Dharmabytes From Free Buddhist Audio

Our FBA Dharmabyte today, and#8220;The Buddha andamp; Imagination,and#8221; is an excerpt from Kamalashilaand#8217;s talk and#8220;Tranquillity, Imagination and Insightand#8221;, a book relaunching of Buddhist Meditation. Here, Kamalashila explores the Buddhaand#8217;s emphasis on mind, and the presence of imagination. and#8220;All solutions and all problems come from the mind.and#8221; The full talk will be podcast next Saturday.

In the Pali scriptures, do we have a word for and#8216;imagination?and#8221; In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Sangharakshita offers his thoughts in and#8220;The Divine Eye as Vertical Imagination.and#8221; Vertical imagination is a creative force, enabling us to rise above ourselves. Quoting William Blake seeing the host of heavenly spirits in the sun, we are called to evoke the power of our imaginative faculty. This is an excerpt from the book launch of Living Ethically, available at Windhorse Publications.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Mystery of the Dhamma Niyamaand#8221; Subhuti concludes the first talk in one of his Rambles Around Reality series. Here he describes the Dhamma Niyama as having itand#8217;s own conditioned laws which are potentially working within us. Using the metaphor of the stream, our effort, our karma puts us in the current, but the current itself is the Dharma Niyama and#8211; mysterious patterns in conditionality that take us well beyond ourselves.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Beyond Ethicsand#8221; is the introduction to the first talk in a series exploring how our ethical practice can extend toward that which would be the natural responses of an Enlightened Being, taking into consideration the Niyamas. From the talk: Beyond Ethics, Part I By Subhadramati and Silapiya given at the London Buddhist Centre.

Sunyata, (Sanskrit, also shunyata; Pali: suññat), in Buddhism, translated into English as emptiness, voidness, openness, spaciousness, is a Buddhist concept which has multiple meanings depending on its doctrinal context. (Wikipedia) Our FBA Dharmabyte today is simple. The and#8220;Sunyata Mantraand#8221; was recorded on retreat and is now being shared on Free Buddhist Audio. From the Anapanasati Web Extras provided by Viveka, from the retreat led in 2003.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, takes us further into the archetypal realm of the Buddhaand#8217;s and Bodhisattvas. Here Sangharakshita introduces us to and#8220;Vajrasattva – The Aspect of Purityand#8221;. This is an excerpt from the talk and#8220;The Bodhisattva Hierarchyand#8221; by Sangharakshita given in 1969.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyteand#8220;The Diamond Sutra as Zen Masterand#8221; we hear Abhaya in an an intriguing discussion of the sutra as Vajrapani and as a zen master. From the talk and#8220;The Diamond Sutraand#8221; where Abhaya leads us on the crazy paving path through the Diamond Sutra and#8211; a text guaranteed to turn your world upside-down. Some very funny parts to this talk and#8211; and some excellent evocations of rigorous Dharma practice as part of the everyday business of life. Talk given at the Western Buddhist Order national Order weekend 2003

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte and#8220;Vajrapani: The Power Aspectand#8221; is an excerpt from and#8220;The Bodhisattva Hierarchyand#8221; by Sangharakshita. After a full explanation of the importance of being receptive to those more developed than ourselves, we are introduced to the ten stages (bhumis) of the Bodhisattva path and to the four principal types of Bodhisattva who embody this path. Here we meet: Vajrapani.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a ritual chant of devotion: and#8220;Mantra von Amitabhaand#8221; by Nagadakini recorded in Essen, Germany.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte and#8220;The Qualities of Amitabha and#8220; Sangharakshita gives voice to the poetic Buddhist scripture The Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra describing the wonderful Pureland of the Buddha Amitabha.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte and#8220;The Jewel of the Mandalaand#8221; is an excerpt from the fourth talk in a six-part series on the figures on the Wheel of Life. Saddhaloka introduces us to Amitabha, the red Buddha of the West who represents and inspires the highest love of alland#8230; Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, winter retreat, 1997

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a tribute to and#8220;The Bodhisattva Taraand#8221; by Kamalashila. From a series about the final mantras of the sevenfold puja, Kamalashila talks about the birth and significance of the bodhisattva Tara.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is titled and#8220;Tara and#8211; The Quintessence of Compassionand#8221; by Sangharakshita. From a thorough and thought-provoking talk explaining the Bodhisattva Path we are introduced to several Bodhisattvas, in this excerpt we meet Tara. From the talk and#8220;The Bodhisattva Hierarchyand#8221; given in 1969.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is titled and#8220;Bodhisattva as Dharma Teacher and#8220; by Padmavajra from the 7th talk in and#8220;The Diamond Sutra and#8211; Taking Mind to its Limitsand#8221; series. Here Padmavajra talks about Diamond Sutra logic and giving the Dharma. He includes a quote from Sangharakshita from Wisdom Beoynd Words that elucidates the Bodhisattva as Dharma teacher.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is titled and#8220;Not Mere Socialisingand#8221; by Sangharakshita from the talk and#8220;Intellect, Emotion, and Willand#8221; given at opening of the Manchester Buddhist Centre in 1996. In this excerpt Sangharakshita talks about kalyana mitrata and people coming to Centres forming sangha as being much deeper than mere socialising.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is titled and#8220;Sangha as Coral Reef and#8220; by Saddhanandi. In this excerpt from the talk and#8220;Spiritual Transmission and Lineageand#8221; we hear a comparison of the sangha with a coral reef and#8211; delicate, beautiful and very sensitive to pollution. Saddhanandi explores the nature of the Sangha as the possible ground for insight itself to arise.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is titled and#8220;The Voice That Says and#8216;Be Generousand#8217;and#8221; by Vajratara. To have friends, we need to learn to be a friend. Friendship is an active practice, not to be left to chance. In this excerpt from the talk and#8220;How to Be a Friendand#8221; Vajratara points out the a friend reminds us of our own ethical values.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabytetitled and#8220;Sangharakshita: A Friend to the Order,and#8221; Bhante is making good his intention to follow up and#8216;The History of My Going For Refugeand#8217; with another lecture looking at his relation to the rest of the Order titled and#8220;My Relation to the Orderand#8220;. He considers his position as the WBOand#8217;s [Triratna's] founder and what his continuing role will be, as others take on the responsibility of conferring ordinations themselves. Talk given in 1990.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte titled and#8220;A Community of Hearers,and#8221; Parami starts off the International Womenand#8217;s Order Convention with an inspiring window into the practice of Sangha, of gathering together in harmonious relationship with one another that keeps third jewel shining. In this excerpt she describes the sangha as a community of hearers and#8211; those who engage in the action of listening and the action of receptivity. From the talk titled and#8220;Sangha Vandanaand#8221; given at the Womenand#8217;s International Order Convention 2011.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a lovely description of Sangharakshita weand#8217;re calling and#8220;A Single Stream of Dharma Activityand#8221; given by his editor Kalyanaprabha on the occasion of launching his recent book and#8216;Dear Dinoo: Letters to a Friendand#8216;. She shares two remarkable aspects about Sangharakshita: the ordinary and the extraordinary along with reflections on kindness and his embodiment of a single stream of Dharma activity.