Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

With Mindfulness, Strive. Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, is a verse chanted within the context of A Western [Triratna] Buddhist Order Ordination Ceremony.

Conducted by Sangharakshita, this talk is part of the series Ritual and Devotion in Buddhism.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, we preview our next podcast, and#8220;The Buddhaand#8217;s Personalityand#8221; by Vishvapani with the segment: and#8220;and#8216;Knowingand#8217; the Buddhaand#8221;. This is from the third talk in the Vishvapaniand#8217;s new series launching the book and#8220;Gautama Buddha: The Life and Teachings of the Awakened Oneand#8221;. (Quercus, 2011)

and#8220;The suttas give us a vividly real Buddha who walks the roads, inhabits the cities and the plains, an untamed free spirit, a powerful presence who we can know but we cannot necessarily comprehend.and#8221;

Vishvapani is a well known figure in the Triratna Buddhist Community and is a regular contributor on the BBCand#8217;s and#8216;Thought for the Dayand#8217;.

Talk given at the London Buddhist Centre, February 2011.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, we continue our theme on the Buddhaand#8217;s Enlightenment with and#8220;Maraand#8217;s Attack on the Buddhaand#8221;. This Dharambyte is from the quietly passionate talk, and#8220;What is Enlightenment?and#8221; by Jinapriya on the quicksilver nature of the Enlightenment experience and#8211; impossible to pin down, utterly transformative. Here we meet Mara, the demon or trickster who represents our deepest fears, our doubts, our lack of confidence. We are met with a thoughtful series of reflections, stories and images that all look to open up the gates of perception, and prepare the heart for the biggest change imaginable and possible for all.

Talk given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 2003

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Buddha: Legend andamp; Historyand#8221; offers us a glimpse of the talk, Imaging Gautama, from the major new series of talks by Vishvapani to mark the launch of his new book: and#8216;Gautama Buddha: The Life and Teachings of the Awakened Oneand#8217; (Quercus, 2011).

Vishvapani recollects his religious studies and lessons on the Four Sights, which is not found in the suttas relating to Gautama. Does this mean it didnand#8217;t happen? Here Vishvapani traces the the development of a legendary story and other examples of details in the Buddha legend missing from the Pali Canon.

Talk given at the Cardiff Buddhist Centre, 2011.

In celebration of Wesak, the Buddhaand#8217;s Awakening, todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte takes us right to the heart of the matter: What is Enlightenment? and#8216; From the 1975 lecture by Sangharakshita titled and#8220;The Ideal of Human Enlightenmentand#8221;, we are concisely and beautifully reminded of the three aspects of Awakening in the Buddhist tradition: i. radiant, pure clear awareness entirely transcending duality; ii. an intense, overflowing love and compassion for all that lives; iii. an inexhaustible mental and spiritual energy, absolute spontaneity and creativity continuously bubbling up.

This talk is part of the series and#8220;Human Enlightenmentand#8221;.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, we highlight a major new series of talks by Vishvapani to mark the launch of his new book: and#8216;Gautama Buddha: The Life and Teachings of the Awakened Oneand#8217; (Quercus, 2011). and#8220;The Buddhaand#8217;s Time and Placeand#8221;, is an excerpt from the first talk, and#8220;Searching for the Buddhaand#8221;, from a major new series by Vishvapani to mark the launch of his new book: and#8216;Gautama Buddha: The Life and Teachings of the Awakened Oneand#8217; (Quercus, 2011). Vishvapani is a well known figure in the Triratna Buddhist Community and is a regular contributer on the BBCand#8217;s and#8216;Thought for the Dayand#8217;.

Here we meet the Buddha set firmly in his own historical context, with space too for the legendary and particular reference to the natural world. The Buddha discovered the natural world and made it accessible to his disciples. If we return the Buddha to his time and place then we can find out the lessons that are relevant now: Life is uncontrollable and we find Wisdom in opening to that; To heal our relationship with nature, we must first heal ourselves, and that the transformation that occurs is on every level, not just the conscious.

Ancient India comes alive as we wander with the Buddha, facing his fears amongst the ghosts of the jungle. There is much that is important for reflection here and#8211; the Dharma made fascinating by dint of the authorand#8217;s depth of engagement with Buddhist practice and the sheer breadth of his cultural reference.

Talk given at the Manchester Buddhist Centre, January 2011.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Engaging with the Historical Buddhaand#8221; offers us a glimpse of the talk, Searching for the Buddha, from the major new series of talks by Vishvapani to mark the launch of his new book: and#8216;Gautama Buddha: The Life and Teachings of the Awakened Oneand#8217; (Quercus, 2011).

The act of engaging with the historical Buddha is an act of imagination. Discarded bits of rag, the texture of his face, the color of his skin, his physical form and his presence as it was compared to a Lionand#8217;s Roar, and other elements of the natural world.

Talk given at the Manchester Buddhist Centre, 2011.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Letting the Mind Go is brought to us by Viveka in a talk titled and#8220;Mindfulness as Sadhanaand#8221;, given at the Womenand#8217;s Triratna Buddhist Order Convention in 2005. Touching in on our conditioning and confidence to become Enlightened, Viveka reminds us that there is nothing to be afraid of when letting go of the mind. Calling on the image of the vast ocean with references to Suzuki Roshi on water and waves and#8211; Big Mind and Milarepaand#8217;s Song of the Yogiand#8217;s Joy, this little Dharmabyte is sure to inspire.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, elucidated by Sangharakshita himself, is titledFaith from the Higher Evolution Series, specifically the fifth talk: Buddhism and the Path of Higher Evolution. Faith in the context of Higher Evolution is the response of our total being responding to something higher, something beyond, something transcendental. The longing to give ourselves to the Three Jewels completelyand#8230;it is the response of what is ultimate in us with what is ultimate in the universe.

This talk was delivered in 1969.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Faith that Enlightenment is Possible, is a substantial extract from Saddhanandiand#8217;s very personal, humorous and inspiring talk: Enlightenment as Heart, Life as Whole. and#8220;She who delights in faithand#8221; shares many of her own stories from her life in the Order and her relationship to her belief in whether Enlightenment is possible. What is Enlightenment and what is our response to this possibility? Trembling with the potential to experience a state of pure, clear awareness extending in all directions, a state of knowledge and#8211; direct unmediated spiritual vision, a state of profound overflowing love and compassion for all beings, a state of inexhaustible mental and spiritual energy, a state of uninterrupted creativity, a state of perfect unconditioned freedom from all subjective limitations. Do you use faith as an authority in your life?

This talk was given on the International Sangha Gathering for women who had asked for ordination in the Triratna Buddhist Order, held at Taraloka in 2005.