This week's FBA Podcast , comes from Lokabandhu at Buddhafield's Green Earth Awakening event in May of 2013. Entitled "A Buddhist Approach to Changing the World" , Lokabandhu explores how Buddhists might take on the heroic task of affecting the world for the better. After reviewing the Buddhist concept of conditionality, he draws on examples such as Dr. Ambedkar and Triratna's paradigm of the 'New Society' to illustrate how lasting social and personal change might successfully be brought about....
Aug 17, 2013•47 min
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'...
Aug 10, 2013•1 hr 8 min
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....
Aug 03, 2013•1 hr
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....
Jul 27, 2013•38 min
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...
Jul 20, 2013•24 min
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....
Jul 13, 2013•1 hr 16 min
Jul 08, 2013•43 min
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 ...
Jul 06, 2013•57 min
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...
Jun 29, 2013•59 min
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...
Jun 22, 2013•41 min
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...
Jun 15, 2013•56 min
In this week's FBA Podcast , "Love, Sangha and Amitabha" , Amitasuri introduces us to Amitabha: Buddha of love and compassion, looking at the love and sangha aspects of the red Buddha of the western realm. From this perspective Amitasuri reflects on our relationships and the preciousness of human life. She considers whether, with body speech and mind, there can be any more appropriate response to connecting with ourselves and each other than with love and compassion....
Jun 08, 2013•50 min
In this week's FBA Podcast "The Tale of Maha-Kassapa" Amoghavajra asks us, what is it that gladdens your heart? Taking us back 2,500 years to the Kingdom of Magadha in Northern India to the birth of a boy called Kassapa, Amoghavajra tells the story of how he grows up happily and as he gets older he becomes less and less worldly. Kassapa marries Bhadda who has equally renunciant tendancies. They both go forth together. Kassapa meets the Buddha, becomes his disciple and gains Enlightenment. He is ...
Jun 01, 2013•1 hr 2 min
Be prepared for the odd surprise in our FBA Podcast today where Dhivan asks: "What Do We Really Know About the Buddha?" A lovely talk here from the excellent Dhivan. As he sifts the information that's come down to us, we meet several different versions of a human being as he blurs with the archetypal presence he has also come to represent. Yet whichever manifestation we prefer, more than anything this talk brings us face to face with the rich and moving legacy of a brilliant and truly compassion...
May 25, 2013•27 min
May 24, 2013•1 hr 2 min
Our FBA Podcast today is a wonderfully entertaining talk on Perfect Vision titled: "Welsh Bats, A Vajrasattva Drugs Mule and Spanish Insight." Here Vajrin tells a story of a wide ranging journey, including his early days at the Bristol Buddhist Centre in Long Ashton; his time as a junior doctor working in Africa; travels through India and Tibet; a visit to an Everest base camp and finally to ordination at a retreat centre high in the Spanish sierras. Along the way he manages to acquire a splendi...
May 18, 2013•37 min
In this week's FBA Podcast, Manjuvajraa offers us insight into "Spontaneous Universal Compassion." The last of eight talks in the series 'Evolution and the meaning of life', here Manjuvajra shows us the next evolutionary step – purifying the mind.
May 11, 2013•55 min
In this week's FBA Podcast, Ratnaprabha gives us: "How To Have Fun" – A Look at the Buddhist path in terms of happiness, engagement, interest and delight. A new take on the positive nidanas. Talk given at the West London Buddhist Centre
May 04, 2013•1 hr 4 min
In this week's FBA Podcast, "The Power of Empathy," Vajrasara explores metta (loving kindness), the subtle art of listening, and Kuan Yin, the mysterious white lady of Compassion. One of a series of talks on the theme of 'A Force for Good in the World', given in the Dharma Parlour at the 2010 Buddhafield Festival in Somerset, UK
Apr 27, 2013•42 min
In this week's FBA Podcast, "Empty Cave: Reflections on Life, Practice and Enlightenment," Saraha takes us on a journey into the snowy mountains of the Pyrenees where he engaged in a solitary meditation retreat. He found 'nothing but the sound of a man breathing' and hope and direction through emptiness, beauty and the Buddha's assertion that mindfulness is the way to freedom. Talk given at Birmingham Buddhist Centre, October 2012....
