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In this week's FBA Podcast, Three Ways to Insight - Working with the 3 Prajnas Subhuti considers afresh this traditional teaching of cultivating insight through hearing, reflecting and meditating.

This week's FBA Podcast is entitled The Meaning of Spiritual Community Revisited by Mahamati. One of the talks given at Padmaloka during the 2016 'Urgyen' retreat. The retreat was part of the celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the founding of Padmaloka, and aimed to explore the life and teachings of our founder Urgyen Sangharakshita.

This week's FBA Podcast is entitled The Buddhas Noble Quest by Dhivan. In this talk given at a Sangha evening at Bristol Buddhist Centre, Dhivan considers what we can learn from the story of the noble quest of the Buddha. This story is recounted in the Discourse on the Noble Quest (Ariyapariyesana-sutta) in the Middle-length Discourses (Majjhima-nikaya). In it we can almost believe we are hearing a memory of the Buddhas own words, as he recounts his going forth, his study under great meditation teachers, his eventually leaving them, his austerities, and finally his awakening. Dhivan draws out some of the continuing significance of the story of the noble quest, as a kind of blueprint for the model of the Dharma life as heroic self-development.

This week's FBA Podcast is entitled The Importance of Mindfulness by Kamalashila. In this talk from September 1996, Kamalashila explores the centrality of mindfulness to the Buddhist path. He discuses the concept of intoxication, with reference to the 5th Precept and the Sutra of Golden Light. Kamalashila then considers the four foundations of mindfulness from the the Satipatthana Sutta and concludes that mindfulness is the basis of metta and allows us to embrace the realm of truth and beauty. Croydon has been home to FWBO or Triratna Buddhist communities and centres since 1968. Many early talks by well known speakers were recorded, both at Aryatara, since 1979, and at the new Croydon Centre from 1981. These are now being transferred from their crumbling cassettes to digital format, as part of the Croydon Digital Archive Project, and are being made available to everyone. This talk is in good condition but starts and ends abruptly.

This week's FBA Podcast is entitled Sangharakshita, the Unenlightened Englishman by Ratnaprabha. A 1989 film on Sangharakshita was embarrassingly titled The Enlightened Englishman. He may not be enlightened, but he has had a fascinating life and a very positive influence on a huge number of people. This talk gives an account of his life, work and teachings, including personal reminiscences. It introduce a series on Sangharakshita. This talk is part of the series Sangharakshita and his approach to Buddhism.

This week's FBA Podcast FBA Podcast is part four of a series of talks on the Triratna Vandana by Subhuti entitled Sangha Vandana. The most striking point from this talk is the importance of taking the Sangha refuge as the possibility of an Ideal Society. It is so easy to get dis-illusioned with people and groups. Yet human relationships are such an integral part of our lives we need some vision that more is possible - the arya sangha exemplify this as they relate to each other on the basis of metta as opposed to self grasping and egoistic desire.

This week's FBA Podcast FBA Podcast is a fabulous talk by Jnanavaca called The Wisdom of Words. The spiritual community, the Sangha, is the ideal context in which we can practise the Dharma. It is also a force for good in the world and an ideal in its own right. But how is the Sangha sustained? Continuing our exploration of ‘The Four Sangharavastus’ (or Means of Unification of the Sangha). Jnanavaca launches the year with a keynote talk on the second of these, Kindly Speech.

...There is poetry as soon as we realize there is nothing... Continuing the series celebrating the unique contribution of Urgyen Sangharakshita to modern Buddhism, Akasamitra explores his key teaching of Mind Reactive - Mind Creative in this week's FBA Podcast.

Our FBA Podcast this week is by Parami, entitled The Path to Buddhist Engagement. This talk was given at the Manchester Buddhist Centre on Triratna Night, 27 June 2016, during Buddhist Action Month – BAM!

In our FBA Podcast this week is by Mahasiddhi, entitled: Maitri, Friendship and Meaning - Being a Buddhist Chaplain In a Non-Buddhist Setting. As part of taking the Dharma into the world, Mahasiddhi talks about his experience as a Buddhist Chaplain and how the Dharma supports and informs his practice with mainly non-Buddhist patients. Mahasiddhi has been practising chaplaincy for nearly four years starting as a volunteer then for nearly past two years has been the Buddhist Chaplain at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

In our FBA Podcast this week is by Vajratara, entitled: Kshanti (Patience): A Response to the Modern World. This talk was given in Sheffield at a unique time in British politics. A few days before, the UK had voted in a referendum to leave the European Union. At a time of political turmoil with reported hate crimes increasing by 57% since the referendum, Vajratara asks how can we have a Buddhist response to political change? How can we respond particularly to the rise of ‘ugly’ nationalism and hate crimes? Does kshanti mean doing nothing, or can it lead to more creative action?

In our FBA Podcast this week we hear from Ratnaprabha on Gender and Sexuality In Buddhism. In this very rich and well researched talk at the Stockholms Buddhistcenter (13 June 2011) Ratnaprabha traces the view of gender and sexuality in Buddhism. He addresses these topics in an open and inquiring way, not afraid of treading on ground that many others shy away from; and he raises many new questions. Rich food for further thought.

In our FBA Podcast today, Prasadachitta delivers a beautiful set of reflections on his personal practice in Whirlpools and Clear Water. This talk by Prasadachitta is like a beautiful stillness amid the whirl of a full Order Convention. His conversational style gradually brings forth the depth of reflection behind it. And the integrity of his personal practice bubbles easily to the surface when, with humility and good humour, he shares his own experience of working across two very human tendencies that have a bearing on friendship. ?? His evocation of the river - now full of whirlpools as it flows through the Neurotaloka, now becalmed as eddies meet and resolve themselves - and his inclusion of poems from Kathleen Raine and Naomi Shihab Nye make this a genuinely lyric talk. Like a closely observed discourse on consciousness meeting Walt Whitman and finding things, in the end, go along just fine...?? With an introduction by Danadasa. Con traduccion en Espanol.??Recorded outdoors at Chintamani Retreat Centre, Mexico, as part of the 2015 Triratna Buddhist Order Pan-American Convention.

In our FBA Podcast today, The Muni and the Moonlight, Vajrasara reflects on the Buddha, his victory over pleasure and pain, and how we might bring him alive in our lives. Talk given May 2011 at Bristol Buddhist Centre.

Our FBA Podcast this week is a delightful talk in which Sangharakshita looks at his own poem 'Sripada', the translation of which gives the title:Footsteps of Delight. Evoking the more mythical side of his own spiritual quest, he challenges us in ours with an often good humoured look at what it is to Go for Refuge to the Buddha and his teaching in the context of vibrant spiritual community. With concluding remarks by Dharmachari Kulananda. Talk given in 2001.