Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

We have a collective inner sleep going on when it comes to climate change. In Buddhist terms we call this 'avidya', ignorance, which literally means 'not seeing' which brings out the active process of ignoring certain aspects of reality, especially those things we believe to be a threat.

This short talk by Dayajoti serves as an introduction to a guided 'climate' meditation which can be listened to here: Consensus Trance – Climate. Given at Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2015.

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Tejopala likens the current global climate crisis to a village with a fire that threatens everyone in it and asks what a community of monks living in such a village might do in such circumstances. He also draws on the advice given by Urgyen Sangharakshita in his talk given in 1984 called 'Buddhism, World Peace and Nuclear War' as to how Buddhists should act to address an overwhelming existential threat, in which Bhante urges civil resistance. Excerpted from the talk Dhamma In a Time of Climate Crisis which explores ways to work to address the climate situation as part of an effective Dharma practice, as well as the dangers that this kind of work can pose for Buddhists when it comes to mental states of anger, fear and mental proliferation (prapanca). This talk was given at the Melbourne Buddhist Centre as part of Buddhist Action Month 2019.

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Our FBA Dharmabyte today is by Sangharakshita entitled The Dangers of Habits and Routines.

In this brilliant and accessible approach to the essence of Buddhism, Sangharakshita shows that Buddhism starts with the mind. Mind can be reactive, symbolised by the Tibetan Wheel of Life, or creative, as when one follows the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, described here in detail.

From the talk Mind: Reactive and Creative given in 1967.

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Our FBA Dharmabyte today, Deeply Deluded, is by Mahamani from a talk entitled Mind Creates World given as part of the London Buddhist Centre's week-long series exploring Mind Reactive / Mind Creative for the 2018 Urban Retreat.

There is a way to work with our mental states that takes us out of the reactive mode of being into progressive spiritual development. Our minds clouded by aversion, craving and delusion take us away from reality.

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Our FBA Dharmabyte today is called Dana as Practice. Here Samachitta puts the practice of generosity under the microscope in this engaging talk on the first paramita.

When we perform an act of generosity, what exactly is happening? How does it relate to the development of Wisdom? Is there such a thing as purely mental generosity and how effective is it?

This talk explains the 'why', 'what' and how' of Dana-Paramita.

From the talk Dana - the Emotional Life of the Sangha given at Birmingham Buddhist Centre, 2011.

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Today's FBA Dharmabyte is by Suryagupta, the new chair of the London Buddhist Centre. Entitled A Set of Wonders this excerpt is from the talk 40 Years of the LBC: Looking Back and Looking Forward on what Buddhism has to offer to individuals, communities and the world at large.

Given at London Buddhist Centre on the occasion of their 40th anniversary, June 2018.

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Sangharakshita gives us today's FBA Dharmabyte - an introduction to Jamyang Khyentse Rimpoche, one of the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teachers of his time. Although a Nyingma master, Jamyang Khyentse was a chief exponent of the Rime movement, which brought together the different Tibetan schools to create a more unified tradition. Sangharakshita met him in 1957 and received several initiations from him. Due to Jamyang Khyentse's spiritual eminence and the significance of these initiations, Sangharakshita regards him as his 'root guru'.

Excerpted from the talk entitled My Eight Main Teachers in which Sangharakshita describes Triratna's 'lineage' in a fascinating series of memories and stories. Talk given in the USA, 1990.

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The missing memoir years of Sangharakshita's life story has been told by Khantipalo in his book, Noble Friendship. Khantipalo and Sangharakshita spent a year together in India receiving meditation instruction from Yogi Chen, a meditation master in the Cha'an tradition. Sangharakshita describes Yogi Chen as having an intense inner life, full of visions, psychic experiences, and a penetrating insight into the Dharma.

From the talk, Fields of Creativity by Sangharakshita, 2011. A sparkling talk on a theme close to his heart. Full of warmth, wit and stimulating ideas.

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In today's FBA Dharmabyte we meet Jagdish Kashyap, Sangharakshita's first teacher, the Theravadin scholar/monk with whom he lived and studied Pali, logic and Buddhist philosophy at Benares. After higher ordination, on the advice of Jagdish Kashyap, Sangaharakshita moved to the Himalayan border town of Kalimpong, to work for the good of Buddhism. Excerpted from the talk entitled Jagdish Kashyap by Vadanya at Sangha Night, Sheffield Buddhist Centre (15th August 2006), as part of a series on the Refuge Tree of the Triratna Buddhist Order.

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In our FBA Dharmabyte today we are introduced to Kachu Rimpoche by Vajratara one of Sangharakshita's eight main teachers.

Kachu Rimpoche was a man of great learning, renowned as a deep meditator and visionary, and a gifted sculptor. Rimpoche went out of his way to befriend Sangharakshita. In 1960, on Jampyang Khyentse's recommendation, Kachu Rimpoche initiated Sangharakshita into the practice of Guru Padmasambhava. At the same time Kachu Rimpoche gave Sangharakshita a new name: Urgyen, the name of Padmasambhava's mythical homeland. Excerpted from a talk of the same name given by Vajratara at Sangha Night, Sheffield Buddhist Centre (4th July 2006), as part of a series on the Refuge Tree of the Triratna Buddhist Order.

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