Dharmabytes From Free Buddhist Audio

Our FBA Dharmabyte today is entitled Time Traveling to the Time of the Buddha. Amoghavajra takes us back 2,500 years to the Kingdom of Magadha in Northern India to the birth of a boy called Kassapa. He grows up happily and as he gets older he becomes less and less worldly. This is the beginning of the legendary tale of Kassapa, who becomes known as a superb meditator and was foremost among the bhikkus for practising austerities. From the talk and#8220;The Tale of Maha-Kassapaand#8221; given on retreat at Dhanakosa Buddhist Retreat Centre in Scotland.

OurFBA Dharmabyte today is The Story of Angulimala by Suriyavamsa from the talk, and#8220;Like The Moon Released From A Cloud.and#8221; Suriyavamsa tells us the story of the murderer Angulimala, who has a complete change of heart after trying to catch and kill the Buddha and finding it impossible. The tale illustrates how enlightenment canand#8217;t be grasped or understood by ourselves as we are; it requires a fundamental shift of quality, not quantity. Angulimala shows us a way of attaining the higher perspective of the Buddha through surrender, accepting training and service. Talk given during Padmalokaand#8217;s Summer Retreat, July 2011.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, How Can One Know the Buddha?, we here from Sangharakshita from the talk, and#8220;The Disappearing Buddha.and#8221; The Buddha adopted the appearance and speech of his different audiences, and gave discourses on the Dharma which instructed, inspired, fired, and delighted. Then he would just disappear and leave them wondering, and#8216;Who is the Buddha?and#8217; Talk given in 1994.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is brought to us by Vajratara entitled:Reality’s Unfolded, What’s Next? Vajratara condenses nearly 50 years of the Buddhas life, using stories from the Pali Canon to show how the Buddha built a spiritual community that lasts to this day. Transcending the conflict between the desire to withdraw and the desire to engage, the Buddha wanders northern India out of compassion, teaching the Dharma by his presence and his words. From the talk, and#8220;The Buddhaand#8217;s Gift To The World.and#8221;

Just how does one explain the taste of a mango? Vadanya gives us todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte entitled:Myth Evoking Inner Reality. Here, Vadanya illustrates just how rich myth and symbols are to elucidate the inner reality of the Buddha’s experience. From the talk entitled, Brahmas Request, given as part of a series of talks on Stories and Symbols at Sheffield Buddhist Centre on 31st October 2006.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte Stories from the Pali Canon, Saddhaloka talks about the tradition of storytelling in Buddhism, and recounts some of his own favourites. His obvious love of the tales comes shining through and#8211; sit back and enjoyand#8230;Saddhaloka is the author of a book of re-tellings of stories from the Pali Canon, the oldest collection of texts about the life and teachings of the Buddha. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2001

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte Six Objects of Worship, Sangharakshita explains the the first three of six garavas: Satta, Dharma, Sangha. From the talk, and#8220;Discerning the Buddhaand#8221;, given in 1986. In trying to discern the Buddha, we are trying to discern the highest kind of being: an Enlightened One. The Buddha, it seems, considered that the Dharma and#8211; the truth and#8211; is higher still. Does this mean that there were reaches of the spiral of development that he had not yet explored?

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte A Rung in the Ladder, Satyalila shares quite personally about her writing as spiritual practice. From the talk, and#8220;Daring to Look In the Mirrorand#8221; given on the 2014 at the European Womenand#8217;s Convention held at Adhisthana, the theme of the convention was and#8220;The Bodhisattvaand#8217;s Reply: Triratna Paths to Insight.and#8221;

