Today’s FBA Podcast is entitled “Sanghakaya and the Heart’s Release” by Maitreyi. She describes having somewhat of an epiphany on first hearing the term ‘Sanghakaya’ in a talk by Subhuti in India. It seemed to give expression to a whole direction and momentum of her life and practice, while simultaneously both deepening and opening out the mystery of the enlightened mind, expanding beyond any sense of individual consciousness or attainment. This talk is about the Sangha Jewel and it’s place in the spiritual life, given at the Manchester Buddhist Centre on Triratna Night, 14 December 2015.

Today’s FBA Podcast is a tribute to our teacher, Bhante Sangharakshita, given by Parami entitled “Revisiting the New Society”, the third talk of The Order as Practice – Shifting Paradigms retreat. Parami talks about the first verse of the Dasadhamma Sutta – “I am no longer living according to worldly aims and values.” She revisits Bhantes vision of the New Society, sharing her inspiration and love for the radical and transformative power of the Dharma.

Today’s FBA Podcast is a tribute to our teacher, Bhante Sangharakshita, given by Padmavajra entitled “Glimpses of the Mythic Life of Sangharakshita”.

Urgyen Sangharakshita, the founder of the Western Buddhist Order, is many things to many people. Yet all inspiration and controversies aside, he is first and foremost a follower of the Buddha’s way and his own evocations of his personal practice give many clues as to the nature of a committed Dharma life.
Here Padmavajra, one of his closest disciples, offers his own perspective on Sangharakshita as a practitioner with a rich sense of the mythic context pervading all his thinking about the Buddha and his teaching.

Talk given in 2008.

We’ve been inspired to share writings and poems by Bhante Sangharakshita this month. Our FBA Podcast today, “Sangharakshita – Facing Mount Kanchenjunga”, is a delightful talk from 1991. Sangharakshita starts by reading an extract from the new volume of his autobiography, Facing Mount Kanchenjunga. He follows this by talking about and reading eight poems that he composed in Kalimpong which give a real feel for his appreciation of the place but also for his worries about the effect of logging in the mountains.

The talk was given on November 28, 1991, in Croydon Buddhist Centre as part of the book launch for his autobiography.

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.

We’ve been inspired to share poems by Bhante Sangharakshita this month. Our FBA Podcast today is an unusual, early, talk from Sankharakshita which will be new to most people. “Sangharakshita – Reading Poems About Friendship”. Bhante was invited by the Croydon Arts Centre, in 1990, to choose, discuss and read poems about friendship. His selection ranges from the Epic of Gilgamesh to 20th century poets and clearly shows Sangharakshitas love of poetry and his desire to share this with other people.

The tape begins with an introduction by Dharmaruci, includes the Pearl Fishers friendship duet sung by Jussi Bjorling and Robert Merril and concludes with a personal reflection on Sangharakshita by Nagabhodi, as a book launch for A Taste of Freedom.

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.

The tape quality reflects its age, the sound is slightly distorted, but clear, during the readings and more distorted during the duet.

This week’s FBA Podcast features Ratnaghosha in a talk entitled “An Ever Widening Circle”. Given as the key note talk at Sangha Day at the Cambridge Buddhist Center, launching the Year of Spiritual Community for 2014 and laying out a vision for the Sangha.

This week’s FBA Podcast features Vajratara in a talk entitled “Buddhism and the Modern World”. Given on a retreat for young women training for Ordination, Vajratara describes the topical issues of the time and asks what the Buddhist response is. The refugee crisis, the rise of Jeremy Corbyn, the effects of neo liberal capitalism and environmental denigration; all point to a change in the way we see each other and the world. We live at a time where the world is opening to a new way of living. This new way of living is indicated both by the Buddha and, in modern times, by Sangharakshita.

This week’s FBA Podcast features Jnanavaca in a talk entitled “Mind Over Matter”. Most people think of science as insisting that only dead matter really exists as a substrate of everything in the universe, and that mind is something that does not have the same reality as matter. However modern physics shows that matter itself is not made up of definite things, and that it may even be influenced by being observed by a conscious mind. Jnanavaca describes evidence from the double slit experiment, and draws lessons for seeing through the illusion of personal separateness and discovering the imperative of kindness.

