Free Buddhist Audio

This week’s FBA Podcast is a quite unusual and unexpectedly intimate talk from Sangharakshita, “Dreams and Rebirth.” Given at the wonderful old converted church that is now the resplendent Sheffield Buddhist Centre in the UK. Some lovely, evocative accounts from his personal dreamlife – tales of mediaeval monks! – and a significant and highly personal exploration of the whole area of Buddhist views on rebirth and re-becoming. Much food for thought here from a wholly atmospheric and clearly enjoyable occasion. Talk given at the Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2008

This week’s FBA Podcast, “The Mandala of the Buddha,” is a talk given by Kamalashila on the 2012 Triratna International Retreat, in which he explores the ‘Mandala of the Buddha’ – some of the Buddha’s many qualities which, perhaps, gave rise to the later Mahayana ‘Mandala of the Five Buddhas’.

Vajratara delivers our FBA Podcast this week, “Energy, the Tantric Precepts and Enlightenment.” An exploration of what energy means in the spiritual life and how to work with it, especially referencing Sangharakshita’s ‘Tantric’ version of the Five Precepts. Given at the 2011 National Young Triratna Buddhists Weekend retreat exploring the theme of ‘Energy for Enlightenment’. See www.buddhismtoday.co.uk for more young Buddhists’ events.

In this week’s FBA Podcast, “Eight Step Recovery” Vimalasara speaks on the importance of loving oneself as a part of recovery from addiction as an introduction to her new book, co-authored with Paramabandhu, entitled ‘Eight Step Recovery – Using the Buddha’s Teachings to Overcome Addiction’. She goes on to discuss the life conditions that she and Paramabandhu have emerged from, and how those energies came together and inspired the writing of the book. Outlining the eight steps, Vimalasara demonstrates that, while the book was mainly written for those in recovery, it is in some way for everyone. The talk is followed by a question and answer session.

Words are not adequate to describe things as they are, and yet Ratnaguna does a remarkable job! This week’s FBA Podcast, “The Buddhas Two Great Gifts to the World” Ratnaguna explores the gifts of discourse and practice. This talk was given to to promote a new buddhist centre in Stockholm.

This week’s FBA Podcast is entitled: “Make Yourself An Island.” Reflecting on her favourite lines from the Paranibbana Sutta, Jvalamalini explores how to become an island in the midst of the eight worldly winds, especially how to steer through praise and blame, and fame and infamy by developing true individuality, and spiritual receptivity.

This week’s FBA Podcast was given at the London Buddhist Centre’s Dharma Day celebration, July 2014. “Dharma and Nature” by Dhivan, author of “This Being, That Becomes”. The word Dharma means many things, including “nature” – referring to how things work, the true nature of things. We also use the word to refer to the whole interconnected living world. The meanings of the world only partly overlap, which gives us the starting point for this precise, thoughtful, evocative Dharma talk.

This week’s FBA Podcast comes to us from Amalaketu entitled “A Hopeful Buddhist Response to Environmental Crisis”. How, as Buddhists, can we respond appropriately to the current environmental crisis. Talk given on Sangha Night at Norwich Buddhist Centre on 1st July 2014.

We are pleased to share the three keynote talks from last month’s International Retreat. Our third FBA Podcast in the series is “Altruism, Actually – Getting Out and Doing It”. Mokshini introduces us to Buddhist Action Month and asks us to consider how our actions have consequences and how we practise the precepts as consumers. Talk given at the Triratna International Retreat 2014 held at Adhisthana on 26th May 2014.

We are pleased to share the three keynote talks from last month’s International Retreat. Our second FBA Podcast in the series is “Going Beyond Capitalism – A Buddhist Perspective”. Vaddhaka inspires Triratna Buddhists to learn more about economics and challenge the Neo-liberal economists notion that individual greed will lead to everyone benefiting. He encourages us to embrace Sangharakshitas vision of a New Society as an alternative way of being for the world. Talk given at the Triratna International Retreat 2014 held at Adhisthana on May 25th 2014.