Our FBA Dharmabyte today is by Saddhaloka, the new chair of the College of Public Preceptors. Much easier said then done, Entering Into a Life in the Dharma begins with a strong heartfelt response, a feeling of ‘coming home’ and is challenged by our many distractions, confusions and the pressures of our life. We keep forgetting what is most important. From the talk of the same title given by Saddhaloka at the Ordination Training Weekend in February 2015.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Setting Intention for Equanimity, Ratnavandana shares an intensely honest, psychologically intimate, beautifully forensic history of her personal relationship to the practice of upekkha (equanimity) throughout her spiritual life. We hear about ways to assess what is going on in the subtler realms of our experience and#8211; and how to look to move beyond them so we too can live like a riverand#8230; From the talk, and#8220;A Personal Take On Upekkhaand#8221; given as part of the 2015 Rainy Season Retreat at Bristol Buddhist Centre. The full archive of this retreat is available on The Buddhist Center Online.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, The Boundlessness of Metta, Jvalamalini gives a very personal and helpful take on the metta bhavana (loving kindness) practice, recounting her history with it and the kinds of areas she has worked with over the years in order to learn to love herself and others as deeply as she can. Here she speaks on an initial experience of vision that arose of profound well-being. That work is both extraordinary and everyday, and the fruits of it is named beautifully as simply the ability to go deeper with the practice itself. From the talk, and#8220;A Personal Take On Metta Practiceand#8221; given as part of the 2015 Rainy Season Retreat at Bristol Buddhist Centre. The full archive of this retreat is available on The Buddhist Center Online.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Seeing Beauty in Nature, Jnanavaca continues the seminar series exploring Eros and Beauty, drawing inspiration from Keats on the ascent of beauty. From the talk and#8220;Eros and Beauty and#8211; Jnanavaca On Fireand#8221; given at the London Buddhist Center, 9th March 2015.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, The Perfectly Enlightened Mind, Padmavajra offers a beautiful reading of the opening verses of Bodhicaravatara and#8211; the Entry of the Way into Enlightement, by Shantideva. The Bodhicitta is one of those terms that you need to get a feeling for and#8211; translating it as ‘the enlightened mind’ doesn’t quite do it justice. From the talk and#8220;Eros and Beauty and#8211; Manjughosha, Love and Beautyand#8221; given 23rd March 2015, London Buddhist Center.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Transforming the World, Khemasuri explores the message of Transforming the World in The Sutra of Golden Light at Sangha Night, Sheffield Buddhist Centre 2008. Talk given on 17th June 2008 as part of a series on Great Buddhist Texts.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Buddhism and Culture, Sangharakshita illustrates how it is only possible to change the world fundamentally when we are receptive to the influence of higher spiritual dimensions. From the talk of the same name, Buddhism and Culture, given in 1976 as part of the series Transformation of Life and World in the Sutra of Golden Light.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Gathering Wisdom, we hear from Vidyadevi during the opening of the new Sangharakshita Library at Adhisthana. Sangharakshita, founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order, has long dreamed of starting a new library to house his collection of 11,000 books on Buddhism, the Dharma and literature (including extensive reference and poetry collections). Vidyadevi, one of the people who helped make it happen, introduces the new library as it finally opens its doors. Her passion for this project and her love of books is both infectious and challenging as she speaks about a library with its eyes as firmly on the future as on the past. The full talk, Gathering Wisdom While We May and#8211; The Opening of the Sangharakshita Library includes a great introduction and conclusion by Vajragupta on the genesis and future of the Sangharakshita Library.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Two Routes to Samatha, Viveka describes the many mindfulness practices and two routes to samatha. From the talk Mindfulness as Sadhana given at the Triratna Buddhist Order Convention 2005.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Stories to Orientate our Psyche, Ratnaghosha shares how stories are the primary way in which the imagination orients our psyche. Listen to Ratnaghosha’s telling of this most famous story in the life of the Buddha and#8211; his going forth. This talk was given to launch the new Sangha Night at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Going Forth as Skilled Action, Maitreyabandhu adds a liveliness and concreteness to the theme of going forth. From the talk Positive Emotion and#8211; Skilled Action given during a 4-day retreat in May 2013, at Dharmagiri retreatcenter, Sweden. Maitryeabandhu gave four seminars on and#8216;The five great stages of spiritual lifeand#8217;, as it is viewed and practiced within the Triratna Buddhist community. He draws substantially on the writing and teaching that Sangharakshita and Subhuti has produced in recent years.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is titled: Understanding Anatta. Tackling 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. From the talk Individuality, True and False, by Sangharakshita, part of the series Aspects of the Higher Evolution of the Individual.