In the final installment of our long-running series on the Six Emphases of Triratna, this week’s FBA Podcast features Padmakumara in a talk entitled “What is Triratna Buddhism?”.

Padmakumara wraps it all up neatly with his own perspectives on what Triratna’s approach to Buddhist principle and practice is.

In his typical engaging speaking style, Padmavajra illuminates the Triratna emphasis on spiritual friendship in this week’s FBA Podcast, with “Triratna Emphases – Spiritual Friendship”.

Wrapping up the last of the Six Emphases of Triratna that we’ve been featuring over many weeks, Padmavajra gives a through overview of the importance of companions on the Buddhist path.

In this week’s FBA Podcast, Dayabhadra is the distinguished speaker with “Triratna Emphases – The Arts”.

Dayabhadra gives us a comprehensive look at the importance of the arts in the spiritual life, one of the Six Emphases of the Triratna Buddhist Community.

In this week’s FBA Podcast, Subhuti gives a very comprehensive introduction to one of the Six Emphases of the Triratna Buddhist Community with “The History of and Value in Team-Based Right Livelihood”.

Subhuti gives a rousing talk on some of the history behind team-based Right Livelihood within the Triratna Buddhist Movement. He then goes on to explain why it is so important; because it represents an opportunity to live a ‘full’ Buddhist life for ourselves and present society with an alternative to consumerism and the myth of progress through buying a bigger TV.

This week’s FBA Podcast features a talk by Manjuvajra on one of the Six Emphases of the Triratna Buddhist Community - “The Triratna Emphasis on a Unified Order”.

Here, Manjuvajra highlights the fact that involvement and membership of the Triratna Buddhist Order is open to all, irrespective of gender, colour, sexual orientation, lifestyle, or any other personal characteristic.

In this week’s FBA Podcast, Dhammarati gives an excellent talk on one of the Six Emphases of the Triratna Buddhist Community with “The Triratna Emphasis on Going for Refuge”.

In this talk Dhammarati explores Going for Refuge and its central emphasis in the Triratna Buddhist Order, bringing in the story of his own spiritual journey as an example of finding one’s unique response. He also looks to historical sources to identify some of the ways we can deepen our connection practically and experientially.

In this week’s FBA Podcast, Manuvajra discusses critical ecumenicism – one of the Six Emphases of the Triratna Buddhist Community – with “The Ecumenical Emphasis in Triratna”.

In principle, and in contrast with other approaches to contemporary Buddhism, any approach to the Dharma that conduces to a deepening of spiritual practice is valued in the Triratna context with a critical eye towards what constitutes fundamental Buddhism, and what works in practice.

In this week’s FBA Podcast, Sangharakshita gives a full introduction to the Six Emphases of the Triratna Buddhist Community with “Forty Years On – The Six Emphases of the FWBO”.

Marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Triratna Buddhist Community (formerly the Western Buddhist Order), he has some great reminisences about the early days, and is on top form as he considers the uniting factors of this diverse group of people who are engaged with the project of discovering Buddhism all over again for the modern world.

In this week’s FBA Podcast, “The Individual and Community” Dhammarati explores the central importance the Triratna Buddhist Order places on communication and connection as a means of personal transformation and the basis from which we influence the world. This gives us the significance of the Triranta Buddhist Order as a community of individuals trying to change themselves and have a positive impact on society making them a nucleus of a new society.

Talk given at the Dharmapala College seminar on the New Society, 2010.

In this week’s FBA Podcast, “Revering and Relying Upon the Dharma” Subhuti reflects on his recent conversations with Bhante which gave rise to his article: ‘Revering and Relying upon the Dharma: Sangharakshita’s approach to Right View’.

A talk given at the Triratna Buddhist Order Combined European Order Weekend at Wymondham College 21 August 2010.

This week’s FBA Podcast is a tender and moving talk by Paramananda entitled “The Nature of Transformation”. Transformation is basically allowing the protective shell of self to dissipate. This shell only falls away if you come into relationship with your real, impermanent, fragile, vulnerable nature and soften into that or open up to that.

This week’s FBA Podcast, “Discipleship”by Dhammadinna. This talk was given at the Triratna Buddhist Order December 2014 Women’s UK and Ireland Area Order Weekend at Adhisthana on 6 December 2014.

