Free Buddhist Audio

After exploring the historical and mythical aspects of Padmasambhava, Prakasha offers insights into how the Tantric Guru of Tibet, Padmasambhava , is relevant to us, here, today, now. This is the third in a series of talks give on Padmasambhava Day, 2019, for the Shrewsbury Triratna Buddhist Group . *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcas...

Buddhist ethics are not about conforming to a set of conventions, not about 'being good' in order to gain rewards. Instead, living ethically springs from the awareness that other people are no different from yourself. You can actively develop this awareness, through cultivating love, clarity and contentment, which can ultimately help us to come into greater harmony with all that lives. Arthapriya...

Subhadramati  explores the nature of impermanence as part of the London Buddhist Centre's week-long exploration of Mind Reactive / Mind Creative for the 2018 Urban Retreat. This talk is part of the series  Mind Reactive / Mind Creative . *** 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!...

In this talk, Padmavajra explores the Altruistic dimension of Going for Refuge - The Bodhisattva Ideal - through Bhante's poem 'The Guardian Wall'. He particularly explores the line in the poem: 'The loveliest Bodhisattvas are the anonymous' and what this means for somebody aspiring to practice the great ideal of the Bodhisattva. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre during the 'Bodhisattva Ideal...

Saddharaja explores self-sacrifice as a component of the Bodhisattva Ideal  introduces Chapter 18 The Chapter on the Tigress. He goes on to explore compassion and altruism, and how we can develop these by letting go of attachment and hatred, and thereby gaining true freedom. The third of four talks given during the Open Retreat at Padmaloka Retreat Centre in October 2019. This talk is part of the...

Maitrivasin  talks about awakening deep powerful energies that move us along the path to freedom. By engaging warrior energy to tackle the doubt or distractions of habitual ways we bring all of our volition on the side of positive growth and progress towards Enlightenment. This talk is part of the series  The Path of Awakening based on the Bodhicaryavatara given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre June,...

Candrika explores how we might work with the mythic dimension in our current situation of pandemic. There is so much going on in our local and global community. Candrika takes us through the wisdom and symbolism of the Five Buddha Mandala to help us make sense of the world, helping us to work with difficult feelings of fear, disruption, despair. Talk given as part of the Glasgow Buddhist Centre ,...

Here Akuppa explores the story of who you are and how you come to create the story of you. We need a different story. Living from a truer story of our luminosity and what happens when we come together on the basis of our luminous mind/heart. This is Part 1 of two talks given by Akuppa to the Triratna Buddhist Community in Scotland online gathering in June 2020. Listen to Part 2 of this series Tran...

Subhadassi talks about dharma practice in challenging times, drawing on poetry & literature (Pablo Neruda & Franz Kafka) and the Perfection of Wisdom Tradition (especially the Heart Sutra ). We also bump into the householder Vimalakirti, Subhadassi's wife & children, the Diamond Sutra, Compassion , the Three Lakshanas & Hakuin along the way. Talk given for Brighton Buddhist Centre Dharma Day, July...

This is the seventh talk in an eight part series by Padmavajra exploring a great classic of Tibetan Buddhism – Gampopa's 'Jewel Ornament of Liberation'. The work, inspired by devotion to Manjusri, is one of the key texts in the development of the Tibetan Lam Rim teachings. And Gampopa, being one of the two principle disciples of the yogi Milarepa, presents both the monastic Lam Rim approach of Ati...

Using verses from both the Dhammapada and the Bodhicaryavatara, Vairocana   maps out the Buddhist practice of patience, from restraint to positive emotion. This is the fourth talk in a series on the Six Paramitas at the Glasgow Buddhist Centre in the summer of 2012. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma ins...

Virya is the energetic counterpart to the patience of Ksanti; it is energy in pursuit of the good. Bodhinaga   tells us how we can develop this noble vigour, which brings strength and courage like that of a virtuous knight. He guides us through counteracting the four 'enemies of virya' before introducing the Four Powers: ethical sources of energy to power the Dharma life. Recorded at Sheffield Bud...

Viriya expresses itself in action, with attentiveness, care and enthusiasm. Saddhanandi   shares from her personal training and experience as an artist to elucidate the meaning of Virya, drawing out the aspect of training the mind to develop positive mental states. Talk given at Glasgow Buddhist Centre, GBC Rainy Season, March 2020. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  S...

What is peace? And what does peace mean for Buddhists? Is it just the absence of war and conflict; guns and screaming? Or is it also the deep silence that arises when the mind and heart are in harmony - a positive state of mind that can be cultivated both personally and collectively, where good and evil don't exist as concepts? Parami explores these questions and more with great compassion and wis...

How do we relate to the Buddha? Sangharakshita has emphasised the importance of connecting with him as a historical figure. Through personal example and stories Dharmashalin asks the question, do we even see the Buddha as a kind old man? Maybe that would be a good start… Talk given at Birmingham Buddhist Centre (UK), 2014. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe t...

How do we construct our world? Collective experiences impact on our personal views and experiences. Mahayana texts offer us the opportunity to interrupt our usual way of perceiving and thinking about the world. Suryagupta explores the extraordinary character, Vimalakirti, and his teaching of The Great Love – the love that is great compassion, the love that is never exhausted, the love that is givi...

"The creative mind loves when there is no reason to love." Sangharakshita Viryajyoti gives the second talk in a series on Compassion for a Modern Word on a theme close to her heart. The Bodhisattva aim is to free all beings from suffering – what about here and now in the 21 st century? What is radical kindness? What would it be like to be radically kind? The Buddha represents the spiritual ideal o...

Vessantara shares reflections that emerged during his three year retreat, namely a poignant opportunity to let go of self reference and enjoy the simple awareness of the present moment. This talk was given at the Triratna Buddhist Order European Order Gathering at Wymondham College August 25, 2012. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast...

Visuddhimati explores how we really need to know ourselves deeply and experientially to allow us to let go into the deep mystery at the heart of the mandala. She shares her reflections on initiation, spiritual death and rebirth, inspired by a Rilke poem. Using the structure of the Rilke poem she explores how engaging with images and allowing them to unfold their meaning within us, allows us to let...

Drawing on his book on the Buddha, Vishvapani explores the connection between awareness of our immediate experience and seeing the true nature of existence. Talk given at Cardiff Buddhist Centre , 2018. *** 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 Dh...

Karunagita explores emptiness through Padmasambhava's advice to Queen Ngang Chung: During the time of insight which is surrounded by a calm, gentle aura, openness and appearance are inseparable. The six senses come forth, though appearance and voidness are inseparable; this is the real foundation, without which no means exists. Talk given at Dhanakosa Retreat Center , 2017. *** Help keep FBA free...

Nagabodhi offers his reflections on the Buddha's enlightenment. What is it are we actually trying to achieve? How intensely are we cultivating and experiencing metta, friendship, kindness, compassion, patience and love? This talk is part of the series  The Bridge, the Path and the Goal  given at Adhisthana, 2019. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dhar...

In this talk, Moksatara   explores what karma really means and how we can work with this law of the universe to leave behind the 'snakes and ladders' game of repetitive ups and downs, moving instead on a liberating path of growth. By understanding the importance of conditionality and ethics, we can take charge of our lives and move in the direction we want to go. Recorded at Sheffield Buddhist Cen...

Concise and essential, Satyaraja draws out practical and profound aspects of the four Brahmaviharas, considering them as both meditation practices and as realms that we can occupy. This is the second talk in a series of four talks on the topic of karuna, compassion. From the series Brahmaviharas and the Awakening of the Bodhi Mind given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre Winter Retreat, 2016. *** Help ke...

A stirring and penetrating talk by Dhammadinna around the image that a Bodhisattva's compassion runs as deep as their very bones. Nagarjuna, Milarepa and others add their voices as Dhammadinna makes an emotionally resonant but clear-eyed attempt to lay out the ground of a practice that is moving towards the development of Bodhichitta. Why bother? she asks us, and shows how open-heartedness can res...