In this talk Day­anandi gives an over­view of the whole Path, and how it has arisen in the Buddhist tradition.

Talk given at Manchester Buddhist Centre on 28th February 2011

Download an edited transcript

Finding the Path – first in a 2011 series of talks on the five great stages of spiritual experience that develop and unfold as we progress on the Path to Enlightenment

These five stages, dimensions or principles are becoming prominent in the Triratna Buddhist Community as the five main principles or facets of the spiritual life, important to develop and keep in balance:

The post The Five Great Stages of the Spiritual Path – Introduction appeared first on Manchester Buddhist Centre.

What will we do instead of buy­ing more stuff and hook­ing up to more elec­tronic gad­getry? The only way is to learn the ancient art of happiness.

The Buddha repeatedly said that the only reason he taught was to alle­vi­ate suf­fer­ing, and he in fact enu­mer­ated three levels of happiness. This teach­ing is no longer simply an issue of per­sonal growth – it has become vital to the future of our planet.

Talk given by Ratnaguna at Manchester Buddhist Centre on 26th February 2011 in a series of free public talks, Buddhism and the Big Questions.

Twenty minutes of questions and answers at the end of the audio but not on the video.

The post Stop buy­ing stuff and learn how to be happy Instead appeared first on Manchester Buddhist Centre.

A 2011 talk by Vishvapani to launch his book, Gautama Buddha: The Life and Teachings of the Awakened One

Talk given at Manchester Buddhist Centre on 24th January 2011, introduced by Mahabodhi and ending with fifteen minutes questions and answers.

Vishvapani is a well known figure in the Triratna Buddhist Community and is a regular contributor on the BBC’s Thought for the Day.

Gautama Buddha is published by Quercus at £25 and is available in the Centre’s shop.

The post Searching for the Buddha – Launch of Gautama Buddha by Vishvapani appeared first on Manchester Buddhist Centre.

Chandana looks at the traumatic losses we can face in our lives, and how they can act as catalysts for positive change

How can we see Parinirvana Day as a celebration?

Talk given at Manchester Buddhist Centre on Paranirvana Day, 12th February 2011

On Parinirvana Day, we commemorate the Buddha’s death. We also remember our family and friends who have left this world, and the inescapable truth of our own passing. We gather together as a sangha on Parinirvana Day to meditate, contemplate and practise puja.

The post Can Loss give Rise to Insight? appeared first on Manchester Buddhist Centre.

Chandana talks about the Perfection of Wisdom sutras, a category of sutras in the Mahayana tradition

Third in a Sangha night series taking a brief, slightly random tour of the Buddhist scriptures

Talk given at Manchester Buddhist Centre on 15th November 2010.

The post A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Buddhist Scriptures: Perfection of Wisdom Sutras appeared first on Manchester Buddhist Centre.

Ratnaguna speaks about his new book on reflection as a spiritual practice

I’ve tried to show how important reflection is if you want to better understand yourself, other people and the world at large; how it can go some way to alleviating suffering; how enjoyable it can be, as well as sometimes challenging.

I’ve given a few pointers on how to reflect, or how to develop and deepen your reflections; and I’ve tried to encourage you to take yourself seriously as a thinker.

Talk given at the book launch at Manchester Buddhist Centre on 25th October 2010

Published by Windhorse in paperback at £11.99 in October 2010, The Art of Reflection is avail­able from the Buddhist Centre shop

The post The Art of Reflection – Book Launch appeared first on Manchester Buddhist Centre.

A talk by Vajragupta on the history of the Triratna Buddhist Community, formerly the FWBO

As well as speaking on Buddhism as a force for good in the world, Vajragupta was launching his book, The Triratna Story, the tale of the founding and evolution of the Triratna Buddhist Community.

Talk given at Manchester Buddhist Centre on 18th October 2010.

The post Buddhism as a Force for Good in the World appeared first on Manchester Buddhist Centre.

Barbara Matthews shares her experiences of being a retreatant, in a series of talks on Work as Spiritual Practice

Talk given at Manchester Buddhist Centre on 27th September 2010.

The post My Life as a Retreatant appeared first on Manchester Buddhist Centre.

Mahabodhi introduces Reginald Ray’s Threefold Model In the first of a 2010 series of talks on the theme of Work as Spiritual Practice,

Based on Ray’s book, Buddhist Saints in India, this is a framework to consider the spiritual benefits and challenges of three roles or lifestyles within Buddhism:

According to Ray, each plays a crucial role in the health of the Sangha. After exploring the different lifestyles, Mahabodhi talks about his experiences as the ‘retreatant’ writer.

Talk given on 6th September 2010 at Manchester Buddhist Centre as part of a Sangha Night series.

The post Work as Spiritual Practice: Reginald Ray’s Threefold Model appeared first on Manchester Buddhist Centre.

In this 2010 talk, Ratnaguna shares his personal experience of the mid-1970s in the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, now the Triratna Buddhist Community

Ratnaguna spent time around the first North London Buddhist Centre during this period and gives his account of the “spirit of the age”. The talk followed the showing of a film by Suryaprabha on the history of the FWBO covering that period.

The talk was given at Manchester Buddhist Centre on 26th April 2010.

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