This week’s FBA Podcast, “The Diamond Sutra”, is a talk given my Sangharakshita in 1969. If one does not want to ‘get caught in the grip of reality’, one should leave this great text alone! The Perfection of Wisdom Discourse that ‘Cuts Like a Diamond’…

N.B. Reference for this lecture: Buddhist Wisdom Books, translated by E. Conze. (Allen & Unwin, 1958)

This week’s FBA Podcast, is brought to us by Padmavajra called “Padmasambhava and the Magic Of Compassion”. Padmavajra is an ideal person to introduce Padmasamabhava, the great Tantric guru of Tibet. He is both a devotee and a good storyteller – a winning combination as we are brought into vivifying contact with the origins and mysteries of this central Vajrayana figure.

Please note, there is some audio skipping on this recording for a couple of minutes at around the 45 minute point. Oddly, the sense can still be followed.

Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2006

This week’s FBA Podcast, “Breaking the Bonds of Selfhood Through Serving the Dhamma (with translation in Hindi)” by Parami. Here is a strong, beautiful talk by Parami from the final day of the Triratna Buddhist Order’s International Convention 2013 in India, bringing us back to the task in hand as members of the Order and as Buddhists: engaging with breaking the fetters and weakening the hold that self-clinging exerts upon our minds and our ways of seeing things.

Parami brings alive the possibilities in notions about how collective practice manifests (Order chapters, the Bodhisattva Ideal at ordination, ‘sanghakaya’) but grounds the whole thing movingly in her evident love of the Order and her inspiration at being gathered with so many sisters and brothers under one sky.

Talk given at Bodh Gaya, International Order Convention, February, 2013.

This week’s FBA Podcast, “Yidams” is a talk given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre in 2007 by Padmavajra. As we approach the full moon of July, Buddhists around the world will be celebrating Dharma Day, the marking of the Buddha’s first teaching. We decided to fast forward several hundred years after the Buddha’s lifetime to introduce a host of Bodhisattva’s who emerged to help spread the Dharma throughout the world. Beginning with this full talk, we will follow over the next few weeks with talks, mantras and more in our Dharmabytes Podcast to introduce Tara, Manjusri, Vajrapani, Ksitigarbha, Avalokitesvara and Padmasambhava.

‘The dharma changes lives, it has changed our own and it can change others.’ This week’s FBA Podcast is a talk by Dharmashalin he called: “Reaching Out – Communicating the Dharma From Our Appreciation, Courage and Conviction.” Buddhism is a communication, the Buddha, gained Awakening and shared his experience with others which has led us to be here today. This is the origins of Outreach, taking the Dharma to others.

I have started working for the Birmingham Buddhist Centre to do just that, continuing a strong tradition here of taking the Dharma out. But, that communication needs to be grounded in our own awareness and appreciation of what we have benefitted from.

We can all cultivate this awareness and in fact any time we take the risk to tell others about our values – that is a moment of outreach. All of us associated with the Centre can do this, and together we can help spread the Dharma more and more widely.

This week’s FBA Podcast entitled “Buddhism and the Language of Myth” is part of the series Ritual and Devotion in Buddhism by Sangharakshita. Buddhism is the most rational of religions. But it appeals no less to the heart than to the head, using the language of myth to do so. Examples are four ‘myths’ from the Buddha’s biography, here correlated with four of Jung’s archetypes.

This week’sFBA Podcast entitled “Here Be Dragons: Pitfalls, Disasters and Dead-Ends on the Spiritual Quest” by Vessantara. A hugely enjoyable piece – and something a little bit different from the average Dharma talk. For here we have the Buddhist path laid out in terms of Arthurian legend and the Quest for the Holy Grail. Knights, chivalry, adventures and disasters – it’s all here. And, of course, true wisdom where the gallant, sometimes errant, hero least expects to find it. Just like in a story…

Talk given at the Western Buddhist Order Men’s National Order Weekend, August 2002

This week’sFBA Podcast entitled “The Heroic Ideal in Buddhism” is a 1969 talk by Sangharakshita. Buddhism is sometimes seen as weak or negative. Using examples from the Pali Canon and Mahayana texts, this lecture shows that, on the contrary, heroic and positive qualities are essential in the Buddhist spiritual aspirant’s quest for Enlightenment.

