Free Buddhist Audio

This week’s FBA Podcast, is entitled “Singing the Song of the Order,” by Jnanacandra. One of two talks on more devotional approaches to Insight, given at the European Combined Order Convention held at Wymondham College on 24 August 2014. The theme of the convention was “The Bodhisattva’s Reply: Triratna Paths to Insight”.

This week’s FBA Podcast, “Radical Change – Learning to Be Free ,” is a talk by Sona given at the Manchester Buddhist Centre in April 2012. He explores how we can make real, even radical, changes to our lives through waking up to life with awareness.

This week’s FBA Podcast, “Padmasambhava’s Advice to the Three Fortunate Women,” comes to us from Glasgow Buddhist Centre, 2010. Padmolka looks at the first section of Padmasambhava’s Advice to The Three Fortunate Women from The Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava. She begins by saying a bit about Padmasambhava subduing the demons of Tibet and the circumstances around the time when this teaching is given. Padmasambhava is asked for a short, practical teaching which can be learned by heart to help Queen Nang Chung to practice the Dharma and ultimately lead her to Buddhahood. She then goes through the verse, pulling out it’s themes and meaning.

This week’s FBA Podcast is a quite unusual and unexpectedly intimate talk from Sangharakshita, “Dreams and Rebirth.” Given at the wonderful old converted church that is now the resplendent Sheffield Buddhist Centre in the UK. Some lovely, evocative accounts from his personal dreamlife – tales of mediaeval monks! – and a significant and highly personal exploration of the whole area of Buddhist views on rebirth and re-becoming. Much food for thought here from a wholly atmospheric and clearly enjoyable occasion. Talk given at the Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2008

This week’s FBA Podcast, “The Mandala of the Buddha,” is a talk given by Kamalashila on the 2012 Triratna International Retreat, in which he explores the ‘Mandala of the Buddha’ – some of the Buddha’s many qualities which, perhaps, gave rise to the later Mahayana ‘Mandala of the Five Buddhas’.

Vajratara delivers our FBA Podcast this week, “Energy, the Tantric Precepts and Enlightenment.” An exploration of what energy means in the spiritual life and how to work with it, especially referencing Sangharakshita’s ‘Tantric’ version of the Five Precepts. Given at the 2011 National Young Triratna Buddhists Weekend retreat exploring the theme of ‘Energy for Enlightenment’. See www.buddhismtoday.co.uk for more young Buddhists’ events.

In this week’s FBA Podcast, “Eight Step Recovery” Vimalasara speaks on the importance of loving oneself as a part of recovery from addiction as an introduction to her new book, co-authored with Paramabandhu, entitled ‘Eight Step Recovery – Using the Buddha’s Teachings to Overcome Addiction’. She goes on to discuss the life conditions that she and Paramabandhu have emerged from, and how those energies came together and inspired the writing of the book. Outlining the eight steps, Vimalasara demonstrates that, while the book was mainly written for those in recovery, it is in some way for everyone. The talk is followed by a question and answer session.

Words are not adequate to describe things as they are, and yet Ratnaguna does a remarkable job! This week’s FBA Podcast, “The Buddhas Two Great Gifts to the World” Ratnaguna explores the gifts of discourse and practice. This talk was given to to promote a new buddhist centre in Stockholm.

This week’s FBA Podcast is entitled: “Make Yourself An Island.” Reflecting on her favourite lines from the Paranibbana Sutta, Jvalamalini explores how to become an island in the midst of the eight worldly winds, especially how to steer through praise and blame, and fame and infamy by developing true individuality, and spiritual receptivity.

This week’s FBA Podcast was given at the London Buddhist Centre’s Dharma Day celebration, July 2014. “Dharma and Nature” by Dhivan, author of “This Being, That Becomes”. The word Dharma means many things, including “nature” – referring to how things work, the true nature of things. We also use the word to refer to the whole interconnected living world. The meanings of the world only partly overlap, which gives us the starting point for this precise, thoughtful, evocative Dharma talk.