We are pleased to share the three keynote talks from last month’s International Retreat. Our first FBA Podcast in the series is “The Bodhisattvas Reply”. Inspired by a poem from Sangharakshita entitled The Bodhisattvas Reply, Vajragupta outlines ways in which Western religious groups have historically approached engagement with social issues. Vajragupta suggests three ways in which we can work together to transform ourselves and so create a better world. Talk given at the Triratna International Retreat 2014 held at Adhisthana on 24 May 2014.

We are pleased to share a talk by Parami for our FBA Podcast today, “Buddhanussati: What Would the Buddha Do Now?” given at Manchester Buddhist Centre on 12th January 2009.

In our FBA Podcast today, “The Broken Mandala,”, Maitreyabandhu talks about how we need a central mythic thread in our lives, and how without this the mandala of our life is either broken, destructive or chaotic. This personal, inner mandala is mirrored by the public outer world around us. Humanly and spiritually we live in a broken mandala. How do we make sense of our lives? What is our deeper priority? What can we base our mandala around that will lead to true happiness? The talk was given at Nottingham Buddhist centre on 9th April 2014.

In our FBA Podcast today, “Forces That Shape the Mind,”, Manjuvajra continues with his thoughts on ‘Evolution and the meaning of life’. Individuals enter this path of a higher evolution by consciously cooperating with the evolutionary process to refine their self consciousness: to purifying the mind as a basis for the next evolutionary step. To purify the mind we must know the mind, so in this talk we explore an analysis of the mind that sheds light on the practical needs of the purification process which is itself achieved through the practice of ethics, mindfulness and meditation. This is the third talk in a series given at the Bristol Buddhist Centre.

In our FBA Podcast today, “Milarepa and the Yak Horn Story,”, Yashobodhi tells the story of Milarepa’s attempt to tackle his disciple Rechungpa’s pride by singing to him from inside a Yak horn.

In our FBA Podcast today, “The Motive (Remixed),”, Padmavajra explores a great classic of Tibetan Buddhism – Gampopa’s ‘Jewel Ornament of Liberation’. The work, inspired by devotion to Manjusri, is one of the key texts in the development of the Tibetan Lam Rim teachings. And Gampopa, being one of the two principle disciples of the yogi Milarepa, presents both the monastic Lam Rim approach of Atisha and the Mahamudra meditation teachings of Milarepa himself. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, Winter 2008 This talk is part of the series Themes from Gampopa’s Jewel Ornament of Liberation.

In our FBA Podcast today, “Zen Master Hakuin”, Jyotipakshini delivers a wonderful overview of Hakuin’s early life and what led him to becoming a monk. She shares his strengthss and the characteristic aspects of his personality, his determination and intense dedication, as well as his highly critical nature, his struggles and setbacks. We also hear a little about the two schools of Zen and about koan practice, as well as Hakuin’s later life as a prolific teacher and reformer of the Rinzai school. Talk given at the Glasgow Buddhist Centre in July 2011.

In celebration of the Buddha’s Enlightenment, our FBA Podcast today is titled “Heart of Darkness” from the London Buddhist Centre’s Buddha Day Festival a few years back. Inspiring stuff, despite it’s title! An honest, heartfelt talk from the author, “Meaning in Life”.

In this week’s FBA Podcast we hear a talk given by Nagabodhi on Triratna Day 2014. Here, in “Dhardo Rinpoche, Stupa Building and Sangha” Nagabodhi recounts his favorite memories of his time with Dhardo Rinpoche in Kalimpong, expresses his feelings about the strengthening power of stupa building for centers, and ties it all together with a reminder of the central role of sangha in the Triratna Community.??Talk given on Triratna Day 2014 at Aryaloka Buddhist Center with an introduction by Aryaloka’s Chairperson, Dayalocana.

In this week’s FBA Podcast Dhammarati delivers “A System of Training.” Here Dhammarati explores the FWBO’s system of practice itself -its background in practice, its relationship to tradition, and its implications for the very nature of spiritual life. An encouraging, grounded, flexible take on the rigorous, meaningful, and rewarding challenges of a lifetime of working with the mind and the heart. Talk given at the national Order weekend, February 2008