Dharmabytes From Free Buddhist Audio

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Parable of the Burning Houseand#8221;, Sangharakshita begins by reading from the White Lotus Sutra and follows with an explanation of the symbolism of the house. We are reminded of the importance of responding to and#8216;the call of the Divineand#8217;. The talk from which todayand#8217;s Dharmabyte is extracted is titled: Transcending the Human Predicament, which is part of the series Parables, Myths and Symbols of Mahayana Buddhism in the White Lotus Sutra given in 1971.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is lovely excerpt from the talk titled and#8220;Contemplating the Suffering of Beingsand#8221; by Kulaprabha, titled and#8220;Robins, Despair, Earthquakes andamp; Other People.and#8221; This is the third of four talks exploring Vasubandhuand#8217;s Four Factors given on a meditation retreat for women who have asked for ordination. In his treatise Generating Bodhi Resolve, Vasubandhu describes them as able to generate the resolve to cultivate and accumulate the bases for the Arising of the Bodhicitta. You can find out more about them in Sangharakshitaand#8217;s books The Meaning of Conversion in Buddhism and The Bodhisattva Ideal . Taraloka, February, 2010.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a short talk by the lovely Jnanaketu titled and#8220;The Three Lakshanas: Anityaand#8221;, part of three part series of talks given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre in 2006. All conditioned things are impermanentand#8230; Not just a truism, but the central teaching of Buddhism upon which so much else follows. Jnanaketu starts off a three-part series on the lakshanas, or and#8216;marksand#8217; of conditioned existence, by tackling this most crucial of insights that is easy to say but a great challenge to live by. This talk is part of the series and#8220;The Three Lakshanas.and#8221;

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is the classic reading of the and#8220;and#8220;The Parable of the Rain Cloudand#8221; from The White Lotus Sutra. The reading is followed by a thought-provoking and beautiful explanation of this Buddhist teaching by Sangharakshita. This talk, and#8220;The Rain of the Dharmaand#8221;, was given in 1994 in the USA.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Emptiness and#8211; A Strategy for Being,and#8221; Samantabhadri expertly and imaginatively tackles the theme of Wisdom, using the verses in the third section of Tsongkhapaand#8217;s short text on the and#8220;Three Principle Aspects of the Pathand#8221;. Excerpted from the talk, and#8216;The Path of the Buddhaand#8217;s Delightand#8217;, this is part of a three part series all based on Tsongkhapaand#8217;s text, and given on the 2009 UK Womenand#8217;s Order Mitra Event. Given at Taraloka, May 2009

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Sunyata as Conditioned Co-Productionand#8221; comes to us from Nagapriya as he explores the important concept of sunyata in Mahayana Buddhism. Nagapriya explains how sunyata reformulates the fundamental Buddhist concept of conditioned co-production in the talk and#8220;The Philosophy of Emptiness.and#8221; Talk given at Manchester Buddhist Centre, 2009 This talk is part of the series Visions of Mahayana Buddhism.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, we enter into the quiet, reflective world of Dhammadassin as listen to a single track titled The Unity of View, Meditation andamp; Action from the beautiful talk titled: Standing on Emptiness and#8211; a preview to Saturdayand#8217;s full podcast. Talk given at the Triratna Buddhist Order women’s national weekend, August 2004

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Buddha andamp; His Messageand#8221; Sangharakshita speaks to us about who the Buddha was vs. what the Buddha said. Sometimes we are told, the Buddha didnand#8217;t say anything at all. The Bodhisattva ideal was emphasized by those among the early Buddhists who considered that they could learn from the Buddhaand#8217;s life and activity as well as from the doctrines he taught; from his compassion as well as from his wisdom. From the talk, and#8220;The Origin and Development of the Bodhisattva Idealand#8221;, given in 1969. This talk is part of the series Aspects of the Bodhisattva Ideal.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte,, and#8220;A Creative Responseand#8221; comes to us from the comprehensive and thought-provoking series of talks on the Tibetan text: and#8216;Eight Verses for Training the Mindand#8217; by Kadampa Geshe Langri Tangpa. This excerpt is from fourth and final talk in the series. and#8220;In brief, directly or indirectly, May I give all help and joy to my mothers, And may I take all their harm and pain Secretly upon myself.and#8221; and#8220;May none of this ever be sullied By thoughts of the eight worldly concerns. May I see all things as illusions And, without attachment, gain freedom from bondage.and#8221; Talk given as part of a series, and#8216;Eight Verses for Training the Mindand#8217;, at Madhyamaloka, Birmingham, 2004

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, comes to us from the talk and#8220;Simplicityand#8221; by Kamalashila: and#8220;Giving Attention to Experienceand#8221;. Meditation is kind of a prayer for authenticity and truthand#8230; it is the Buddhist path of becoming more natural. Talk given at FWBO Day, 2004

