Dharmabytes From Free Buddhist Audio

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte brings us around to our final podcast on the Five Buddha Mandala. In Have We Really Arrived?. Kamalashila brings it all right back into this present moment. From the talk Absorption and#8211; After the Enlightenment. How do you get used to being Enlightened? What happened to the Buddha in the weeks after his breakthrough experience? Kamalasila explores these questions in two ways and#8211; using the framework of the system of meditation to shed light on the process that unfolded in the Bodhisattvaand#8217;s mind and body as Enlightenment dawned; and connecting us imaginatively with the symbolism and image of Muchalinda, the great serpent, coiling his body protectively round the meditating Buddha.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is titled Waking up to Cosmic Consciousness from a talk by Vajratara called The White Sovereign Buddha Vairocana. Keep your head down and carry on, don’t look into the light! If we do look up and see reality, it’s not bleak as we fear it will be but rather absolutely beautiful. When you wake up to cosmic consciousness it’s a joy and celebration.

We continue our exploration of the Five Buddha Mandala in the northern realm. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is an excerpt from the talk Touching the Void by Jnanavaca. In Falling Into Space: Amoghasiddhi Jnanavaca relates events in Joe Simpsonand#8217;s popular mountaineering book and#8216;Touching the Voidand#8217; to aspects of Buddhist practice. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Amoghasiddhi: The Practical Aspect of Enlightenment, Sangharakshita introduces us to Amoghasiddhi, described as the practical aspect of enlightenment, the mysterious activity of the enlightened mind. It may be an activity of non-activity, but very efficacious none-the-less. An excerpt from The Mandala: Tantric Symbol of Integration by Sangharakshita, 1967, part of the series Aspects of Buddhist Psychology.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, The Buddhaand#8217;s Introduction to the Worship of Amitabha, Sangharakshita gives voice to this poetic Buddhist scripture describing the wonderful Pureland of the Buddha Amitabha. From the talk The Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra by Sangharakshita

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Amitabhaand#8217;s Acceptance, Saddhaloka introduces us to Amitabha, the red Buddha of the West who represents and inspires the highest love of alland#8230; The full talk entitled Amitabha was given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, winter retreat, 1997

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is an Invocation to Ratnasambhava recited by Gambhiranandi, written by Vessantara, to open a Full Moon Puja dedicated to Ratnasambhava. Given at the Croydon Buddhist Centre in August 2015 as part of the regular Saturday Sangha Morning class.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte Ratnaprabha offers a delightful story of Nanda and the dove-footed nymphs in a track weand#8217;re calling: >Exhaulted Beauty. Ratnasambhava represents the beauty of appreciation, one of the most positive functions that one can develop. In the appreciative mode, nothing is ugly. The story of the Buddhaand#8217;s half brother, Nanda, helps illustrate how we can use more immediate desires as motivators on the path. We can shift from appropriation to appreciation. From the talk Ratnasambhava and the Path of Beauty, the 8th talk from the The Mandala of the Five Buddha given at Padmalokaand#8217;s 2012 Winter Retreat.

Having now entered the mandala, in todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte we meet Akshobya: The Dark Blue Buddha. From the talk The Mandala: Tantric Symbol of Integration by Sangharakshita, 1967. The Tantras (special scriptures of Vajrayana Buddhism) frequently refer to mandalas, circles of symbolic forms. Sangharakshita describes the mandala of the five Buddhas, its use as a symbol of psychological and spiritual integration, and the meaning of its sexual symbolism. This talk is part of the series Aspects of Buddhist Psychology.

Our theme on mandalas continues as we hear from Ratnavandana who has been teaching on the Brahma Viharas for decades using the Five Buddha Mandala as a basis for their exploration. The FBA Dharmabyte we choose is entitled Opening to the Mandala, an excerpt from the talk Living In the Mandala. This is the second talk of the 2015 Rainy Season Retreat in Bristol, UK, 2015, led by Ratnavandana who embarks on a personal sharing of how her life has been transformed by deciding to go and live in the mandala of the Brahma Viharas and the Jinas themselves. Her deep love of the practices represents both an inspired and eminently practical vision of how to orientate yourself on the great map of the wayand#8230;

Our theme on mandalas continues with todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte as we learn about the origins of the mandala in Buddhist practice. An excerpt from the third talk on The Mandala of the Five Buddhas, Ratnasambhava and the Mandala by Ratnaprabha. Here he describes the early origins of the mandala as the Bodhi-manda, the circle of awakening. Given at Padmalokaand#8217;s 2012 Winter Retreat on the Mandala as part of the series The Mandala of the Five Buddhas.

