Dharmabytes From Free Buddhist Audio

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte takes us back to the first Triratna International Urban Retreat held in 2009. Shantidevi shares and#8220;A Day in My Lifeand#8221; one of a series of short talks where Order Members from around the world speak about their life and practice. Shantidevi speaks about a day in her life in Melbourne, Australia as part of the 2009 International Urban Retreat. For more information on this years Urban Retreat see: www.theurbanretreat.org

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte we are propelled back through time to 1966 as Sangharakshita challenges us to consider and#8220;Being Alive vs. The Deadly Grip of Routineand#8221; from the talk The Pattern of Buddhist Life and Work in the series Introducing Buddhism. Opening with a rousing story from India about how Buddhists are greeted in India and moving to consider the dangers of a repetitive lifestyle stealing oneand#8217;s enthusiasm for a spontaneous and lively spiritual life. Talk given in 1966.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Wisdom Hearerand#8221; is an extract from the richly rewarding talk The Sound of Reality exploring the place and function of sound in Buddhist practice and history, as well as within Padmavajraand#8217;s own spiritual life. Beginning with Hakuinand#8217;s verses of Awakening, Padmavajra very beautifully explores how hearing and#8211; really hearing and#8211; can lead us to Insight. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a tribute to Amitabha by Saddhaloka titled: and#8220;Verses to Amitabhaand#8221;. Saddhaloka introduces us to Amitabha, the red Buddha of the West who represents and inspires the highest love of alland#8230; by sharing an invocation to Amitabha written by Lama Govinda and published in and#8220;The Way of the White Cloudsand#8221;. This track is from the the fourth talk in a six-part series on the figures on the Wheel of Life titled simply and#8220;Amitabha.and#8221; Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, winter retreat, 1997

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte and#8220;I Bow Down To Compassionand#8221; is a preview to next Saturdayand#8217;s FBA Podcast and#8220;Compassionate Koans and#8211; The Heart of the Matter,and#8221; containing an excellent, personal set of reflections by Vijayamala on the relationship between our longing and our pain. Talk given at the Western Buddhist Order Womenand#8217;s Convention, 2005

In todayand#8217;s Dharmabyte Sangharakshita shares a few thoughts on and#8220;Bodhichitta, Vows andamp; Prims of Lightand#8221;from the talk and#8220;The Bodhisattva Vowand#8221;. and#8220;May I deliver all beings from difficulties; may I eradicate all passions; may I master all dharmas; may I lead all beings to Buddhahood.and#8221; This is the Bodhisattvaand#8217;s resolve upon the awakening of the Bodhi Heart. Talk given in 1969. This talk is part of the series and#8220;Aspects of the Bodhisattva Ideal.and#8221;

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte and#8220;The Monkey Attitude and The Kitten Attitudeand#8221;comes from the talk Masculinity andamp; Femininity in the Spiritual Life from Sangharakshitaand#8217;s wholly inspiring Aspects of the Bodhisattva Ideal Series. After exploring Patience and Vigor, the third and the fourth Paramitas, in this excerpt Sangharakshita explores the attitudes inherent in self-reliance (jnana/the path of Wisdom) and reliance on divine power outside of oneself. Talk given in 1969.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte and#8220;Devotion, Dharma andamp; Faithand#8221; is an excerpt from Saturdayand#8217;s FBA Podcast and#8220;Learning from Tibetan Buddhism and#8211; A Personal Accountand#8221; by Vessantara. A lovely, thoughtful talk that pays tribute to the effect of one ancient form of Dharma in a modern practitionerand#8217;s own life. Given at the Western Buddhist Order Convention 2005.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a short and#8220;Buddha Pujaand#8221; chanted by Chandrabodhi from the original and#8216;Dharmachakra Tapesand#8217; catalogue, with some wonderful chanting done India style! Check out the other recordings which include some very ethereal flute songs: Chanting Indian Style.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Heaps of Merit andamp; Offering Up Gratitudeand#8221; the whole practice of Puja, offerings to the Buddha, that which we value most. This excerpt is from the seventh talk in a sparkling, wide-ranging, thoroughly comprehensive ten talk series by Padmavajra on and#8216;The Diamond Sutra and#8211; Taking Mind to its Limitsand#8217;. Talks given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte explores and#8216;Three Kinds of Faithand#8217; brought to us by Dhammadinna in a poignant talk title and#8216;The Preciousness and Rarity of Human Life.and#8217;. Sraddha has three aspects: cognitive, emotional and volitional. Like a wish-fulfilling gem, Faith allows us to achieve unsurpassable Enlightenment. This is the second talk in a five-part series from Tiratanalokaand#8217;s retreat on the and#8216;Four Mind Turningsand#8217; of the Tibetan tradition.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte,, and#8220;Jewel as Symbol of True Selfand#8221;, is from the talk and#8220;The Jewel in the Lotusand#8221; by Sangharakshita, The jewel is the most precious of all material things, therefore a fitting symbol of the True Self. This jewel is consciousness itself and#8211; once it comes to light it shines forth in itand#8217;s original splendor. This talk is part of the Parables, Myths and Symbols of Mahayana Buddhism in the White Lotus Sutra Series given in 1971.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Parable of the Burning Houseand#8221;, Sangharakshita begins by reading from the White Lotus Sutra and follows with an explanation of the symbolism of the house. We are reminded of the importance of responding to and#8216;the call of the Divineand#8217;. The talk from which todayand#8217;s Dharmabyte is extracted is titled: Transcending the Human Predicament, which is part of the series Parables, Myths and Symbols of Mahayana Buddhism in the White Lotus Sutra given in 1971.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is lovely excerpt from the talk titled and#8220;Contemplating the Suffering of Beingsand#8221; by Kulaprabha, titled and#8220;Robins, Despair, Earthquakes andamp; Other People.and#8221; This is the third of four talks exploring Vasubandhuand#8217;s Four Factors given on a meditation retreat for women who have asked for ordination. In his treatise Generating Bodhi Resolve, Vasubandhu describes them as able to generate the resolve to cultivate and accumulate the bases for the Arising of the Bodhicitta. You can find out more about them in Sangharakshitaand#8217;s books The Meaning of Conversion in Buddhism and The Bodhisattva Ideal . Taraloka, February, 2010.