In this week’sFBA Podcast, “Walking On Lotuses”, Punyamala offers a personal talk on receptivity on the anniversary of her seven year review as a private preceptor. To learn more about joining the Triratna Buddhist Order, see The Buddhist Centre Online.

This talk was given by Punyamala on the Triratna Buddhist Order European Order Gathering at Wymondham College August 26 2012. The theme of the gathering was Spiritual Receptivity.

In this week’sFBA Podcast, “Parables From the White Lotus Sutra – the Burning House”, Jnanavaca kicks off a new seminar series exploring the myths and parables of the glorious White Lotus Sutra. In this talk he unpacks the wisdom of the parable of the Burning House. Dharma Night at the LBC, April 6th 2015

How do we know? This week’s FBA Podcast is the first of three rambles from Subhuti, entitled “Knowledge of Reality – Ramble One”. Subhuti draws inspiration from Europe’s first Buddhist, Schopenhauer, and India’s ancient Yogachara. With immaculate clarity Subhuti takes us deep into the nature of mind and beyond. Talk given at the London Buddhist Centre in October 2014.

This week’sFBA Podcast, “Sowing Seeds In the Soil of the Mind – The Alaya” by Ratnaprabha.

The alaya or storehouse consciousness is the Buddhist equivalent of the unconscious mind. It is like a garden, in which every experience and action sows a seed which may later sprout and create our unfolding life. This talk describes how this relates to the six sense awarenesses, the mind as a sense, and the contaminated mind which reads everything in terms of self and not self. Mindfulness finds a creative path between leaving the alaya on autopilot, and allowing the contaminated mind to interfere and fill the garden with weeds and rubbish.

This week’sFBA Podcast is a talk from Vadanya entitled “Stirring the Depths.” From the depths of ourselves to the depths of the universe, Vadanya reminds us that to be fulfilled we need to live a life in harmony with the nature of reality Using images, mantra, mythic stories to bring us into the depths of our experience, this beautiful talk was given on a men’s ordination training retreat at Padmaloka.

This week’sFBA Podcast is a talk from Parami on “Buddha Day (2012).” Celebrating the Buddha’s Enlightenment on the full moon day in May, Parami delivers an inspiring talk marking this occasion at the Birmingham Buddhist Centre.

We’ve all read the words of the Buddha – but what did he SOUND like? What might it have been like to actually hear him…? In ourFBA Podcast: this week, Ratnaguna gives us a beautifully imaginative and well-researched evovation of the Buddha entitled:“The Voice of the Buddha.” Talk given on the 2012 Triratna International Retreat, under the overall theme ‘Imagining the Buddha.’

Dhammarati brings us this week’sFBA Podcast entitled: “The Triratna Emphasis On Going For Refuge.” Dhammarati explores Going for Refuge and its central emphasis in the Triratna Buddhist Order here, bringing in the story of his own spiritual journey as an example of finding one’s unique response. He also looks to historical sources to identify some of the ways we can deepen our connection practically and experientially.
Talk given on the Men’s Going for Refuge Retreat at Aryaloka Buddhist Center, 2013, Part 1 of a 4-part series.

Dharmashalin brings us this week’s FBA Podcast: “An Introduction to the Triratna Community.” A broad overview of the conditions and history behind the Triratna Buddhist Community, comes with a healthy side order of questions about narrative and how we tell stories.

We are delighted to share this week’s FBA Podcast entitled, “Introduction to the Brahma Viharas.” Here, Ratnavandana beautifully introduces the Brahma Viharas as an integrated set of practices flowing from metta – loving kindness. Her central image is that of a tree, deep rooted and spreading its canopy wide as she evokes a profound, personal connection to the cultivation of the sublime abodes – loving kindness, compassion, joy with others, and equanimity.

Ratnavandana also leads a guided meditation on cultivating a connection to the Brahma Viharas.

This talk was given as part of the 2015 Rainy Season Retreat at Bristol Buddhist Centre. The full archive of this retreat is available on The Buddhist Center Online.

