Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

Suryadarshini takes us into the forest to meet our shadows, drawing on traditional Buddhist sources and popular cultural references. Her personal approach to the Dharma accesses its universal aspects, and she navigates the darker parts of our experience with curiosity and kindness.

From the talk Shadows in the Forest given at Norwich Buddhist Centre, 2017.

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Using the aphorism of Sangharakshita, Peace is a Fire, Sujayini takes us on a journey of personal growth and transformation.

From the talk Peace is a Fire given on a retreat for Young Women at Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2015.

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Satyajyoti gives a talk on Ksanti, the patient forbearance that is the true antidote to anger and ill-will. She shares Santideva's advice on learning to endure pain and discomfort so we can respond with an attitude of love in difficult circumstances.

From the talk Make Your Own Sandals, Part 6 in the 'Path to Awakening' Sangha Night series at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2019.

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Here Samantabhadri expertly and imaginatively tackles the theme of Wisdom, using the verses in the third section of Tsongkhapa's short text on the "Three Principle Aspects of the Path". Dharma themes of the laksanas, suffering, niyamas, self - and no-self - are interwoven with more personal reflections, and with thought-provoking quotations - ".... emptiness, activity and compassion are not three things, but one thing looked at from three different points of view...."

This is the third of three talks all based on Tsongkhapa's text, and given on the 2009 UK Women's Order Mitra Event entitled The Path of the Buddha's Delight given at Taraloka Retreat Centre, May 2009.

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Vasubandhu lived in northern India and Nepal in the 4th century CE. He was a renowned teacher in the Sarvastivadin School of Buddhism but later converted to Mahayana Buddhism under the influence of his brother Asanga.

In this talk Kulaprabha introduces us to a work of his dealing with the conditions necessary for the arising of the Bodhicitta - here translated as Bodhi Resolve. In particular, she compares and contrasts Vasubandhu's Four Factors as they are described in this text with Sangharakshita's description and evocation of them in his book 'The Meaning of Conversion in Buddhism'.

The Four Factors are:

1. Contemplation of All Buddhas

2. Contemplation of the Faults and Perilous Aspects of the Body

3. Seeking the Most Supreme of All Fruits of the Path

4. Kindness and Pity for Beings

From the talk Vasubandhu's Treatise on Generating Bodhi Resolve given at the London Buddhist Centre, September 2009

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With his customary dry wit and sharp eye Abhaya leads us on the crazy paving path through the Diamond Sutra - a text guaranteed to turn your world upside-down. Some very funny parts to this talk - and some excellent evocations of rigorous Dharma practice as part of the everyday business of life.

In this excerpt we hear readings from the sutra about how merit is not enough for insight to arise. From the talk entitled The Diamond Sutra given at the Triratna (Western Buddhist Order) National Order Weekend 2003.

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The nature of ignorance and the nature of wisdom are the same. How do the Bodhisattvas enter the Dharma door of non-duality? Sangharakshita explains some of the dualities listed in the Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra, gives some examples of his own (with tips on how to transcend them), and concludes with Vimalakirti's 'thunder-like silence'.

From the talk entitled The Way of Non-Duality part of the series The Inconceivable Emancipation - Themes from the Vimalakirti Nirdesha, given in 1979.

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This is one of a series of talks on the Therigatha, the songs or poems of the nuns at the time of the Buddha.

Gunasiddhi begins by saying that the songs are trying to communicate a level of spiritual experience to the hearer. The talk contains three themes: Going Forth, Friendship and Impermanence.

In this Dharmabyte we hear about the topic of Going forth which happened in a variety of ways for different reasons for these nuns. For us, we don't go forth in the same way, but there is a huge variety of ways in which we can go forth, in body, speech and mind.

From the talk, Songs of the Elder Sisters, given on a Sangha Retreat organized by the Glasgow Buddhist Centre, 2010.

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Here we have Kusalasara speaking about the fetter of vagueness, distinguishing it from negative types of doubt.

Doubt can be used to challenge our assumptions, and has a quality of discovering what's most positive. Vagueness is a force guaranteed to prevent progress.

Excerpted from the talk Breaking the Fetter of Vagueness given as part of the series 'The Taste of Freedom' Revisited at the London Buddhist Centre, 2019.

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It's very hard for us to imagine vimutti, (freedom), in it's fullest and perfect sense. Sharing a funny story about watching ants from his ordination retreat, Akashamitra evokes a delightful analogy about making a commitment on a complete different level when we aspire to enlightenment.

From the talk entitled Breaking the Fetter of Superficiality from the series 'The Taste of Freedom' Revisited given at London Buddhist Centre, 2019.

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