Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

Today's FBA Dharmabyte "Devotion, Dharma & Faith" is an excerpt from Saturday's FBA Podcast "Learning from Tibetan Buddhism - A Personal Account" by Vessantara. A lovely, thoughtful talk that pays tribute to the effect of one ancient form of Dharma in a modern practitioner's own life. Given at the Western Buddhist Order Convention 2005.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is a short "Buddha Puja" chanted by Chandrabodhi from the original 'Dharmachakra Tapes' catalogue, with some wonderful chanting done India style! Check out the other recordings which include some very ethereal flute songs: Chanting Indian Style.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, "Heaps of Merit & Offering Up Gratitude" the whole practice of Puja, offerings to the Buddha, that which we value most. This excerpt is from the seventh talk in a sparkling, wide-ranging, thoroughly comprehensive ten talk series by Padmavajra on 'The Diamond Sutra - Taking Mind to its Limits'. Talks given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004

Today's FBA Dharmabyte explores 'Three Kinds of Faith' brought to us by Dhammadinna in a poignant talk title 'The Preciousness and Rarity of Human Life.'. Sraddha has three aspects: cognitive, emotional and volitional. Like a wish-fulfilling gem, Faith allows us to achieve unsurpassable Enlightenment. This is the second talk in a five-part series from Tiratanaloka's retreat on the 'Four Mind Turnings' of the Tibetan tradition.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte,, "Jewel as Symbol of True Self", is from the talk "The Jewel in the Lotus" by Sangharakshita, The jewel is the most precious of all material things, therefore a fitting symbol of the True Self. This jewel is consciousness itself - once it comes to light it shines forth in it's original splendor. This talk is part of the Parables, Myths and Symbols of Mahayana Buddhism in the White Lotus Sutra Series given in 1971.

In today's FBA Dharmabyte, "The Parable of the Burning House", Sangharakshita begins by reading from the White Lotus Sutra and follows with an explanation of the symbolism of the house. We are reminded of the importance of responding to 'the call of the Divine'. The talk from which today's Dharmabyte is extracted is titled: Transcending the Human Predicament, which is part of the series Parables, Myths and Symbols of Mahayana Buddhism in the White Lotus Sutra given in 1971.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is lovely excerpt from the talk titled "Contemplating the Suffering of Beings" by Kulaprabha, titled "Robins, Despair, Earthquakes & Other People." This is the third of four talks exploring Vasubandhu's Four Factors given on a meditation retreat for women who have asked for ordination. In his treatise Generating Bodhi Resolve, Vasubandhu describes them as able to generate the resolve to cultivate and accumulate the bases for the Arising of the Bodhicitta. You can find out more about them in Sangharakshita's books The Meaning of Conversion in Buddhism and The Bodhisattva Ideal . Taraloka, February, 2010.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is a short talk by the lovely Jnanaketu titled "The Three Lakshanas: Anitya", part of three part series of talks given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre in 2006. All conditioned things are impermanent... Not just a truism, but the central teaching of Buddhism upon which so much else follows. Jnanaketu starts off a three-part series on the lakshanas, or 'marks' of conditioned existence, by tackling this most crucial of insights that is easy to say but a great challenge to live by. This talk is part of the series "The Three Lakshanas."

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is the classic reading of the ""The Parable of the Rain Cloud" from The White Lotus Sutra. The reading is followed by a thought-provoking and beautiful explanation of this Buddhist teaching by Sangharakshita. This talk, "The Rain of the Dharma", was given in 1994 in the USA.

In today's FBA Dharmabyte, "Emptiness - A Strategy for Being," Samantabhadri expertly and imaginatively tackles the theme of Wisdom, using the verses in the third section of Tsongkhapa's short text on the "Three Principle Aspects of the Path". Excerpted from the talk, 'The Path of the Buddha's Delight', this is part of a three part series all based on Tsongkhapa's text, and given on the 2009 UK Women's Order Mitra Event. Given at Taraloka, May 2009

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, "Sunyata as Conditioned Co-Production" comes to us from Nagapriya as he explores the important concept of sunyata in Mahayana Buddhism. Nagapriya explains how sunyata reformulates the fundamental Buddhist concept of conditioned co-production in the talk "The Philosophy of Emptiness." Talk given at Manchester Buddhist Centre, 2009 This talk is part of the series Visions of Mahayana Buddhism.

In today's FBA Dharmabyte, we enter into the quiet, reflective world of Dhammadassin as listen to a single track titled The Unity of View, Meditation & Action from the beautiful talk titled: Standing on Emptiness - a preview to Saturday's full podcast. Talk given at the Triratna Buddhist Order women’s national weekend, August 2004

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, "The Buddha & His Message" Sangharakshita speaks to us about who the Buddha was vs. what the Buddha said. Sometimes we are told, the Buddha didn't say anything at all. The Bodhisattva ideal was emphasized by those among the early Buddhists who considered that they could learn from the Buddha's life and activity as well as from the doctrines he taught; from his compassion as well as from his wisdom. From the talk, "The Origin and Development of the Bodhisattva Ideal", given in 1969. This talk is part of the series Aspects of the Bodhisattva Ideal.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte,, "A Creative Response" comes to us from the comprehensive and thought-provoking series of talks on the Tibetan text: 'Eight Verses for Training the Mind' by Kadampa Geshe Langri Tangpa. This excerpt is from fourth and final talk in the series. "In brief, directly or indirectly, May I give all help and joy to my mothers, And may I take all their harm and pain Secretly upon myself." "May none of this ever be sullied By thoughts of the eight worldly concerns. May I see all things as illusions And, without attachment, gain freedom from bondage." Talk given as part of a series, 'Eight Verses for Training the Mind', at Madhyamaloka, Birmingham, 2004

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, comes to us from the talk "Simplicity" by Kamalashila: "Giving Attention to Experience". Meditation is kind of a prayer for authenticity and truth... it is the Buddhist path of becoming more natural. Talk given at FWBO Day, 2004