Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;and#8216;Faithand#8217; Followers and and#8216;Doctrineand#8217; Followersand#8221; Suvarnaprabha explores the variety of styles of practice and individuality withint the sangha. From the talk and#8220;What is the Sangha?and#8221; a wonderful introduction to the idea of spiritual community in Buddhism, one of its greatest potential gifts to the West.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte titled: and#8220;Talking About Sunyataand#8221; Nagapriya explores the style of thought involved in conceptualizing sunyata and#8211; speaking in terms of what it isnand#8217;t so as not to limit its definition.

Excerpted from the talk, The Philosophy of Emptiness given at Manchester Buddhist Centre, 2009 as part of the series Visions of Mahayana Buddhism.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, comes to us from the talk and#8220;Simplicityand#8221; by Kamalashila titled: and#8220;Seeing Emptinessand#8221;. Here he suggests a direct approach to emptiness by seeing the free and spacious nature of things, watching the motion in the mind and recognizing the elusive nature of thoughts.

Talk given at FWBO Day, 2004

FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Beginning to Noticeand#8221; Padmavajra takes us far into the strong experience of Going Forth into homelessness where we begin to notice sickness, old age and death. With the end of intoxication, the beginning of deep awareness arises.

From the talk and#8220;The Buddha, Hakuin, Birth and Deathand#8221; delivered at Padmaloka Retreat Centre for men as part of the series and#8220;Tangling Eyebrows with Zen Masters.and#8221; (2004)

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is from the talk and#8220;The Transitoriness of Life and the Certainty of Deathand#8221; by Vajradarshini titled Sadness and Awakening.and#8221; This is a beautiful piece on the hardest of subjects. Using zen poetry and a happily wide-ranging series of quotations (from Tibetan lamas to Ezra Pound), Vajradarshini explores her own fatherand#8217;s death as a way to approach attitudes to death and dying.

FBA Podcast, and#8220;Continuous Spiritual Death and#8211; Continuous Spiritual Rebirthand#8221; Padmavajra speaks about the stages of spiritual death and rebirth, specifically how to prepare for them, how they can be seen in all the stages of the path, as well as where they lead.

Talk given on a Kula Gathering at Padmaloka, 2012.

FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Finger Pointing at the Moonand#8221; we are taken on another journey with Sangharakshita into the Essence of Buddhism. The finger pointing to the moon is compared with the third fetter: clinging to ethical rules and religious observances. From the talk and#8220;The Nature and Development of Buddhismand#8221; by Sangharakshita.

Amidst the complexity of Buddhist teachings, we can discern a distinctive essence lying behind the various historical forms which developed to convey the Buddhaand#8217;s oral message. In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Parable of the Raftand#8221; Sangharakshita describes the essence of Buddhism: the parable of the raft and the advice to Mahaprajapati Gotami. Excerpted from the talk and#8220;The Nature and Development of Buddhism.and#8221;

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Four Means of Unification of the Sanghaand#8221; Suvarnaprabha offers a thoroughly delightful guide as she explores the subject and#8220;What is the Sangha?and#8221; with a depth of feeling that comes startling through at times. An introduction to the idea of spiritual community in Buddhism this is a human and grounded presentation of one of the Dharmaand#8217;s best kept secrets, one of its greatest potential gifts to the West.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Unsupported Practice of Generosityand#8221; is an inspiring excerpt from the third in a sparkling, wide-ranging, thoroughly comprehensive ten talk series by Padmavajra on and#8216;The Diamond Sutraand#8216; given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004.

This talk is part of the series and#8220;The Diamond Sutra and#8211; Taking Mind to its Limits.and#8221;