The Bodhisattvas descend, the Bodhichitta is called down, and Parami is off and rolling on her favourite subjectand#8230; and#8220;Energy andamp; The New Societyand#8221; is todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte. and#8220;We must remember to remember to not forget what to remember.and#8221; Exploring Shantidevaand#8217;s and#8216;Bodhicharyavataraand#8217; in relation to the creation of The New Society from the talk and#8220;Energy At Its Most Abundantand#8221;. Talk given in Cambridge, 2002

What happens when mindfulness matures? Weand#8217;re completely familiar with mindfulness, and weand#8217;ve hardly scratched the surface. What connects us to our own unfolding nature? Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Maturing Mindfulness, is an intimate look into the Anapanasati Sutra with Dhammarati in the sparkling talk Breaking the Mould, an indispensable exploration of everyday practice of the Dharma in the beautiful light of the Tathagathagarbha Sutra. Talk given at FWBO Day, London 2003

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Manjughoshaand#8217;s Swordand#8221; is an excerpt from the talk and#8220;Cutting Away the Oldand#8221; by the very dynamic Dharmachari Abhaya. Swords and#8211; lots of swords and#8211; as he explores the deep significance of Manjughosha/Manjushri and the blade he uses to cut deep into ignorance and the suffering it leads us into. In this track we are invited to visualize the symbols of swords as we are reminded of Zorro, Excalibur and other sword fights in films. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2003

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte,, and#8220;The Five Spiritual Facultiesand#8221; is from one of our earliest recordings of Sangharakshita: and#8220;A Special Transmission Outside the Scripturesand#8221;, 1965. How does Faith, Wisdom, Energy, Concentration and Mindfulness manifest in our lives? How do they relate to each other in our experience? This excerpt is from a talk in the series and#8220;The Essence of Zenand#8221;.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Marking the New Name: Triratna Buddhist Communityand#8221;, is a short talk by Padmavajra before leading the seven-fold puja at the International Sangha Gathering, Taraloka, May 2010 marking our movementand#8217;s name from the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order to the Triratna Buddhist Community. The Community of the Three Jewels: The Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha.

With Mindfulness, Strive. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, is a verse chanted within the context of A Western [Triratna] Buddhist Order Ordination Ceremony. Conducted by Sangharakshita, this talk is part of the series Ritual and Devotion in Buddhism.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, we preview our next podcast, and#8220;The Buddhaand#8217;s Personalityand#8221; by Vishvapani with the segment: and#8220;and#8216;Knowingand#8217; the Buddhaand#8221;. This is from the third talk in the Vishvapaniand#8217;s new series launching the book and#8220;Gautama Buddha: The Life and Teachings of the Awakened Oneand#8221;. (Quercus, 2011) and#8220;The suttas give us a vividly real Buddha who walks the roads, inhabits the cities and the plains, an untamed free spirit, a powerful presence who we can know but we cannot necessarily comprehend.and#8221; Vishvapani is a well known figure in the Triratna Buddhist Community and is a regular contributor on the BBCand#8217;s and#8216;Thought for the Dayand#8217;. Talk given at the London Buddhist Centre, February 2011.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, we continue our theme on the Buddhaand#8217;s Enlightenment with and#8220;Maraand#8217;s Attack on the Buddhaand#8221;. This Dharambyte is from the quietly passionate talk, and#8220;What is Enlightenment?and#8221; by Jinapriya on the quicksilver nature of the Enlightenment experience and#8211; impossible to pin down, utterly transformative. Here we meet Mara, the demon or trickster who represents our deepest fears, our doubts, our lack of confidence. We are met with a thoughtful series of reflections, stories and images that all look to open up the gates of perception, and prepare the heart for the biggest change imaginable and possible for all. Talk given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 2003

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Buddha: Legend andamp; Historyand#8221; offers us a glimpse of the talk, Imaging Gautama, from the major new series of talks by Vishvapani to mark the launch of his new book: and#8216;Gautama Buddha: The Life and Teachings of the Awakened Oneand#8217; (Quercus, 2011). Vishvapani recollects his religious studies and lessons on the Four Sights, which is not found in the suttas relating to Gautama. Does this mean it didnand#8217;t happen? Here Vishvapani traces the the development of a legendary story and other examples of details in the Buddha legend missing from the Pali Canon. Talk given at the Cardiff Buddhist Centre, 2011.

In celebration of Wesak, the Buddhaand#8217;s Awakening, todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte takes us right to the heart of the matter: What is Enlightenment? and#8216; From the 1975 lecture by Sangharakshita titled and#8220;The Ideal of Human Enlightenmentand#8221;, we are concisely and beautifully reminded of the three aspects of Awakening in the Buddhist tradition: i. radiant, pure clear awareness entirely transcending duality; ii. an intense, overflowing love and compassion for all that lives; iii. an inexhaustible mental and spiritual energy, absolute spontaneity and creativity continuously bubbling up. This talk is part of the series and#8220;Human Enlightenmentand#8221;.