Free Buddhist Audio

Kamalashila explores the centrality of mindfulness to the Buddhist path. He discusses the concept of intoxication, with reference to the 5th Precept and the Sutra of Golden Light. Kamalashila then considers the four foundations of mindfulness from the Satipatthana Sutta and concludes that mindfulness is the basis of metta and allows us to embrace the realm of truth and beauty. This talk was given at Croydon Buddhist Centre, 1996. This talk was made available by the Croydon Digital Archive Project, turning crumbling cassette tape recordings into digital format. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Sahajatara gives an honest and enthusiastic exploration of the speech precepts. This talk is down-to-earth and with humour! This talk was given on a retreat for Mitras at Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2018 and is part of the series entitled Ethics: Resonating with Reality. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Vimalasara gives a thorough talk on the third precept, exploring some of the issues we all need to reflect on if we are to live life more fully with simplicity, contentment and stillness. Relevant to modern day living, this talk also signposts some of the issues that women and queer people have to contend with when reflecting on this precept. Talk given at Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2013. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Buddhist generosity is ideally ongoing all the time, a simple application of our ethical principles - a flow of time, energy, money, and so on, in the direction of your heart-felt values. Giving is one of the key practices of a Buddhist, and one of the delights of the Spiritual Community. Ratnaghosha evokes how this is an area of activity that is crucial to an effective practice of the Dharma and the living of the Bodhisattva life. This talk was given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 2018. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

With his usual warmth, clarity and good humour, Prajnaketu explores the mental events of hatred and love with great detail and personal reflections. “Not by hatred are hatreds ever pacified in the world, by love are they pacified, this is the eternal law.” ~ Dhammapada In the presence of suffering or pain, our sense of self is often diminished as we come to realize our efforts to control our experience to avoid pain don’t work. On the contrary, wishing ourselves and others well in the ups and downs of life, one is practicing the softening of the barriers between self and other and filling that space with love. This is one of several talks given during a retreat entitled Mind in Harmony at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2016. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

What are the particular challenges we face in the 21st Century? There are many, and Vajradevi focuses on the mind precepts and our use of technology. This talk is linked with Akuppa's talks on '21st Century Bodhisattva' and drawing on the book '21 Lessons for the 21st Century' by the historian Yuval Noah Harari. This talk was given as part of a series at Shrewbury Triratna Centre, 2019. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Bodhisattvas work tirelessly and heroically to create a Buddhafield for the benefit of all beings. Padmavajra explores the opening verses of the Dhammapada and their far reaching implications including how we create not only our own happiness or suffering through our actions, but also how we create worlds, worlds of suffering or worlds conducive to human growth and even freedom. Talk given during the February Great Gathering weekend at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2020. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Parami introduces our four-fold lineage and shows how the lineage of inspiration underpins them all. Now that Bhante has died our responsibility to keep this flame burning is more important than ever. This talk is part of the series Talks from Women's Private Preceptors' Retreat given at Adhisthana, 2019. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

In the first weeks after his Enlightenment, the Buddha stayed alone near the Bodhi tree, assimilating his profound discovery and enjoying its bliss. But from the first moment he encountered another human being, the force of his compassion led him to revolt against the social hierarchies of his day. In this impassioned talk at the London Buddhist Centre's 2021 Buddha Day celebrations, Subhuti explores the nature of social conditioning. In doing so, he calls for greater efforts to understand differing experiences and an attempt to relate on the basis of the Buddha's radical vision for humankind. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Vajragupta considers how the sangha reaches out into the world, looking at three areas: loving-kindness and common humanity, community and service, and wisdom in an age of information overload. A talk given on an online weekend retreat with Croydon Buddhist Centre, 2020. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Vidyatara shares her reflections on practice during a time of Lockdown as part of the Birmingham Buddhist Centre's year on the 8-fold path (2021). She particularly evokes and draws on the classic teaching of Bahiya and asks how to apply it to these conditions. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Arthapriya explores the characteristics of a person who is a good communicator - having empathy for others, deeply listening, and drawing each other out into deeper presence with one another. This is a talk given as part of the Year of Spiritual Community talks at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 2014. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

In this moving and rousing talk, Dhammachari Amoghasiddhi illustrates how the Dhamma can radically transform people's lives, liberating them from a hellish existence, particularly in India. Using the examples of his own life, as well as the lives of Bhante Sangharakshita, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and others, he explains that if we want to live a meaningful life, we must open up to the suffering of others and do everything we can to help alleviate their suffering. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre on the Bodhisattva Ideal Retreat in July 2019. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Is there an inner attitude we can adopt that will naturally lead to the creation of Sangha? Satyadhara poses this question - and addresses it - in his talk on the second Mainland Europe Young Buddhist Convention. He shares his personal experience of being in a small Sangha near Frankfurt in Germany, and draws upon Asangha’s Yogacharabhumi to explore the conditions necessary for building Sangha. Talk given on the second Mainland Europe Young Buddhist Convention in Valencia, Spain, in July 2018. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Bhadra offers this insightful and thorough exploration of the Five Buddha Mandala through the lens of the gap between feeling and craving. Here we are able to transform the mental poisons (illustrated by the six realms) into the Wisdom of the each of the Five Buddhas. Talk given at Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2017, the last in a series on the Wheel of Life. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Vajrasattva is associated with purity and with the time of death. Aryajaya helps us to engage more deeply with the meaning and symbolism of Vajrasattva. Talk given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 2017. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Once again at the Centre of the Mandala, we meet Vairocana. How do we balance the teachings of effort and openness? One way is through the image of the Sun and relaxed being, the practice of the Dharma is simply to come back. Yet, of course, this requires effort. Another question is the balance between practical and mythical approaches: Can we hold both at once? What do we give significance to? What do we make real ? Can we open to a world of richer and deeper meaning? Vessantara gave this talk as part of the series The Mandala of the Five Buddhas at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2012 Winter Retreat. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Vaddhaka can usually be relied on to give a pretty great talk - and this is no exception. Here we have a real treat - a terrific, energetic exploration of the green Buddha of the north: Amoghasiddhi (Dundubishvara), the Unobstructed One. This is kind of a multi-media affair - listen for the 13th Century Spanish processional music in honour of the Virgin, and a blast of Sibelius too! Marvellous. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, Winter Retreat, 2001. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Saddhaloka introduces us to Amitabha, the red Buddha of the West who represents and inspires the highest love of all... Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, Winter Retreat, 1997. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Kusalasara evokes the jeweled born Buddha of the South, Ratnasambhava – golden yellow in color bringing messages of generosity, abundance and beauty. This talk is part of the series The Symbolic World of the Five Buddha Mandala given at the London Buddhist Centre's 2019 Winter Retreat. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud