Dharmabytes From Free Buddhist Audio

Dhammadinna speaks about Sangharakshita and his emphasis on imagination as a key to the spiritual life. From the talk entitled Bhante - Poetry, Myth and Imagination given on the Rainy Season Retreat at Manchester Buddhist Centre, February 2014. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

In the 1980s, 'Independent Arts' ran an ambitious and extremely impressive Arts program through the Croydon Buddhist Centre in London. Here's a first offering from the archive of recordings - an open conversation between Sangharakshita, founder of the Western Buddhist Order, and the renowned poet and scholar Kathleen Raine, one of the founders of the Temenos Academy. The occasion was the launch of Sangharakshita's book 'The Religion of Art' - and the discussion ranges widely and, at times, controversially through the subject of the Arts considered as a vehicle for spiritual truths. It's full of talking points and challenges to contemporary orthodoxies around art theory. But whatever one's take on the views of the participants, this is a marvellous record of a unique meeting of minds. Sangharakshita in Conversation with Kathleen Raine, Triratna Arts, 1988. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook F

How can we have a whole life of value and of meaning? Subhadramati explores the essential integration of arts and asceticism that Sangharakshita struggled to find in his early years as a monk. From the talk Beauty and Discipline, part of a series for Dharma Night focusing on Urgyen Sangharakshita's unique contribution to Buddhism. London Buddhist Centre, 2015. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Hatred or ill-will arises when something gets in the way of something we desire. From a mild irritation at being inconvenienced, to violent anger, competitiveness, jealousy, all are forms of ill-will. Khemasuri explores the theme of anger in Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara at Sangha Night, Sheffield Buddhist Centre. Excerpted from the talk entitled Gratitude to Everyone given on 15th April 2008. Part of a series on Great Buddhist Texts. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Here Vairocana shares thoughts on patience, pride and evil actions as described in the Bodhicaryavatara, verse 21. Shantidevi reflects that compassion arises upon seeing the suffering of the world and that this manifests in one loosening ones pride. This leads to a fear of the consequences of evil and a delight in Enlightenment itself, or as Shantideva puts it, delight in the Conquerors. From the talk The Section on Evil from the Dhammapada given at Glasgow Buddhist Centre, 2009. ***   Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Suryadarshini takes us into the forest to meet our shadows, drawing on traditional Buddhist sources and popular cultural references. Her personal approach to the Dharma accesses its universal aspects, and she navigates the darker parts of our experience with curiosity and kindness. From the talk Shadows in the Forest given at Norwich Buddhist Centre, 2017. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Using the aphorism of Sangharakshita, Peace is a Fire, Sujayini takes us on a journey of personal growth and transformation. From the talk Peace is a Fire given on a retreat for Young Women at Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2015. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Satyajyoti gives a talk on Ksanti, the patient forbearance that is the true antidote to anger and ill-will. She shares Santideva's advice on learning to endure pain and discomfort so we can respond with an attitude of love in difficult circumstances. From the talk Make Your Own Sandals, Part 6 in the 'Path to Awakening' Sangha Night series at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2019. ***   Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Here Samantabhadri expertly and imaginatively tackles the theme of Wisdom, using the verses in the third section of Tsongkhapa's short text on the "Three Principle Aspects of the Path". Dharma themes of the laksanas, suffering, niyamas, self - and no-self - are interwoven with more personal reflections, and with thought-provoking quotations - ".... emptiness, activity and compassion are not three things, but one thing looked at from three different points of view...." This is the third of three talks all based on Tsongkhapa's text, and given on the 2009 UK Women's Order Mitra Event entitled The Path of the Buddha's Delight given at Taraloka Retreat Centre, May 2009. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

  Vasubandhu lived in northern India and Nepal in the 4th century CE. He was a renowned teacher in the Sarvastivadin School of Buddhism but later converted to Mahayana Buddhism under the influence of his brother Asanga. In this talk Kulaprabha introduces us to a work of his dealing with the conditions necessary for the arising of the Bodhicitta - here translated as Bodhi Resolve. In particular, she compares and contrasts Vasubandhu's Four Factors as they are described in this text with Sangharakshita's description and evocation of them in his book 'The Meaning of Conversion in Buddhism'. The Four Factors are: 1. Contemplation of All Buddhas 2. Contemplation of the Faults and Perilous Aspects of the Body 3. Seeking the Most Supreme of All Fruits of the Path 4. Kindness and Pity for Beings From the talk Vasubandhu's Treatise on Generating Bodhi Resolve given at the London Buddhist Centre, September 2009 *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite

With his customary dry wit and sharp eye Abhaya leads us on the crazy paving path through the Diamond Sutra - a text guaranteed to turn your world upside-down. Some very funny parts to this talk - and some excellent evocations of rigorous Dharma practice as part of the everyday business of life. In this excerpt we hear readings from the sutra about how merit is not enough for insight to arise. From the talk entitled The Diamond Sutra given at the Triratna (Western Buddhist Order) National Order Weekend 2003. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

The nature of ignorance and the nature of wisdom are the same. How do the Bodhisattvas enter the Dharma door of non-duality? Sangharakshita explains some of the dualities listed in the Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra, gives some examples of his own (with tips on how to transcend them), and concludes with Vimalakirti's 'thunder-like silence'. From the talk entitled The Way of Non-Duality part of the series The Inconceivable Emancipation - Themes from the Vimalakirti Nirdesha, given in 1979. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

This is one of a series of talks on the Therigatha, the songs or poems of the nuns at the time of the Buddha. Gunasiddhi begins by saying that the songs are trying to communicate a level of spiritual experience to the hearer. The talk contains three themes: Going Forth, Friendship and Impermanence. In this Dharmabyte we hear about the topic of Going forth which happened in a variety of ways for different reasons for these nuns. For us, we don't go forth in the same way, but there is a huge variety of ways in which we can go forth, in body, speech and mind. From the talk, Songs of the Elder Sisters, given on a Sangha Retreat organized by the Glasgow Buddhist Centre, 2010.   *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Here we have Kusalasara speaking about the fetter of vagueness, distinguishing it from negative types of doubt. Doubt can be used to challenge our assumptions, and has a quality of discovering what’s most positive. Vagueness is a force guaranteed to prevent progress. Excerpted from the talk Breaking the Fetter of Vagueness given as part of the series ‘The Taste of Freedom’ Revisited at the London Buddhist Centre, 2019. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

It’s very hard for us to imagine vimutti, (freedom), in it’s fullest and perfect sense. Sharing a funny story about watching ants from his ordination retreat, Akashamitra evokes a delightful analogy about making a commitment on a complete different level when we aspire to enlightenment. From the talk entitled Breaking the Fetter of Superficiality from the series ‘The Taste of Freedom’ Revisited given at London Buddhist Centre, 2019.   *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Here Prajnamati offers gentle guidance for meditation inspired by the Anapanasati Sutta. In meditation we choose to center our attention on what arises – initially we may tighten or harden or contract which is movement out of meditation towards hindrance. There is another direction we can go, alternatively we can relax into our experience and move into the point of freedom. From the talk entitled The Point of Freedom given at Bristol Buddhist Centre, UK, March 2017. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

How free would your life be if you gave up unreal expectations? Try to remember something too important to forget. Renunciation is where you are allowing yourself to be obedient to the call of the heart – what do you really want to say ‘yes’ to? One of her telling quotes is " ... there is no spiritual development without renunciation, and no renunciation without spiritual development ..." Saddhanandi begins this Dharmabyte with a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye called The Art of Disappearing. From the very rich and reflective talk entitled Renunciation - Tasting Freedom, the first of three talks given on the 2009 UK Women's Order / Mitra Event. It's based on the first section of Tsongkhapa's short text "The Three Principle Aspects of the Path". The other talks in the series are "Generating Bodhi Mind" by Vajratara, and "The Path of the Buddha's Delight" by Samantabhadri. Given at Taraloka, May 2009 *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new D

Why did the Buddha compare the The Dharma-Vinaya having the taste of freedom with the great ocean having the taste of salt? It’s about the direct experience of the qualities of enlightenment. The Dharma-vinaya is an uninterrupted spontaneous flow of spiritual and transcendental states. That flow may crystalise into certain teachings, but should not be identified with it. Just as the mighty ocean has but one taste, the taste of salt, even so the Dharma-vinaya (Buddhism) has but one taste, the taste of Freedom. (from 'The Udana'). This brilliant and rousing tour-de-force on transcendental freedom is one of Sangharakshita's best-loved lectures. The Taste of Freedom given in 1979 ***   Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Just as the mighty ocean has but one taste, the taste of salt, even so the Dharma-vinaya (Buddhism) has but one taste, the taste of Freedom. (from 'The Udana'). This brilliant and rousing tour-de-force on transcendental freedom is one of Sangharakshita's best-loved lectures. The Taste of Freedom lecture was given in 1979.   ***   Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Metta helps us to disentangle our own self involvement to be able to see the bigger picture. We can only really see things clearly with the eyes of Metta. Vijayasri looks to the life of the Buddha and how he responded to the suffering of the world with metta. This talk entitled Living with Loving Kindness was given at Croydon Buddhist Centre as part of the regular Saturday morning Sangha class, Autumn 2017. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud