Dharmabytes From Free Buddhist Audio

Sangharakshita reflects on William Blakeand#8217;s concept of the and#8220;devouringand#8221; aspect of mind and how it relates to the chain of conditionality in todayand#8217;s FBA Podcast entitled Blakeand#8217;s Idea of the and#8216;Devouringand#8217; Aspect of Mind. From the talk entitled, and#8220;Fields of Creativityand#8221; given in 2001.

Dayajoti gives us todayand#8217;s FBA Podcast entitled Dukkha to Compassion. From the talk entitled, and#8220;Bodies of Earth and#8211; Beyond Me and Mine and#8211; Dukkhaand#8221; given on a two-week womenand#8217;s retreat at Eco-Dharma in May of 2012.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Podcast we hear more vintage Sangharakshita in Understanding Anatta (and#8216;No Self’). Everything we know about the self is in constant change and flux. You cannot understand what is meant by anatta until you know this truth. From the talk and#8220;Individuality, True and Falseand#8221; that tackles such terms as self, I, individual, and ego, reveals that each can have both a positive and a negative connotation. What is the self, and how can we cultivate true Individuality? Talk given in 1970.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Podcast Nothing Is Standing Still Sangharakshita describes the characteristic of anitta as the whole universe is one vast set of processes, all interrelated. From the talk, and#8220;The Texture of Reality,and#8221; given in 1966, a lecture dealing with the three marks (lakshanas) of conditioned existence and their transcendence via the three liberations (vimokshas).

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, we hear from Parami, our international Order Convenor, about how dukkha is not living in harmony with truth of conditioned existence and how it is metta that is the volitional response to interconnectedness. Living in Harmony With Truthis an excerpt from the talk Living in Harmony With Truth is from the talk and#8220;The Awakening Heart,and#8221; the first talk in the series of the same name. It touches on aspects of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s and#8216;system of meditationand#8217;, and most specifically the area of positive emotion. Parami is an ideal guide for this sort of material, steeped as she is in study and practice engaged with in the light of the and#8216;Bodhichittaand#8217;, and the Bodhisattva Ideal itself.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, All Conditioned Thingsand#8230; is an excerpt from the talk Seeing with Insight and#8211; Dhammapada Verses 277 to 279 by Padmavajra. All of the Buddhaand#8217;s core teachings are here and#8211; held in heart and mind thereand#8217;s more than enough in the Dhammapada to take us as far in our practice as we can imagine, and then on beyondand#8230; Talk recorded at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2007 This talk is part of the series The Dhammapada and#8211; the Buddhaand#8217;s Way of Truth.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a little gem from an infectiously delightful talk by Sanghaketu on the subject of joyful resonance with others (mudita) as part of the 2015 Rainy Season Retreat on the Brahma Viharas. In Coming Back to Gladness he really gets into his subject here! And his sense and experience of gladness comes across beautifully through laughter and reflection on the boon of good friends. From the talk A Personal Take On Mudita by Sanghaketu given in March 2015.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is entitled Joy and Compassion, an excerpt from Suffering and Joy and#8211; Compost For Love by Dayajoti. This talk was given during the setup for Buddhafield Festival 2013 (theme and#8216;Fire in the Heartand#8217;) on the Four Brahma Viharas.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, The Spiritual Community of Individuals Sangharakshita describes his understanding of true sangha. In creating a spiritual community people need to eschew completely the use of the and#8216;power modeand#8217; in interacting with each other. This contrasts strongly with ordinary and#8216;groupsand#8217;, where relationships are often based on authority, sometimes the authority of a personal God. Talk given in 1979.

Parami comes out strong in todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Ethics and Compassion. The Buddha realised full well how hard it was going to be to communicate what he had discovered to other people and#8211; to us. He knew that the grip of greed, hatred and delusion is very strong. He could imagine how vexatious it might be to teach. Fortunately for us, he could also see our potential. And so out of compassion he taught. Parami explores this theme of the Buddhaand#8217;s compassionate action and how ultimately it came from beyond self, beyond other and#8211; it emerged from his realisation of and#8216;Emptinessand#8217;. From the talk Out of Compassion for the World by Parami given at Triratna (FWBO) International Retreat at Taraloka, May 08

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a short excerpt from Metta and#8211; a Thread That Connects by Singhamati. This talk was given on a Young Womensand#8217; Weekend at Taraloka. Itand#8217;s a personal and poetic talk exploring Metta as a thread that connects us to ourselves, others, the world and reality.

When you are relaxed, it’s much easier to love. In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, A New Way to Metta Ratnaguna introduces a new way to approach the Metta Bhavana, the development of loving kindness. This excerpt is from the talk Metta Bhavana: Letting Kindness Happen given at the Manchester Buddhist Centre in February 2012. Ratnaguna introduces a new way to approach the Metta Bhavana,the development of loving kindness. This excerpt is from the talk Metta Bhavana Letting Kindness Happen given at the Manchester Buddhist Centre in February 2012.

The five precepts are an expression of position emotion and#8211; they are like poetry in motion. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Precepts as Poetry is an excerpt is from the talk Generosity As A Foundation Of Positive Emotion. Vijayasri considers how having generosity at the centre of a mandala, based on the positive precepts, can help us to develop positive emotion. This talk was given at Croydon Buddhist Centre in February 2016 as part of the Dharma study group on The Journey and The Guide by Maitreyabandhu

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 Fearlessness.

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;Commitment and Spiritual Communityand#8221;, part of a series entitled and#8220;A New Buddhist Movement and#8211; the Meaning of the FWBOand#8221;.

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 Suttaand#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; Taking Mind to its Limits: Talk 3and#8243;, part of the series and#8220;The Diamond Sutra and#8211; Taking Mind to its Limitsand#8221;.