Free Buddhist Audio

This week's FBA Podcast , is a new talk on Writing As Spiritual Practice . Drawing on her experience as a poet, Varasahaya discusses creativity, imagination, and the writing process as a spiritual practice. She reads some of her poems, and explains the process by which they came to birth, and what she learnt about letting go of self as she grappled with writing. An excellent and very accessible ta...

In this week's FBA Podcast , Shifting to Indras Net, Parami evokes the reality of interconnectedness in relation to the second Dasadhamma – My life is dependent on others. I am sustained by the gifts of others – She talks about how the experience of interconnectedness is supported by wisdom, and results in compassionate activity. This talk is part of the series The Order as Practice: Shifting Para...

This week's FBA Podcast , Letting Go of What Isn't There is a gentle and insightful talk by Dhammarati on the Anapanasati Sutta given at the LBC's Dharma Day festival on July 12th 2009.

This week's FBA Podcast , Spiritual Death and Radical Transformation is a rousing talk by Maitreyabandhu that goes into where Buddhism begins: with ourselves as we are and with the awake Buddha. But we don't really know either ourselves or the Buddha. He emphasises that we don't know because we so easily assume we know, or fix or lessen the goal. So what do we do? There are three approaches we nee...

This week's FBA Podcast is by Triratna's International Order Convenor, Parami, speaking on one of her favorite topics: The Group and the Spiritual Community . Parami has lived and worked within Triratna for many years of her life. Sangha is very important to her and her years of experience will help us to get a clearer idea of what makes a spiritual community, rather than a positive group.

In this week's FBA Podcast , Three Ways to Insight – Working with the 3 Prajnas Subhuti considers afresh this traditional teaching of cultivating insight through hearing, reflecting and meditating.

This week's FBA Podcast is entitled The Meaning of Spiritual Community Revisited by Mahamati. One of the talks given at Padmaloka during the 2016 'Urgyen' retreat. The retreat was part of the celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the founding of Padmaloka, and aimed to explore the life and teachings of our founder Urgyen Sangharakshita.

This week's FBA Podcast is entitled The Buddhas Noble Quest by Dhivan. In this talk given at a Sangha evening at Bristol Buddhist Centre, Dhivan considers what we can learn from the story of the noble quest of the Buddha. This story is recounted in the Discourse on the Noble Quest (Ariyapariyesana-sutta) in the Middle-length Discourses (Majjhima-nikaya). In it we can almost believe we are hearing...

This week's FBA Podcast is entitled The Importance of Mindfulness by Kamalashila. In this talk from September 1996, Kamalashila explores the centrality of mindfulness to the Buddhist path. He discuses 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 the Satipatthana Sutta and conclu...

This week's  FBA Podcast is entitled Sangharakshita, the Unenlightened Englishman by Ratnaprabha. A 1989 film on Sangharakshita was embarrassingly titled The Enlightened Englishman. He may not be enlightened, but he has had a fascinating life and a very positive influence on a huge number of people. This talk gives an account of his life, work and teachings, including personal reminiscences. It in...

This week's FBA Podcast FBA Podcast is part four of a series of talks on the Triratna Vandana by Subhuti entitled Sangha Vandana . The most striking point from this talk is the importance of taking the Sangha refuge as the possibility of an Ideal Society. It is so easy to get dis-illusioned with people and groups. Yet human relationships are such an integral part of our lives we need some vision t...

This week's FBA Podcast FBA Podcast is a fabulous talk by Jnanavaca called The Wisdom of Words . The spiritual community, the Sangha, is the ideal context in which we can practise the Dharma. It is also a force for good in the world and an ideal in its own right. But how is the Sangha sustained? Continuing our exploration of 'The Four Sangharavastus' (or Means of Unification of the Sangha). Jnanav...

…There is poetry as soon as we realize there is nothing… Continuing the series celebrating the unique contribution of Urgyen Sangharakshita to modern Buddhism, Akasamitra explores his key teaching of Mind Reactive – Mind Creative in this week's FBA Podcast .