In this week’s FBA Podcast, “Eros and Beauty – Beauty As Refuge,” Subhadramati continues the series exploring the place of Eros and Beauty in the Buddhist life by drawing out the experience of poetry and connecting with strangers. 26th January 2015, London Buddhist Center

In this week’s FBA Podcast, Vadanya shares much to reflect on in the “Sutra of Golden Light.” This is the first of two talks given during the Men`s Event in November 2009 on the theme of the Sutra of Golden Light. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Center, 2009

The Pure Land Sutras are described as practices, not texts to be read and understood, but rather engaged with as if a piece of music, inviting us to awaken our imagination. Ratnaguna gives us a in depth look at the beauty in the Sukhavati Sutras in this week’s FBA Podcast: “Adventures In the Pure Land – Beauty.” This is the 2nd talk in a series of four talks inspired by the Pure Land Sutras at Triratna Night at Manchester Buddhist Centre. February 9th 2015

This week’s FBA Podcast is a gem from Vajratara entitled: “The Buddha, The Bodhicitta and Bhante.” Vajratara introduces the Bodhicitta in an easily accessible format: what, why and how. She starts with the symbolism of the Buddha’s own Bodhisattva vow at the time of Dipankara, the previous Buddha. She also draws out Sangharakshita s unique understanding of the Bodhicitta and how that has shaped the Triratna Order and Movement.

Given at Tiratanaloka on a retreat for women training for Ordination.

Does Buddhism have anything to say about the recent attacks in Paris? What about liberal democracy; does Buddhism agree? Our FBA Podcast this week, “The Diamond Throne” explores these very questions. With characteristic intelligence and sensitivity, Chairman of the Centre Jnanavaca launches 2015 by exploring such issues via the vision of the Vajrasana – the diamond throne.

Our FBA Podcast this week is entitled “Building the Buddhaland”. Here Dayamala discusses the various aspects of the Buddhaland and how we, as Buddhist practitioners, can hope to take part in the building of it.

Our FBA Podcast this week is “Adventures in the Pure Land – Happiness”. Here Ratnaguna begins a series of four special talks at Manchester Buddhist Centre on the Pure Land sutras, with an exploration on the theme of Happiness.

Our FBA Podcast this week is entitled “Death and the Self, and the Buddha’s Unanswered Questions”. Here Vaddhaka delves into the Buddha’s unanswered questions; questions that Vacchagotta, Malunkyaputta and others asked him. Among them: ‘What happens to a Buddha after death?’ And what happens at our own death; what did the Buddha really say; and why did the renowned Buddhist scholar Paul Williams convert from Buddhism to Roman Catholicism?

Our FBA Podcast this week is entitled “Bodhicitta and Spiritual Death” by Vijayamala, a talk given as part of the Understanding, Exploring and Realising Spiritual Death retreat, led by Kamalashila and Vijayamala, at Adhisthana Dec 2014.

Our FBA Podcast this week is entitled “The Mystery of Exchanging Self and Other”. This is the fifth in a series of six talks given by Padmavajra, based on verses from Shantideva’s ‘Guide to The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life’, otherwise known as ‘The Bodhicaryavatara’.
Talks given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, on the Winter Retreat, December 2011 – January 2012.

This week’s FBA Podcast, “Awareness Is Revolutionary”, by Sona, takes a sharp look at Buddhism and secular mindfulness. Calling on his many years experience working with Breathworks, Sona explores how we use the Buddha’s teaching and mindfulness to alleviate pain and suffering.

In this wide-ranging FBA Podcast entitled “Understanding Money, Understanding Ourselves”, Siddhisambhava encourages us to talk about money more and suggests reasons why we often find that so hard to do. She outlines the Buddha’s approach to money and encourages us become clearer and more confident in it.

In this week’s FBA Podcast Subhuti gives a rousing talk on “The History of and Value in Team-Based Right Livelihood” within the Triratna Buddhist Movement. He then goes on to explain why it is so important; because it represents an opportunity to live a ‘full’ Buddhist life for ourselves and present society with an alternative to consumerism

In this week’s FBA Podcast Saddharaja discusses “Meaningful Work and Values” in light of his own experience in a Right Livelihood business. He posits that most people in the modern world might find meaning in their work, and explores how Buddhists can make meaningful work a spiritual practice.