220;The Disappearing Buddhaand#8221; .

Padmavajra brings us into contact with the depths of the Diamond Sutra in todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , with this segment entitled and#8220;The Buddhaand#8217;s Parinirvanaand#8221; . Drawing on the story of the Buddhaand#8217;s final days, he illustrates the principle of practicing perfect generosity by giving of oneself freely and unsupported. From the talk and#8220;The Diamond Sutra and#8211...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte brings us around to our final podcast on the Five Buddha Mandala. In Have We Really Arrived? . Kamalashila brings it all right back into this present moment. From the talk Absorption and#8211; After the Enlightenment . How do you get used to being Enlightened? What happened to the Buddha in the weeks after his breakthrough experience? Kamalasila explores these questi...

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is titled Waking up to Cosmic Consciousness from a talk by Vajratara called The White Sovereign Buddha Vairocana . Keep your head down and carry on, don't look into the light! If we do look up and see reality, it's not bleak as we fear it will be but rather absolutely beautiful. When you wake up to cosmic consciousness it's a joy and celebration.

We continue our exploration of the Five Buddha Mandala in the northern realm. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is an excerpt from the talk Touching the Void by Jnanavaca. In Falling Into Space: Amoghasiddhi Jnanavaca relates events in Joe Simpsonand#8217;s popular mountaineering book and#8216;Touching the Voidand#8217; to aspects of Buddhist practice. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , Amoghasiddhi: The Practical Aspect of Enlightenment , Sangharakshita introduces us to Amoghasiddhi, described as the practical aspect of enlightenment, the mysterious activity of the enlightened mind. It may be an activity of non-activity, but very efficacious none-the-less. An excerpt from The Mandala: Tantric Symbol of Integration by Sangharakshita, 1967, part...

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , The Buddhaand#8217;s Introduction to the Worship of Amitabha , Sangharakshita gives voice to this poetic Buddhist scripture describing the wonderful Pureland of the Buddha Amitabha. From the talk The Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra by Sangharakshita

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , Amitabhaand#8217;s Acceptance , Saddhaloka introduces us to Amitabha, the red Buddha of the West who represents and inspires the highest love of alland#8230; The full talk entitled Amitabha was given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, winter retreat, 1997

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is an Invocation to Ratnasambhava recited by Gambhiranandi, written by Vessantara, to open a Full Moon Puja dedicated to Ratnasambhava. Given at the Croydon Buddhist Centre in August 2015 as part of the regular Saturday Sangha Morning class.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte Ratnaprabha offers a delightful story of Nanda and the dove-footed nymphs in a track weand#8217;re calling: >Exhaulted Beauty. Ratnasambhava represents the beauty of appreciation, one of the most positive functions that one can develop. In the appreciative mode, nothing is ugly. The story of the Buddhaand#8217;s half brother, Nanda, helps illustrate how we can use...

Having now entered the mandala, in todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte we meet Akshobya: The Dark Blue Buddha . From the talk The Mandala: Tantric Symbol of Integration by Sangharakshita, 1967. The Tantras (special scriptures of Vajrayana Buddhism) frequently refer to mandalas, circles of symbolic forms. Sangharakshita describes the mandala of the five Buddhas, its use as a symbol of psychological and...

Our theme on mandalas continues as we hear from Ratnavandana who has been teaching on the Brahma Viharas for decades using the Five Buddha Mandala as a basis for their exploration. The FBA Dharmabyte we choose is entitled Opening to the Mandala , an excerpt from the talk Living In the Mandala. This is the second talk of the 2015 Rainy Season Retreat in Bristol, UK, 2015, led by Ratnavandana who em...

Our theme on mandalas continues with todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte as we learn about the origins of the mandala in Buddhist practice. An excerpt from the third talk on The Mandala of the Five Buddhas, Ratnasambhava and the Mandala by Ratnaprabha. Here he describes the early origins of the mandala as the Bodhi-manda, the circle of awakening. Given at Padmalokaand#8217;s 2012 Winter Retreat on the...

We continue our opening theme for 2016 on mandalas with todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte Jvalamalini offers a gentle and thorough introduction to mandalas, in this excerpt the focus is on our personal lives. What's central is what is most important to us. and#8220;Personal Mandalasand#8221; is an excerpt from the full talk entitled Introduction to Mandalas , given at the Bristol Buddhist Centre, UK.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , by Sangharakshita, is an introduction to what is likely the most important of the four mula-yogas, the indispensable preparatory practices of the Vajrayana devotee. and#8220;Vajrasattva: Purificationand#8221; is an excerpt from The Four Foundation Yogas of the Tibetan Buddhist Tantra , given in 1968 as part of the series An Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism .

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte , by Punyamala, is entitled and#8220;Impermanence of This Bodyand#8221; . An excerpt from the talk of the same title , Punyamala eloquently reminds us that the Buddhist vision is unique, summed up by the Buddha's last words, "Impermanent are all conditioned things, with mindfulness, strive on." This talk was given at Taraloka on a mitra retreat called Reflection: A P...

Weand#8217;ve been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s writings and poems this month. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is entitled and#8220;Retracing our Steps on the Pathand#8221; . Selected from and#8220;A Life for the Dharmaand#8221; , by Sangharakshita, a moving, often beautiful evocation of the great Indian teacher Atisha, whose work had a profound influence on the de...

Weand#8217;ve been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s writings and poems this month. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a poem entitled and#8220;Before Dawnand#8221; . Selected from and#8220;Hercules and the Birdsand#8221; , read by the author and published by Windhorse Publications, Glasgow, 1990.

Weand#8217;ve been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s writings and poems this month. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a poem entitled and#8220;Life is Kingand#8221; . Selected from and#8220;Conquering New Worldsand#8221; , read by the author and published by Windhorse Publications, Glasgow, 1986.

Weand#8217;ve been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s writings and poems this month. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a poem entitled and#8220;Orpheus in the Underworldand#8221; . Selected from and#8220;Conquering New Worldsand#8221; , read by the author and published by Windhorse Publications, Glasgow, 1986.