Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

Exploring the first of the four and#8216;superconscious statesand#8217; todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte titled and#8220;Integrationand#8221; by Sangharakshita takes us in for a closer look at the energies of both the conscious and unconscious mind and how the process of integration leads to greater harmony and ease.

Excerpted from the talk, and#8220;A Method of Personal Development,and#8221; given in 1976 as part of the series and#8220;Buddhism for Today and Tomorrow.and#8221;

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Clouded Dragonand#8221;, is an excerpt from a gem of a talk from Abhaya. With his customary dry wit and sharp eye he leads us on the crazy paving path through the Diamond Sutra and#8211; a text guaranteed to turn your world upside-down. Sharing his love for one of Sangharakshitaand#8217;s poems titled The Clouded Dragon, Abhaya makes some excellent evocations of rigorous Dharma practice as part of the everyday business of life.

This is an excerpt from the talk titled and#8220;The Diamond Sutraand#8221; given at the Triratna Buddhist Order National Order weekend 2003

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Life Gone Forth is Wide Openand#8221;, Padmavajra takes us into the strong experience of Going Forth into homelessness. Sometimes life presents us with extremely difficult choices that seem to set us apart from those we love. Through personal reminiscence and classic Zen poetry that evokes a truly rich awareness, we see the Buddha, Hakuin, Dogen and Ryokan as they struggle to make sense of this fleeting world of form.

This excerpt is from the talk and#8220;The Buddha, Hakuin, Birth and Deathand#8221; given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004

This talk is part of the series and#8220;Tangling Eyebrows with Zen Masters.and#8221;

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Four Reasons Why We Fear Death and#8220;, Kulaprabha explores the Abhaya Sutta on the theme of spiritual death. The death of our fixed, bounded self, the self that is made up of bundled habits and preferences and views and#8211; especially views about existence and non-existence. So donand#8217;t be surprised if, when contemplating the impermanence and unreliability of that small self, you taste fear. Itand#8217;s natural enough in the circumstances. This is an excerpt from the full talk and#8220;Spiritual Death, Fear and Fearlessnessand#8221; focussing on the Abhaya Sutta.

This talk was given on retreat at Taraloka Retreat Centre in 2008.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Third Great Stage of the Pathand#8221;, Sangharakshita talks about the process of spiritual death as the cultivation of unselfishness. This talk, titled, and#8220;The Path of Spiritual Developmentand#8221; is a book launch for and#8216;The Essential Sangharakshitaand#8217; published by Wisdom Publications.

Recorded 2009 at Essen, Germany. Talk translated in German.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;What is Gratitude?and#8221;, Sangharakshita reflects on the Buddhaand#8217;s achievement of Enlightenment, drawing our attention to an often overlooked feature of this great event and#8211; the Buddhaand#8217;s expression of gratitude to the tree that sheltered him. A timely look at ways to cultivate this essential positive emotion.

This is an excerpt from the talk Looking at the Bodhi Tree given in 1999.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Death and#038; Clarityand#8221;, by Vajradharshini brings us 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. This excerpt, from the talk: and#8220;The Transitoriness of Life and the Certainty of Death,and#8221; focusses on practice, a sense of urgency and being in the moment, she asks us: how do we want to spend our time?

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Dharma is Everywhere, is a beautiful short talk by Aryashila of the Croydon Buddhist Centre exploring impermanence. She uses the challenging poetry of Leonard Cohen and others, as well as her own deep life experience, to show that reality does not conform to ordinary wishes, but yet facing it squarely can be supremely uplifting, not sad. Talk given at the Sangha evening of the West London Buddhist Centre.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;What Can We Be Sure Of?and#8221; is a taste of Jnanavacaand#8217;s fabulous take on Einstein, Schroedinger, and all that stuff you wished you understood about quantum physics but despaired of ever knowing so as to impress at partiesand#8230; Well, now you can learn all about it — as well as how it relates to Dharma practice and the Buddhaand#8217;s view of a truly luminous Reality. Very classy stuff from a great speaker with the most infectious laugh on the planet! We wonand#8217;t give any more away here — settle back and enjoy a brain-expanding, soul questioning except from the talk, and#8220;Buddhism and Quantum Physicsand#8221; given at the Triratna Buddhist Order Convention, 2005

More listening joy from Vajradharshini in todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Enlightenment is Different for Each of Us.and#8221; From the talk and#8220;We Have a Huge Barrel of Wine But No Cupsand#8221;, this is another splendid journey around the idea of Enlightenment, using the languages of surrender and discipline from the Sufi context. It's as heady as a sumptuous wine, but also sobering and down to earth, whether we're "following a railing in the dark" or and#8220;wandering inside the red world". Drink up!

Talk given at Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2005