Free Buddhist Audio

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is drawn from Sangharakshita's talk "Looking at the Bodhi Tree" given in 1999. Entitled "Gratitude for the Bodhi Tree" in this segment Sangharakshita brings our attention to an overlooked story immediately following the Buddha's Enlightenment, in which the Buddha expresses deep gratitude to the tree which sheltered him - a lesson in both gratitude and in how the Buddha regarded the natural world.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is a segment from Satyajit's talk "Awakening to the Earth - An Inconceivably Vast Undertaking" given at Buddhafield's Green Earth Awakening event in May 2013. Satyajit is one of the founders of the Buddhafield festival and has spent many years exploring the connections between Buddhism and work to change the world for the better. Entitled "Awakening to the Earth" here Satyajit poetically evokes the deep feelings of beauty and potential in life when we make contact with the natural w

This week's FBA Podcast, by Sangharakshita explores the Sutra of Golden Light and is entitled "Nature, Man and Enlightenment.".

We seek happiness, but often we find that our desires and aspirations are in conflict. This struggle and its resolution are symbolically portrayed in the sutra by the figures of the Monk and Drdha, the Earth-Goddess.

Talk given in 1976.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is another segment from an early series of talks in 1976 by Sangharakshita on the Sutra of Golden Light. Entitled "An Understanding of Nature," this piece is from the talk "Nature, Man and Enlightenment". Sangharakshita here reveals a richer way of understanding nature and seeing it in its spiritual depths - bringing in the concepts of cyclic existence and the furthest reaches of perception and cosmos.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is from an early series of talks in 1976 by Sangharakshita on the Sutra of Golden Light. Entitled "Man's Use of Nature," it's part of the talk "Nature, Man and Enlightenment". In the sutra, the struggle and resolution of the conflict between our desires and aspirations are symbolically portrayed by the figures of the Monk and Drdha, the Earth-Goddess. Here, Sangharakshita discusses man's use of natural resources, and the Buddhist duty to become loving stewards of our environment.

In the face of global climate crisis what can we do? How can we change the ways we think and respond to the seemingly insurmountable problems the planet faces? This week's FBA Podcast, by Akuppa, explores the relationships and connections between "Buddhism and Ecology."

Akuppa's thoughtful introduction to the worlds of scientific and deep ecology asks us the hard questions and offers some hope for possible answers. Drawing on the work of Joanna Macy and others, he traces positive lessons to be learned from simply observing and engaging with nature's patterns and processes – and invites us all to prepare to be awestruck as a necessary first step.

Talk given at the Western Buddhist Order Convention, 2005

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is from Kamalashila, stemming from the deep connections he feels between Buddhist practice and the environment. Entitled "Deep Ecology," it's a short segment of his excellent talk called "Buddhism and the Natural World: Deep Ecology, Deep Dharma". Here he relates deep ecology to the ethics and insight of practicing the Dharma.

Our FBA Dharmabyte today is entitled "Indra's Net," by Akuppa. It is an excerpt of Akuppa's full talk called "Buddhism and Ecology," which will be featured later this week. Here, Akuppa discusses a commonly-used symbol when we speak about Buddhist principles and ecology, Indra's Net. He asks how Indra's Net works well as a metaphor, and perhaps where it falls short.

Inspiration is present because of how we live – it is not something that comes from inside of us or outside of us. This week's FBA Podcast, by Vidhuma, looks at: "Maintaining Inspiration."

In his usual humble, poetic, and beautifully spoken way, Vidhuma weaves his way through The Three Refuges, bringing in his favorite American poets and writers, including Walt Whitman, as he explores the theme of the convention: The Heart of the Order.

Talk given at the North American Order Convention, 2010