Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

Nagabodhi explores a common misconception about how we're supposed to stop all thought in meditation. Thought more generally can be very useful and could even be said to be one of the things that makes us human, but it becomes a problem when it runs away with itself and we start living in a 'secondary reality' most of the time.

From the talk entitled Direct Experience, part of the series The Two Arrows: Dukkha to Insight given at Adhisthana, 2020.

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In the Dhaniya Sutta, the questions arise: 'how do we move in this world with a freedom to be creative?' and 'how often do we follow the addictive tendency?' Saddhanandi looks at vertical and horizontal nourishment as she explores these questions.

Excerpted from the talk The Dhaniya Sutta - Freedom to be Creative, part of the series Evoking Shakyamuni given at Adhisthana, 2020.

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Saddhaloka reflects on the first Buddhist book he read, The Way of the White Clouds, by Lama Govinda, sharing a verse to Amitabha, the red Buddha of the West who represents and inspires the highest love of all...

From the fourth talk in a six-part series on the figures on the Wheel of Life entitled Amitabha, given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 1997.

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Padmasambhava is a potent symbol of transformation. Here, as part of a Padmasambhava Day Festival, Maitreyi shows us how evoke the help, energy and vision we need to change our lives.

From the talk entitled Heart Advice From the Lotus-Born: 'Never Be Apart From the Causes For Faith to Arise', given at the London Buddhist Centre, 2016.

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Kamalashila takes us into the world of the Abhidharma to investigate how positive mind states emerge. He describes the types of Shraddha (confidence, faith or esteem), and their place in Buddhist practice.

Excerpted from the talk entitled Shraddha given for Sangha Night at the West London Buddhist Centre, 2016.

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Practising Buddhism (so much harder than understanding it) involves breaking the chain of the twelve negative links, or nidanas, by moving onto the spiral path, here described in its twelve stages. What is our usual reaction to things that are pleasant, things that are painful and things that are neutral? Sangharakshita gives us a clear description of the beginning of the Spiral Path, that of our response to Dukkha.

From the talk The Stages of the Spiritual Path as part of the series Introducing Buddhism given in 1966.

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Punyamala describes the path of beauty and how we can move from contemplating mundane beauty to the beauty of the enlightened state and in so doing she leads us into an experience of beauty. From the talk entitled 'In Beauty May I Walk' - Beauty As the Fourth Laksana given during the Women's Area Order Weekend at Adhisthana, December 2019.

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Is kindness possible here? How does clarity help us open up to love? Maitrisiddhi explores the active and receptive aspects of the Metta Bhavana as expressed through the symbolism of Akshobhya, the Buddha of the East.

From the talk entitled Metta and Akshobhya's Mirrorlike Wisdom, the first of two talks given on "Living in the Mandala"; a retreat on the Brahma Viharas at Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2018.

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This is a quietly passionate talk by Jinapriya on the quicksilver nature of the Enlightenment experience - impossible to pin down, utterly transformative. His main theme within the frame of such a big question - 'What is Enlightenment?' - is the struggle to live our lives in the present moment, especially in the face of pain. 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. In that sense, this is a truly optimistic talk.

From the talk entitled What is Enlightenment? Given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 2003.

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Here Vijayasri looks at the culmination of the sevenfold puja by exploring the Transference of merit and self-surrender section. She considers the importance of breaking our individual self view, including the telling of the story of the 1000-armed Avalokitesvara, a symbol of the Triratna Buddhist Order. Excerpt from the talk entitled Transference of Merit and Self-Surrender from the series in our series on Transforming Self and World through looking at the Sevenfold Puja given at the Croydon Buddhist Centre, July 2016.

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