Our FBA Podcast this week is by Parami, entitled  The Path to Buddhist Engagement . This talk was given at the Manchester Buddhist Centre on Triratna Night, 27 June 2016, during Buddhist Action Month – BAM!

In our FBA Podcast this week is by Mahasiddhi, entitled: Maitri, Friendship and Meaning – Being a Buddhist Chaplain In a Non-Buddhist Setting . As part of taking the Dharma into the world, Mahasiddhi talks about his experience as a Buddhist Chaplain and how the Dharma supports and informs his practice with mainly non-Buddhist patients. Mahasiddhi has been practising chaplaincy for nearly four year...

In our FBA Podcast this week is by Vajratara, entitled: Kshanti (Patience): A Response to the Modern World . This talk was given in Sheffield at a unique time in British politics. A few days before, the UK had voted in a referendum to leave the European Union. At a time of political turmoil with reported hate crimes increasing by 57% since the referendum, Vajratara asks how can we have a Buddhist...

In our FBA Podcast this week we hear from Ratnaprabha on Gender and Sexuality In Buddhism . In this very rich and well researched talk at the Stockholms Buddhistcenter (13 June 2011) Ratnaprabha traces the view of gender and sexuality in Buddhism. He addresses these topics in an open and inquiring way, not afraid of treading on ground that many others shy away from; and he raises many new question...

In our FBA Podcast today, Prasadachitta delivers a beautiful set of reflections on his personal practice in Whirlpools and Clear Water . This talk by Prasadachitta is like a beautiful stillness amid the whirl of a full Order Convention. His conversational style gradually brings forth the depth of reflection behind it. And the integrity of his personal practice bubbles easily to the surface when, w...

In our FBA Podcast today, The Muni and the Moonlight , Vajrasara reflects on the Buddha, his victory over pleasure and pain, and how we might bring him alive in our lives. Talk given May 2011 at Bristol Buddhist Centre.

Our FBA Podcast this week is a delightful talk in which Sangharakshita looks at his own poem 'Sripada', the translation of which gives the title: Footsteps of Delight . Evoking the more mythical side of his own spiritual quest, he challenges us in ours with an often good humoured look at what it is to Go for Refuge to the Buddha and his teaching in the context of vibrant spiritual community. With...

Our FBA Podcast this week is a dynamic talk by Vadanya called Is the Buddha Dead for Us? . In this talk on the Buddha's parinirvana, Vadanya explores how we can use our imagination to have a real living connection with the Buddha, and how we can make our own future potential for enlightenment a source of strength and guidance in our present lives. Talk given at a Men's Event, Padmaloka Retreat Cen...

In this week's FBA Podcast entitled Reverencing the Buddha – I Bow to No One Dead Or Alive Mahamani gives an incredibly passionate talk on reverencing the Buddha. Drawing on her own experiences of struggling to understand the place of ritual in Buddhism, Mahamani guides us on her own path to finally bowing before the Buddha.

In this week's FBA Podcast Padmavajra describes how we practice the Dharma so as to create Love, respect and unity within our community and the wider world. Creating Love, Respect and Unity given at the Mens Event titled Beyond Isolation, Building the Buddha Land.

The wonderful Dhammadinna brings us this week's FBA Podcast entitled  Seven Point Mind Training . This is the first of seven talks in a series based on Atisha's famous 'The Seven Points of Mind Training', and influenced both by Chekawa's commentary and Langri Tangpa's 'Eight Verses for Training the Mind'. This talk was given on April 7th, 2008 and is part of the series Seven Point Mind Training .

This week's FBA Podcast is a talk by Maitreyabandhu entitled Spiritual Death and Radical Transformation . In this rousing talk Maitreyabandhu goes into where Buddhism begins: with ourselves as we are and with the awake Buddha. But we don't really know either ourselves or the Buddha. He emphasises that we don't know because we so easily assume we know, or fix or lessen the goal. So what do we do? T...