Free Buddhist Audio

Speaking in a marquee on the June 2012 Women’s National Order Weekend at Taraloka and in a landscape dedicated to the Five Jinas, Samantabhadri explores positive emotion in our system of practice. Her themes are: pliancy and loosening boundaries; the imagination; insight; our collective life; the shade and the light of our spiritual lives. Subscribe to the FBA podcast

Delve into the fundamental principles behind Integration in Triratna’s System of Practice with this week’s FBA Podcastentitled The Five Aspects of Dharma Life - Integration by Subhuti. With integration we begin by taking fully responsibility for our karmic agency. This is the third talk in a series of eight from the System of Practice retreat at Padmaloka for men who have asked for Ordination. Subhuti invites his hearers to find new and deeper significance with the fundamental principles behind Integration, Positive Emotion, Spiritual Receptivity, Spiritual Death, and Spiritual Rebirth. This talk is part of the series The Five Aspects of the Dharma Life. Subscribe to the FBA podcast

Our FBA Podcast this week is a rousing, uncompromisingly radical talk from Maitriveer-Nagarjuna entitled The Lion’s Roar Of Doctor Ambedkar (with translation in Hindi). Taking up the theme of the Convention, the great “Lion’s Roar” of the Buddha, Maitriveer-Nagarjuna evokes the fire that drove Doctor Bimrao Ambedkar to work tirelessly on behalf of the so-called Dalit “Untouchable” people in order to free them from the evils of the Hindu caste system. He reframes Doctor Ambedkar as a radical for the ages, of greater and broader relevance for a world where the forces that oppose liberation at all levels seem stronger than ever. Listen and be inspired and uplifted! Jai Bhim! This talk was given to start the 2018 Triratna Buddhist Order Convention at Bodhgaya in India and is part of the series The Lion’s Roar: Talks from the International Order Convention.

Our FBA Podcast this week is by Vajratara entitled Dr Ambedkar and His Importance For the Future of Buddhism. Vajratara argues that Dr Ambedkar is not just relevant for India or for the oppressed, but essential for modern Buddhism all over the world, challenging us to move beyond a comfortable Buddhism that fits neatly into modern consumer society. The talk was given at a retreat at Rivendell for young people comparing the teachings of Dr Ambedkar and Sangharakshita, 2014.

In a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the mass conversion to Buddhism of Dr Ambedkar and thousands of his followers, Nagabodhi tells the story of Ambedkar and the role that Sangharakshita was to play in supporting the nascent Buddhist movement of ex-Untouchables. This week’sFBA Podcast by Nagabodhi, Dr Ambedkar and Sangharakshita, was given at North London Buddhist Centre, 2016.

In this week’s FBA Podcast Subhuti offers The Significance of Dr Ambedkar In the West. Speaking during a festival day in 2010 held to celebrate the life of Dr Ambedkar, Subhuti speaks about what significance Dr Ambedkar has outside India. The main thrust of the talk is a list of three reasons why someone might convert to Buddhism, enumerated by Dr Ambedkar but applied to our situation in the West. Perhaps the most important is Dr Ambedkar’s insights into the need for society to be grounded in Ethics that are ‘sacred and universal,’ obviously he felt the Dhamma was the best expression of that. The final section of the talk covers the importance of being engaged in wider society; this has topical relevance with the forthcoming General Election. Subhuti encourages to engage with the democratic process and make the Buddhist voice, calling for awareness and ethicality, be heard.

All bona fide Buddhism is Activism. We want to make the world better right? The issue is energy; how can we cultivate energy in pursuit of the good. In this week’s FBA Podcast, entitled The 4 Gifts, Padmavajra considers 5 fundamental aspects of Virya – known as Energy for Enlightenment.

Our FBA Podcast is by Padmasuri entitled The Buddha Was a Friend As We Can Be a Friend. The fourth and final in our series of talks to mark the Year of Kalyana Mitrata at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre.

In this weeks FBA Podcast we offer In Conversation with Subhuti. Suryagupta converses with Subhuti about his life and practice. Subhuti has been the President of the London Buddhist Centre for over 30 years and was part of the original team who built the LBC in the 1970s.

Our FBA Podcast this week is by Maitreyi entitled Spiritual Friendship and the Heart’s Release. Our teacher Sangharakshita has said: “It is in friendship (maitri) that we may find the emotional equivalent of the intellectual understanding of the doctrine of ‘no self’”. The gift of these teachings can help us move beyond self-clinging into a deeper and far more mysterious connection with one another; a Greater Love. This was the keynote talk given at Taraloka for the 2018 Great Gathering (Order Members and GFR mitras).