In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Unifying Symbolism of the Vajra,and#8221; Sangharakshita describes the symbolism of samsara and nirvana in the vajra. From the talk and#8220;The Symbolism of the Sacred Thunderbolt or Diamond Sceptre of the Lamasand#8221; from the and#8220;Creative Symbols of the Tantric Path to Enlightenmentand#8221; series given in 1971.

Forgetfulness and distraction are the rule in ordinary life, but awareness and a and#8216;fullness of mindand#8217; is at the heart of human growth and development. Sangharakshita gives us todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Unmindfulness Defined,and#8221; from the 1968 talk and#8220;Levels of Awareness: Right Mindfulness.and#8221; This talk is part of the series The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Taking Awareness Deeper,and#8221; Paramabandhu draws on many years of experience as a consultant psychiatrist and Dharma teacher. He invites us to consider the lessons Buddhist techniques around meditation and mindfulness training can bring to the field of mental health and#8211; especially to problems with depression and addiction. In this excerpt, he talks about taking awareness deeper to really get a sense of impermanence 'in our bones'.

From the talk, and#8220;Mindfulness for Just About Everything,and#8221; given at San Francisco Buddhist Center, 2006

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Fill your Heart with Love,and#8221; Vanaraji shares a personal story of learning that if you fill your heart with love, there's no room for anything else. The full talk, and#8220;The Metta Suttaand#8221; was given at the Womenand#8217;s Night Class at the LBC on July 12th 2012 and includes a lovely reading of the sutra.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Be Here Now, Is It Enough?and#8221; Ratnaprabha reminds us that discomfort is caused by avoiding discomfort. Relief from suffering is found when we drop our concerns and are present in this moment. But is mindfulness alone enough structure for complete transformation? A systematic approach to changing ones habits and engaging with sangha are both important in our approach to practice. An excerpt from the talk titled and#8220;The Structure of Buddhism.and#8221; West London Sangha night, May 2012.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Breath is Essential to Lifeand#8221; is an excerpt from the talk titled and#8220;Anatomy of the Breath.and#8221; This talk provides a really good working context to help your meditation practice. Best to lie down comfortably as you listen to Padmadharshiniand#8217;s description of the anatomical and physiological processes involved in breathing. Sheand#8217;s a yoga teacher as well as a meditation teacher and she draws on both those sets of skills to give this talk. And as you lie there, sheand#8217;ll help you tune into your own own body with some very simple exercises and suggestions. Expect to come away with some very practical tips on how to become more aware of your breathing body.

The talk was given on and#8220;One Moment at a Timeand#8221; retreat at Taraloka and is a companion talk to the body scan meditation led by Vidyamala.

Lifeand#8217;s unfair, what can we do about it? We can practice the Dharma and follow the Buddhaand#8217;s teachings. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Itand#8217;s Not Fair!and#8221; is an excerpt from the talk and#8220;What to Do In An Unfair Worldand#8221; by Kalyanaprabha. A sober yet uplifting talk encourages us to practice the Dharma in the face of unfairness.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Simplicity of Lifestyle,and#8221; Amritamati talks about how we can practice simplicity in our lives: whatever our lifestyle is or whatever we want our lifestyle to be, from parenting to becoming a celibate and#8216;Anagarikaand#8217;. This Dharmabyte is excerpted from the full talk of the same name, and was given on a weekend retreat at Tiratanaloka for women who are training for Ordination.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is by the delightful Ratnasuri titled and#8220;The First Sight (Old Age).and#8221; When Siddhartha Gautama was a young man, itand#8217;s said that he was so struck by three particular observations that he felt he had no choice but to make a radical change in his life. These were the traditional and#8216;three sightsand#8217;: old age, sickness and death in his fellow human beings. This is the first of those three talks, available in the series: and#8220;The Three Sights.and#8221;

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a curious exploration entitled and#8220;Meeting Another's 'Environment'.and#8221; Sharing the teaching of Lin Chi on and#8216;environmentand#8217; and how we meet a whole container of history, memories, emotions when we meet another. With stories about Hakuin, the Samurai and the Order Member Saghasen in India, this little excerpt packs a punch! From the talk and#8220;The Bliss Bestowing Hands of the True Individualand#8221; of the and#8220;Tangling Eyebrows with Zen Mastersand#8221; series given at Padmaloka Retreat Center.