Dharmabytes From Free Buddhist Audio

In todayand#8217;sFBA Dharmabyte today, and#8220;The Revolution of the Metta Bhavana,and#8221; Khemasuri challenges us to ask ourselves what we can do individually and collectively by taking risks in our community, reminding us that collective change is not comfortable. Taking a risk herself in the title of the talk, this is an excerpt from and#8220;Building an Ethical Underworld and#8211; Lessons from the Mafiaand#8221; given at the Buddhafield Festival, Devon, 2007.

Our FBA Dharmabyte today, and#8220;Buddha Nature – Practice is Paramount,and#8221; features Dhammarati in the midst of an indispensable exploration of everyday practice of the Dharma in the beautiful light of the Tathagathagarbha Sutra. From the fantastic talk, and#8220;Breaking the Mouldand#8221; given at Triratna [FWBO] Day, London 2003

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, Satyaraja beautifully describes the need for and#8220;Ksanti in Sangha.and#8221; Ksanti, translated as and#8216;patienceand#8217; and is especially called for when encountering differing views on living a spiritual life. From the talk and#8220;Ksanti and#8211; Patienceand#8221; given on Sangha Night at Stockholms Buddhistcenter, 8 February 2010, the theme for the spring session being practicing the Dharma with concern for others.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Living the Buddhist Life: Community Lifeand#8221; is an excerpt from a conversation between Maitreyabandhu and Subhadramati as part of an evening entitled and#8216;The Dakini of Friendshipand#8217; which took place during the LBCand#8217;s Urban Retreat in 2010.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Living The Buddhist Life: Upping the Ante,and#8221; is an excerpt from a conversation between Maitreyabandhu and Subhadramati as part of an evening entitled and#8216;The Dakini of Friendshipand#8217; which took place during the LBCand#8217;s Urban Retreat in 2010.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The True Basis of Leafnessand#8221; is a true Dharma gem on the interconnectedness of all things from Paramiand#8217;s talk and#8220;The Awakening Heart.and#8221;

Weak Good overcomes Strong Evil in todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Jedi Knights and Bodhisattvas.and#8221; Parami evokes the Bodhicitta mind-heart with a vision towards interconnectedness in this excerpt from the talk and#8220;The Awakening Heartand#8221; given at Taraloka Retreat Centre.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Zen Approach,and#8221; Sangharakshita describes the individual schools in Zen Buddhism and offers three misunderstandings about Zen. From the talk and#8220;A Special Transmission Outside the Scripturesand#8221; given in 1965.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is by the lovely Vajradarhini speaking again on poetry in the Buddhist tradition. and#8220;Dew in Zen Poetryand#8221; is a beautiful exploration of this well-loved image of impermanence. From the talk and#8220;The Transitoriness of Life and the Certainty of Deathand#8221; given as part of a series on the and#8216;Four Mind Turningsand#8216; of the Tibetan tradition given at Tiratanaloka Retreat Centre, 2005.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Energy in Pursuit of the Good,and#8221; Sangharakshita shares the story of Indra and the squirrel as we learn of one of the Five Spiritual Faculties: Energy. Is such a life of everyday Buddhist spiritual practice possible in the West? From the talk and#8220;The Pattern of Buddhist Life and Workand#8221; given in 1966 as part of the series and#8220;Introducing Buddhism.and#8221;

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;and#8216;Faithand#8217; Followers and and#8216;Doctrineand#8217; Followersand#8221; Suvarnaprabha explores the variety of styles of practice and individuality withint the sangha. From the talk and#8220;What is the Sangha?and#8221; a wonderful introduction to the idea of spiritual community in Buddhism, one of its greatest potential gifts to the West.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte titled: and#8220;Talking About Sunyataand#8221; Nagapriya explores the style of thought involved in conceptualizing sunyata and#8211; speaking in terms of what it isnand#8217;t so as not to limit its definition. Excerpted from the talk, The Philosophy of Emptiness given at Manchester Buddhist Centre, 2009 as part of the series Visions of Mahayana Buddhism.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, comes to us from the talk and#8220;Simplicityand#8221; by Kamalashila titled: and#8220;Seeing Emptinessand#8221;. Here he suggests a direct approach to emptiness by seeing the free and spacious nature of things, watching the motion in the mind and recognizing the elusive nature of thoughts. Talk given at FWBO Day, 2004

FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Beginning to Noticeand#8221; Padmavajra takes us far into the strong experience of Going Forth into homelessness where we begin to notice sickness, old age and death. With the end of intoxication, the beginning of deep awareness arises. From the talk and#8220;The Buddha, Hakuin, Birth and Deathand#8221; delivered at Padmaloka Retreat Centre for men as part of the series and#8220;Tangling Eyebrows with Zen Masters.and#8221; (2004)

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is from the talk and#8220;The Transitoriness of Life and the Certainty of Deathand#8221; by Vajradarshini titled Sadness and Awakening.and#8221; This is a beautiful piece on the hardest of subjects. Using zen poetry and a happily wide-ranging series of quotations (from Tibetan lamas to Ezra Pound), Vajradarshini explores her own fatherand#8217;s death as a way to approach attitudes to death and dying.

FBA Podcast, and#8220;Continuous Spiritual Death and#8211; Continuous Spiritual Rebirthand#8221; Padmavajra speaks about the stages of spiritual death and rebirth, specifically how to prepare for them, how they can be seen in all the stages of the path, as well as where they lead. Talk given on a Kula Gathering at Padmaloka, 2012.

FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Finger Pointing at the Moonand#8221; we are taken on another journey with Sangharakshita into the Essence of Buddhism. The finger pointing to the moon is compared with the third fetter: clinging to ethical rules and religious observances. From the talk and#8220;The Nature and Development of Buddhismand#8221; by Sangharakshita.

Amidst the complexity of Buddhist teachings, we can discern a distinctive essence lying behind the various historical forms which developed to convey the Buddhaand#8217;s oral message. In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Parable of the Raftand#8221; Sangharakshita describes the essence of Buddhism: the parable of the raft and the advice to Mahaprajapati Gotami. Excerpted from the talk and#8220;The Nature and Development of Buddhism.and#8221;

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Four Means of Unification of the Sanghaand#8221; Suvarnaprabha offers a thoroughly delightful guide as she explores the subject and#8220;What is the Sangha?and#8221; with a depth of feeling that comes startling through at times. An introduction to the idea of spiritual community in Buddhism this is a human and grounded presentation of one of the Dharmaand#8217;s best kept secrets, one of its greatest potential gifts to the West.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Unsupported Practice of Generosityand#8221; is an inspiring excerpt from the third in a sparkling, wide-ranging, thoroughly comprehensive ten talk series by Padmavajra on and#8216;The Diamond Sutraand#8216; given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004. This talk is part of the series and#8220;The Diamond Sutra and#8211; Taking Mind to its Limits.and#8221;