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is a short talk by the lovely Jnanaketu titled and#8220;The Three Lakshanas: Anityaand#8221;, part of three part series of talks given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre in 2006. All conditioned things are impermanentand#8230; Not just a truism, but the central teaching of Buddhism upon which so much else follows. Jnanaketu starts off a three-part series on the lakshanas, or and#8216;marksand#8217; of conditioned existence, by tackling this most crucial of insights that is easy to say but a great challenge to live by. This talk is part of the series and#8220;The Three Lakshanas.and#8221;

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte is the classic reading of the and#8220;and#8220;The Parable of the Rain Cloudand#8221; from The White Lotus Sutra. The reading is followed by a thought-provoking and beautiful explanation of this Buddhist teaching by Sangharakshita. This talk, and#8220;The Rain of the Dharmaand#8221;, was given in 1994 in the USA.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Emptiness and#8211; A Strategy for Being,and#8221; Samantabhadri expertly and imaginatively tackles the theme of Wisdom, using the verses in the third section of Tsongkhapaand#8217;s short text on the and#8220;Three Principle Aspects of the Pathand#8221;. Excerpted from the talk, and#8216;The Path of the Buddhaand#8217;s Delightand#8217;, this is part of a three part series all based on Tsongkhapaand#8217;s text, and given on the 2009 UK Womenand#8217;s Order Mitra Event. Given at Taraloka, May 2009

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;Sunyata as Conditioned Co-Productionand#8221; comes to us from Nagapriya as he explores the important concept of sunyata in Mahayana Buddhism. Nagapriya explains how sunyata reformulates the fundamental Buddhist concept of conditioned co-production in the talk and#8220;The Philosophy of Emptiness.and#8221; Talk given at Manchester Buddhist Centre, 2009 This talk is part of the series Visions of Mahayana Buddhism.

In todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, we enter into the quiet, reflective world of Dhammadassin as listen to a single track titled The Unity of View, Meditation andamp; Action from the beautiful talk titled: Standing on Emptiness and#8211; a preview to Saturdayand#8217;s full podcast. Talk given at the Triratna Buddhist Order women's national weekend, August 2004

Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, and#8220;The Buddha andamp; His Messageand#8221; Sangharakshita speaks to us about who the Buddha was vs. what the Buddha said. Sometimes we are told, the Buddha didnand#8217;t say anything at all. The Bodhisattva ideal was emphasized by those among the early Buddhists who considered that they could learn from the Buddhaand#8217;s life and activity as well as from the doctrines he taught; from his compassion as well as from his wisdom. From the talk, and#8220;The Origin and Development of the Bodhisattva Idealand#8221;, given in 1969. This talk is part of the series Aspects of the Bodhisattva Ideal.