Free Buddhist Audio

This week’s FBA Podcast, by Padmavajra, was given during the 2013 Young men’s retreat at Padmaloka. Entitled “The Way of the Dharma Warrior”, Padmavajra describes the qualities of the Dharma Warrior and how Dharma Warriors are fighting in the great battle between the spiritual community and the group – fighting for the liberation of the truly human individual against the forces of mediocrity and uniformity – the battle with Mara who embodies those forces. Padmavajra concludes with David Jones’ magnificent evocation of a warrior in his poem ‘The Hunt’.

This week’s FBA Podcast, by Vajratara, is a tour-de-force of a talk entitled “Young People, the Bodhisattva Ideal, and Padmasambhava”. Vajratara weaves together her first contact with meditation and the Dharma (being forced to go by her best-friend’s Mum!), early explorations with drugs, her love of teaching, how to build a spiritual community, Padmasambhava, and the Bodhisattva Ideal.

This week’s FBA Podcast, by Dhammagita, is entitled “Dads and Mums, Truth and Lies”. Given at a Dharma Day festival talk at the West London Buddhist Centre in July 2011, here Dhammagita celebrates the Dharma – emphasising the importance of truth and authenticity – and ends with a heartfelt expression of gratitude to her own teachers.

This week’s FBA Podcast, by Sanghamani, and given during the Buddhafield East “Buddhism and the Natural World” retreat, is entitled “May All Your Weeds Be Wildflowers”. Sanghamani draws inspiration from the use of images in nature linked to the Buddhas Enlightenment, Maras assault, and calling the earth goddess to witness and how we can use them to help us contact our own fearlessness and confidence. She encourages us to see our weeds as wildflowers and use metta to plant new seeds in order to create our own Buddhafields. She also speaks personally about the Buddhafields as places that offer the perfect conditions for spiritual growth. Listen out for and be patient with the creaking mast of the Rainbow Tent ship!

This week’s FBA Podcast, by Sangharakshita explores the Sutra of Golden Light and is entitled “Nature, Man and Enlightenment.”. We seek happiness, but often we find that our desires and aspirations are in conflict. This struggle and its resolution are symbolically portrayed in the sutra by the figures of the Monk and Drdha, the Earth-Goddess. Talk given in 1976.

In the face of global climate crisis what can we do? How can we change the ways we think and respond to the seemingly insurmountable problems the planet faces? This week’s FBA Podcast, by Akuppa, explores the relationships and connections between “Buddhism and Ecology.” Akuppa’s thoughtful introduction to the worlds of scientific and deep ecology asks us the hard questions and offers some hope for possible answers. Drawing on the work of Joanna Macy and others, he traces positive lessons to be learned from simply observing and engaging with nature’s patterns and processes – and invites us all to prepare to be awestruck as a necessary first step. Talk given at the Western Buddhist Order Convention, 2005

Inspiration is present because of how we live – it is not something that comes from inside of us or outside of us. This week’s FBA Podcast, by Vidhuma, looks at: “Maintaining Inspiration.” In his usual humble, poetic, and beautifully spoken way, Vidhuma weaves his way through The Three Refuges, bringing in his favorite American poets and writers, including Walt Whitman, as he explores the theme of the convention: The Heart of the Order. Talk given at the North American Order Convention, 2010

This week’s FBA Podcast, “Going for Refuge,” by Viveka, is a personable and wide-ranging look at one of the most important aspects of Buddhist practice, whose significance is upheld in every tradition. What is it to look to the ‘Three Jewels’ as a response to our dissatisfaction? A thoughtful exploration, taking in traditional Dharma approaches and contemporary counter-cultural art forms and ways of living… Talk given at San Francsisco Buddhist Center, 2006

To appreciate the significance of the 25th Anniversary of the Triratna’s sole retreat center in America, Nagabodhi takes us back 2500 years to the time of the Buddha through the early years of the movement right up to the present day and onwards into the future. This week’s FBA Podcast, “Reflections on Aryaloka” is an inspiring and well thought out talk including stories about Sangharakshita and Aryaloka’s early pioneers. Nagabodhi offers one man’s perspective on bringing Buddhism to the West: A story of heroism, gratitude and love for the Dharma. Talk given at Aryaloka Buddhist Center, New Hampshire USA, August 2010