Apr 20, 2013•1 hr 3 min
In this week's FBA Podcast, Padmavajra takes us on an amazing journey into: "The Tiger's Cave." This is the first in an excellent 8-talk sequence by Padmavajra on Zen Buddhism. The series is full of colourful stories and challenging insights from the lives of the great Masters of China and Japan. This talk introduces the basics and brings us face to face with the Great Emptiness at the heart of practice. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004 This talk is part of the series "Tangling Eyebr...
Apr 13, 2013•40 min
In this week's FBA Podcast, "Magic For the Modern World," Candradasa takes a personal look at aspects of magic in the East and West, considering its place in Buddhist history and practice and also its meeting with Christianity at the time of the Renaissance. What emerges is a picture of how magic defined in various ways can be a powerful metaphor for the everyday work of Buddhist meditation and ethical practice – with the enchantment of love and wisdom fused the only one we need. The Buddha is t...
Apr 06, 2013•1 hr 5 min
In this week's FBA Podcast, "The Blissful Mind," Vajradevi explores bliss, happiness, joy and their relationship to the Buddhist path. What stops us feeling happy more of the time? Is there a difference between freedom of desire and freedom from desire? Last of a series of four talks entitled 'The Powers of the Mind' given at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre in April 2011....
Mar 30, 2013•54 min
In this week's FBA Podcast, Vadanya delivers an engaging and rich talk titled: " The Great Hidden Treasures of Padmasambhava ."
Mar 23, 2013•47 min
In this week's FBA Podcast, we bring you a classic talk by Sangharakshita: " Art & The Spiritual Life ." "Art is the organisation of sensuous impressions that express the artist's sensibility and communicate to his audience a sense of values that can transform their lives." Using his own definition, Sangharakshita investigates the relevance of art and the artist to higher evolution. Talk given in 1969 as part of the series " The Higher Evolution ."...
Mar 16, 2013•1 hr 18 min
In this week's FBA Podcast, " Ashvaghosha: India's Great Buddhist Poet " Dhivan introduces Ashvaghosha, the Buddhist poet of 2nd c. AD India. Two of his works survive: a poetic re-telling of the Buddha's life-story ('The Buddhacarita' or 'Acts of the Buddha'), and 'Handsome Nanda', about the conversion of the Buddha's sensuous and wife-loving cousin to the Dharma. Here Dhivan shares some of his own translations of Ashvaghosha from Sanskrit and Pali sources, in this accessible and humorous introd...
Mar 09, 2013•1 hr 5 min
In this week's FBA Podcast, Maitreyabandhu brings us " Poetry East: Sasha Dugdale Interview ." Sasha Dugdale is a poet and translator. She worked for the British Council in Russia in the 1990s where she set up the Russian New Writing Project with the Royal Court Theatre. Since her return in 2001 she has translated new plays for the Court, the RSC and other theatre companies. Her recent translations of Elena Shvarts' poems Birdsong on the Seabed were shortlisted for the Popescu Prize and the Acad...
Mar 02, 2013•43 min
In this week's FBA Podcast " Life – For A Limited Time Only ," Suriyavamsa begins with the inevitability of death and some of our habitual attitudes to death and suffering, reading from contemporary poets. He brings out the Buddhist perspective that life and death are not separate, but parts of the same process. This talk was given at Parinirvana Day 2010 at the Glasgow Buddhist Centre....
Feb 22, 2013•59 min
In this week's FBA Podcast " Death And The Buddhist ," Danavira is very funny, can do poetic and profound, tends to the chaotic in his style, and has a particular genius for this kind of thing; this kind of thing being talking about death. The whole talk is a kind of respectful joyride through the hardest subject of all – sit back and enjoy a thoroughly adult treat that's likely to blow the heart wide open. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, Men's Event 2000...
Feb 16, 2013•1 hr 5 min
In this week's FBA Podcast " Reflections on Vajrasattva: Purity, Confession and Death ," Dhammadinna shares her thoughts on Vajrasattva. His purity is not any sort of purity that can be attained – he is beyond space and beyond time. He is a very positive, profound, beautiful figure encouraging us to turn towards our innate purity, our Vajrasattva nature, so that we can wake up to the fact that in our deepest nature we've never been impure. This talk was given as part of the Vajrasattva Festival ...
Feb 09, 2013•53 min