We continue our opening theme for 2016 on mandalas with todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte Jvalamalini offers a gentle and thorough introduction to mandalas, in this excerpt the focus is on our personal lives. What’s central is what is most important to us. and#8220;Personal Mandalasand#8221; is an excerpt from the full talk entitled Introduction to Mandalas, given at the Bristol Buddhist Centre, UK.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, by Sangharakshita, is an introduction to what is likely the most important of the four mula-yogas, the indispensable preparatory practices of the Vajrayana devotee. and#8220;Vajrasattva: Purificationand#8221; is an excerpt from The Four Foundation Yogas of the Tibetan Buddhist Tantra, given in 1968 as part of the series An Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, by Punyamala, is entitled and#8220;Impermanence of This Bodyand#8221;. An excerpt from the talk of the same title, Punyamala eloquently reminds us that the Buddhist vision is unique, summed up by the Buddha’s last words, “Impermanent are all conditioned things, with mindfulness, strive on.” This talk was given at Taraloka on a mitra retreat called Reflection: A Path of Wisdom

Weand#8217;ve been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s writings and poems this month. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is entitled and#8220;Retracing our Steps on the Pathand#8221;. Selected from and#8220;A Life for the Dharmaand#8221;, by Sangharakshita, a moving, often beautiful evocation of the great Indian teacher Atisha, whose work had a profound influence on the development of Buddhism in Tibet. Sangharakshita presents Atishaand#8217;s life as both a challenge and an inspiration to all who wish to practice the Dharma and discover its relevance in the world today. Talk given in 1999. This talk is part of the series Three Lectures to the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. If we are mentally confused and find ourselves not making progress on the spiritual path, we have to go back to meditation. But suppose our meditation is unsatisfactory and we are troubled be all sorts of wandering thoughts? If we cannot concentrate, we have to get back to shila, ethics. An ethical life is

Weand#8217;ve been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s writings and poems this month. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a poem entitled and#8220;Before Dawnand#8221;. Selected from and#8220;Hercules and the Birdsand#8221;, read by the author and published by Windhorse Publications, Glasgow, 1990.

Weand#8217;ve been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s writings and poems this month. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a poem entitled and#8220;Life is Kingand#8221;. Selected from and#8220;Conquering New Worldsand#8221;, read by the author and published by Windhorse Publications, Glasgow, 1986.

Weand#8217;ve been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s writings and poems this month. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a poem entitled and#8220;Orpheus in the Underworldand#8221;. Selected from and#8220;Conquering New Worldsand#8221;, read by the author and published by Windhorse Publications, Glasgow, 1986.

Weand#8217;ve been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s writings and poems over the next few weeks. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is an excerpt from and#8220;The Caves of Bhajaand#8221;, a moving poem in memory of Dharmachari Anagarika Maha Dhammavira, written, introduced and read by Sangharakshita. Full talk available here: and#8220;The Caves of Bhajaand#8221;.

Weand#8217;ve been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s writings and poems over the next few weeks. In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Elder Revealedand#8221;, an excerpt from his own elegant and moving unpublished story, Sanghrakshita evokes the spiritual efforts of a monk who occupies the and#8216;Holy Manand#8217;s Caveand#8217; above an Indian village at the time of the Buddha. From and#8220;The Caveand#8221;, read by the author. Questioning our friends affectionately leaves them feeling as if they are not being questioned at all. Allowing answers to emerge from the deep, hidden aspects of ourselves, reveals our deepest truth. Hear Sumana’s feelings about the Buddha, a wandering monk, and his spiritual efforts under the inspiration of the Dharma.