Free Buddhist Audio

The Buddha was a problem solver looking at suffering and the release from suffering. Here, Vijayasri introduces us to metta, the basic teaching of the Buddha, by exploring the first chapter of Living with Kindness by Sangharakshita. She considers the Karaniya Metta Sutta , looks at the work of Buddhaghosa, and investigates the ideas of metta as a strongly positive emotion, a rational emotion and a...

Kamalashila e xplores the centrality of mindfulness to the Buddhist path. He discu s ses the concept of intoxication, with reference to the 5th Precept and the Sutra of Golden Light. Kamalashila then considers the four foundations of mindfulness from the Satipatthana Sutta and concludes that mindfulness is the basis of metta and allows us to embrace the realm of truth and beauty. This talk was giv...

Sahajatara gives an honest and enthusiastic exploration of the speech precepts. This talk is down-to-earth and with humour! This talk was given on a retreat for Mitras at Taraloka Retreat Centre , 2018 and is part of the series entitled Ethics: Resonating with Reality . *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma...

Vimalasara gives a thorough talk on the third precept, exploring some of the issues we all need to reflect on if we are to live life more fully with simplicity, contentment and stillness. Relevant to modern day living, this talk also signposts some of the issues that women and queer people have to contend with when reflecting on this precept. Talk given at Taraloka Retreat Centre , 2013. *** Help...

Buddhist generosity is ideally ongoing all the time, a simple application of our ethical principles - a flow of time, energy, money, and so on, in the direction of your heart-felt values. Giving is one of the key practices of a Buddhist, and one of the delights of the Spiritual Community. Ratnaghosha evokes how this is an area of activity that is crucial to an effective practice of the Dharma and...

With his usual warmth, clarity and good humour, Prajnaketu explores the mental events of hatred and love with great detail and personal reflections. "Not by hatred are hatreds ever pacified in the world, by love are they pacified, this is the eternal law." ~ Dhammapada In the presence of suffering or pain, our sense of self is often diminished as we come to realize our efforts to control our exper...

What are the particular challenges we face in the 21st Century? There are many, and Vajradevi focuses on the mind precepts and our use of technology. This talk is linked with Akuppa's talks on ' 21st Century Bodhisattva ' and drawing on the book '21 Lessons for the 21st Century' by the historian Yuval Noah Harari. This talk was given as part of a series at Shrewbury Triratna Centre , 2019. *** Hel...

Bodhisattvas work tirelessly and heroically to create a Buddhafield for the benefit of all beings. Padmavajra explores the opening verses of the Dhammapada and their far reaching implications including how we create not only our own happiness or suffering through our actions, but also how we create worlds, worlds of suffering or worlds conducive to human growth and even freedom. Talk given during...

Parami introduces our four-fold lineage and shows how the lineage of inspiration underpins them all. Now that Bhante has died our responsibility to keep this flame burning is more important than ever. This talk is part of the series  Talks from Women's Private Preceptors' Retreat given at Adhisthana , 2019. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabyte...

In the first weeks after his Enlightenment, the Buddha stayed alone near the Bodhi tree, assimilating his profound discovery and enjoying its bliss. But from the first moment he encountered another human being, the force of his compassion led him to revolt against the social hierarchies of his day. In this impassioned talk at the London Buddhist Centre 's 2021 Buddha Day celebrations, Subhuti expl...

Vajragupta  considers how the sangha reaches out into the world, looking at three areas: loving-kindness and common humanity, community and service, and wisdom in an age of information overload. A talk given on an online weekend retreat with Croydon Buddhist Centre , 2020. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dha...

Vidyatara shares her reflections on practice during a time of Lockdown as part of the Birmingham Buddhist Centre's year on the 8-fold path (2021). She particularly evokes and draws on the classic teaching of Bahiya and asks how to apply it to these conditions. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspirati...

Arthapriya explores the characteristics of a person who is a good communicator - having empathy for others, deeply listening, and drawing each other out into deeper presence with one another. This is a talk given as part of the Year of Spiritual Community talks at Cambridge Buddhist Centre , 2014. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast...

In this moving and rousing talk, Dhammachari Amoghasiddhi illustrates how the Dhamma can radically transform people's lives, liberating them from a hellish existence, particularly in India. Using the examples of his own life, as well as the lives of Bhante Sangharakshita, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and others, he explains that if we want to live a meaningful life, we must open up to the suffering of ot...

Is there an inner attitude we can adopt that will naturally lead to the creation of Sangha? Satyadhara poses this question - and addresses it - in his talk on the second Mainland Europe Young Buddhist Convention. He shares his personal experience of being in a small Sangha near Frankfurt in Germany, and draws upon Asangha's Yogacharabhumi to explore the conditions necessary for building Sangha. Ta...

Bhadra offers this insightful and thorough exploration of the Five Buddha Mandala through the lens of the gap between feeling and craving. Here we are able to transform the mental poisons (illustrated by the six realms) into the Wisdom of the each of the Five Buddhas. Talk given at Bristol Buddhist Centre , 2017, the last in a series on the Wheel of Life. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Becom...

Vajrasattva is associated with purity and with the time of death. Aryajaya helps us to engage more deeply with the meaning and symbolism of Vajrasattva. Talk given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre , 2017. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, t wo times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dhar...

Once again at the Centre of the Mandala, we meet Vairocana. How do we balance the teachings of effort and openness? One way is through the image of the Sun and relaxed being, the practice of the Dharma is simply to come back. Yet, of course, this requires effort. Another question is the balance between practical and mythical approaches: Can we hold both at once? What do we give significance to? Wh...

Vaddhaka can usually be relied on to give a pretty great talk - and this is no exception. Here we have a real treat - a terrific, energetic exploration of the green Buddha of the north: Amoghasiddhi (Dundubishvara), the Unobstructed One. This is kind of a multi-media affair - listen for the 13th Century Spanish processional music in honour of the Virgin, and a blast of Sibelius too! Marvellous. Ta...

Saddhaloka introduces us to Amitabha, the red Buddha of the West who represents and inspires the highest love of all... Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, Winter Retreat, 1997. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, t wo times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter F...

Kusalasara evokes the jeweled born Buddha of the South, Ratnasambhava – golden yellow in color bringing messages of generosity, abundance and beauty. This talk is part of the series  The Symbolic World of the Five Buddha Mandala given at the London Buddhist Centre's 2019 Winter Retreat. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size...

Settle back and touch base with this very enjoyable and, at times, inspiring talk by  Saddharaj a on the great blue Buddha of the eastern quarter of the mandala - the Unshakeable One, the Imperturbable Akshobya. This is particularly good because it departs from standard fare on the figure. We get a great reading from Wordsworth, a stimulating discussion of ethics and their relationship to issues o...

Imagine being with the Buddha, imagine the emotional effect of being that close to the Buddha. Bodhinaga draws out stories from the life of the Buddha that point to the importance of imagination as we engage with our aspiration for Enlightenment. This talk is part of the series entitled Faces of Enlightenment given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre , 2019. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a...

What memories stay with you year after year? Which breath do you wish you could take again? Whose smile is the most beautiful? What is this love that you talk about? Saraha  returns to Birmingham to speak at Sangha Night, having taught the Dharma there previously for over a decade before moving to Ecodharma in Spain a few years ago. In this talk he speaks with his usual passion and inspiration, il...

How might we respond, as Buddhists, to the emerging environmental crises facing the planet? Starting from where his earlier talk, "Saying Goodbye to the Earth," leaves off, Gunopeta explores the implications of what happens when we open our hearts to our deep emotional response to these crises. With the aid of guided meditation, poetry, ritual, and our felt connection to nature and the holiness of...