Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

In today's FBA Dharmabyte Ratnaprabha offers a delightful story of Nanda and the dove-footed nymphs in a track we're calling: >Exhaulted Beauty. Ratnasambhava represents the beauty of appreciation, one of the most positive functions that one can develop. In the appreciative mode, nothing is ugly. The story of the Buddha's half brother, Nanda, helps illustrate how we can use more immediate desires as motivators on the path. We can shift from appropriation to appreciation. From the talk Ratnasambhava and the Path of Beauty, the 8th talk from the The Mandala of the Five Buddha given at Padmaloka's 2012 Winter Retreat.

Having now entered the mandala, in today's FBA Dharmabyte we meet Akshobya: The Dark Blue Buddha. From the talk The Mandala: Tantric Symbol of Integration by Sangharakshita, 1967. The Tantras (special scriptures of Vajrayana Buddhism) frequently refer to mandalas, circles of symbolic forms. Sangharakshita describes the mandala of the five Buddhas, its use as a symbol of psychological and spiritual integration, and the meaning of its sexual symbolism. This talk is part of the series Aspects of Buddhist Psychology.

Our theme on mandalas continues as we hear from Ratnavandana who has been teaching on the Brahma Viharas for decades using the Five Buddha Mandala as a basis for their exploration. The FBA Dharmabyte we choose is entitled Opening to the Mandala, an excerpt from the talk Living In the Mandala. This is the second talk of the 2015 Rainy Season Retreat in Bristol, UK, 2015, led by Ratnavandana who embarks on a personal sharing of how her life has been transformed by deciding to go and live in the mandala of the Brahma Viharas and the Jinas themselves. Her deep love of the practices represents both an inspired and eminently practical vision of how to orientate yourself on the great map of the way...

Our theme on mandalas continues with today's FBA Dharmabyte as we learn about the origins of the mandala in Buddhist practice. An excerpt from the third talk on The Mandala of the Five Buddhas, Ratnasambhava and the Mandala by Ratnaprabha. Here he describes the early origins of the mandala as the Bodhi-manda, the circle of awakening. Given at Padmaloka's 2012 Winter Retreat on the Mandala as part of the series The Mandala of the Five Buddhas.

We continue our opening theme for 2016 on mandalas with today's FBA Dharmabyte Jvalamalini offers a gentle and thorough introduction to mandalas, in this excerpt the focus is on our personal lives. What’s central is what is most important to us. "Personal Mandalas" is an excerpt from the full talk entitled Introduction to Mandalas, given at the Bristol Buddhist Centre, UK.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, by Sangharakshita, is an introduction to what is likely the most important of the four mula-yogas, the indispensable preparatory practices of the Vajrayana devotee. "Vajrasattva: Purification" is an excerpt from The Four Foundation Yogas of the Tibetan Buddhist Tantra, given in 1968 as part of the series An Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, by Punyamala, is entitled "Impermanence of This Body". An excerpt from the talk of the same title, Punyamala eloquently reminds us that the Buddhist vision is unique, summed up by the Buddha’s last words, “Impermanent are all conditioned things, with mindfulness, strive on.” This talk was given at Taraloka on a mitra retreat called Reflection: A Path of Wisdom

We've been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshita's writings and poems this month. Today's FBA Dharmabyte is entitled "Retracing our Steps on the Path". Selected from "A Life for the Dharma", by Sangharakshita, a moving, often beautiful evocation of the great Indian teacher Atisha, whose work had a profound influence on the development of Buddhism in Tibet. Sangharakshita presents Atisha's life as both a challenge and an inspiration to all who wish to practice the Dharma and discover its relevance in the world today. Talk given in 1999. This talk is part of the series Three Lectures to the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. If we are mentally confused and find ourselves not making progress on the spiritual path, we have to go back to meditation. But suppose our meditation is unsatisfactory and we are troubled be all sorts of wandering thoughts? If we cannot concentrate, we have to get back to shila, ethics. An ethical life is an integrated life, the more integrated the easier we will be able to meditate. But suppose our practice of ethics is difficult? Causing harm, taking the not given, false or harsh, useless or disharmonious speech, and so on, we need to get back to the path of regular steps.

We've been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshita's writings and poems this month. Today's FBA Dharmabyte is a poem entitled "Before Dawn". Selected from "Hercules and the Birds", read by the author and published by Windhorse Publications, Glasgow, 1990.

We've been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshita's writings and poems this month. Today's FBA Dharmabyte is a poem entitled "Life is King". Selected from "Conquering New Worlds", read by the author and published by Windhorse Publications, Glasgow, 1986.

We've been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshita's writings and poems this month. Today's FBA Dharmabyte is a poem entitled "Orpheus in the Underworld". Selected from "Conquering New Worlds", read by the author and published by Windhorse Publications, Glasgow, 1986.

We've been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshita's writings and poems over the next few weeks. Today's FBA Dharmabyte is an excerpt from "The Caves of Bhaja", a moving poem in memory of Dharmachari Anagarika Maha Dhammavira, written, introduced and read by Sangharakshita. Full talk available here: "The Caves of Bhaja".

We've been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshita's writings and poems over the next few weeks. In today's FBA Dharmabyte, "The Elder Revealed", an excerpt from his own elegant and moving unpublished story, Sanghrakshita evokes the spiritual efforts of a monk who occupies the 'Holy Man's Cave' above an Indian village at the time of the Buddha. From "The Cave", read by the author. Questioning our friends affectionately leaves them feeling as if they are not being questioned at all. Allowing answers to emerge from the deep, hidden aspects of ourselves, reveals our deepest truth. Hear Sumana’s feelings about the Buddha, a wandering monk, and his spiritual efforts under the inspiration of the Dharma.

We've been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshita's poems over the next few weeks. Today's FBA Dharmabyte is a poem entitled "The Lotus of Compassion". Selected from "Conquering New Worlds", read by the author and published by Windhorse Publications, Glasgow, 1986.

We've been moved to share an abundant handful of Sangharakshita's poems over the next few weeks. Today's FBA Dharmabyte is a poem entitled "The Bodhisattva's Reply". Selected from "Conquering New Worlds", read by the author and published by Windhorse Publications, Glasgow, 1986.