Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

Our FBA Dharmabyte today is from the Chair of Aryaloka, Dayalocana. This excerpt "The Heartwood of Aryaloka," is from the full talk: "The Simile of the Heartwood." Here, Dayalocana asks: What is the heartwood of Aryaloka? Celebrating 25 years of Dharma practice, Aryaloka is situated on a street named Heartwood Circle, giving her good cause to reflect on The Simile of the Heartwood, from the Majjhima Nikaya.

Our FBA Dharmabyte today is from the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order and Community, Sangharakshita. In "The Bodhisattva at Play," he explores how a Bodhisattva's work is like the play of an elephant. Delightful and fun, this talk was given in 1969 as part of "Aspects of the Bodhisattva Ideal," and is titled "Masculinity and Femininity in the Spiritual Life."

Our FBA Dharmabyte today titled: 'Rebecoming', by Ratnadharani, explores the distinction between skilful and unskilful as a process of re-becoming or rebirth. From the fourth talk in a five-part series from Tiratanaloka's retreat on the 'Four Mind Turnings' of the Tibetan tradition titled 'Karma and the Consequences of Our Actions.'

"What does it mean to be human?" We have choices and possibilities, pleasure and pain. Our FBA Dharmabyte is an exploration of the balance of karma and karma vipaka. From the talk "The Preciousness and Rarity of Human Life" by Dhammadinna, the second in a five-part series from Tiratanaloka's retreat on the "Four Mind Turnings" of the Tibetan tradition.

Our FBA Dharmabyte today is a reading from the 'Perfection of Wisdom' titled: "The Knowledge of the Suchness of the Skandhas". From the guided "Reflection on the Five Skandhas" in the series "Night Lily Garden of the Midnight Way - Emptiness and the Great Compassion" by Kulaprabha.

Our FBA Dharmabyte today is a beautiful short talk by Aryashila of the Croydon Buddhist Centre. In "The Dharma is Everywhere" she uses the challenging poetry of Leonard Cohen and others, as well as her own deep life experience, to show that reality does not conform to ordinary wishes, but yet facing it squarely can be supremely uplifting, not sad. Talk given at the Sangha evening of the West London Buddhist Centre.

Our FBA Dharmabyte today is a preview for Saturday's Podcast. In "The Buddha As Bodhisattva" be prepared for the odd surprise as Dhivan considers the relationship between what we think we may know about the Buddha, and what the historical evidence suggests. In this excerpt he shares the traditional story of the Buddha as Bodhisattva including four biographies of the Buddha and a reading from the Lalitavistara Sutta. From the talk "What Do We Really Know About the Buddha?" given at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 2008.

Our FBA Dharmabyte today takes into the heart of The Diamond Sutra. In "As Stars...", Padmavajra gives us the last teaching: as stars; a fault of vision; a lamp; a mock show or magician's illusion. Here, the sutra becomes poetry, the world is illuminated differently, for a time. And we cannot help but be moved by the vision of ourselves made luminous. From tenth and final talk in a sparkling, wide-ranging, thoroughly comprehensive series by Padmavajra on 'The Diamond Sutra: Taking the Mind to it's Limits - Talk 10'.

In today's FBA Dharmabyte today we present a short talk exploring impermanence and interconnectedness by Carunalaka titled: "What's Love Got To Do With It?"

The Eightfold Path is divided into Paths of Vision and of Transformation. In our FBA Dharmabyte today "The Context of Perfect Vision" Sangharakshita illustrates how perfect vision can arise, and concludes by showing how Buddhists have communicated their vision of reality in conceptual and imaginative terms. Talk given in 1968. This talk is part of the series "The Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path."

A vision of emptiness is key to spiritual alchemy. Our FBA Dharmabyte today is an exploration of the transformative magic that is Bodhichitta practice. "Vision of Life", by Padmavajra, is excerpted from the talk "Death and Desire" part of "The Alchemy of Love" series given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, "Working With Energy," is a short, personal talk by Singhamati given given at the 2011 National Young Triratna Buddhists Weekend retreat exploring the theme of 'Energy for Enlightenment'.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte, ""Appreciating Silence," is a little gem of an excerpt from the talk: "No Dependence on Words and Letters" by Sangharakshita, 1965. One of our earliest recordings in the FBA archive! "Some things we know from experience, some things we apprehend only at second-hand. In confusing these two, we miss the essence of Zen."

Into the Diamond Sutra we go - Subhuti's arrival and questioning dialogue with the Buddha. Much food for thought to be had here as the Diamond begins to cut under the skin of things... Today's FBA Dharmabyte: "Gratitude and Receptivity" from the talk "The Diamond Sutra: Taking Mind to it's Limits - 2" from the fascinating and comprehensive series on "The Diamond Sutra" by Padmavajra. Talks given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004

In today's FBA Dharmabyte ""Becoming More Natural," Kamalashila encourages us to approach meditation as a kind of prayer that exposes artificiality through awareness of experience as it brings to into being greater authenticity and truth. Excerpted from the well-loved talk "Simplicity" by Kamalashila, 2004.