Dharmabytes from free buddhist audio

In today's FBA Dharmabyte, "Ted Hughes on the Bardo Thodol " Candradasa reads a fascinating, poetic rendering of this ancient Buddhist text on death and dying. From the talk, "Death and the Biggest Questions of All" 2005, as part of series: "Religion Without God" given at the Portsmouth (NH, USA) Buddhist Center, 2012.

In this week's FBA Podcast "Life - For A Limited Time Only," Suriyavamsa begins with the inevitability of death and some of our habitual attitudes to death and suffering, reading from contemporary poets. He brings out the Buddhist perspective that life and death are not separate, but parts of the same process. This talk was given at Parinirvana Day 2010 at the Glasgow Buddhist Centre.

In today's FBA Dharmabyte, "The Mahaparinirvana Sutta" Sangharakshita takes us through a beautiful retelling of the Buddha's last days. From the talk, "The Tantric Symbolism of the Stupa" by Sangharakshita, 1971, part of the series Creative Symbols of the Tantric Path to Enlightenment.

In today's FBA Dharmabyte, "Does the Buddha Exist After Death?" Sangharakshita explores this centuries old question. From the talk, "The Meaning of Parinirvana" by Sangharakshita, 1972.

In today's FBA Dharmabyte, "The Psychical Energies of the Stupa" Sangharakshita takes us through a poetic and magical journey of the psychical energies of the five elements within and around us. From the talk, "Five Element Symbolism and the Stupa" by Sangharakshita, 1971, part of the series Parables, Myths and Symbols of Mahayana Buddhism in the White Lotus Sutra.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte , continues on our Parinirvana/Vajrasattva/Confession as Practice theme. Titled "Verses of Confession," Padmavajra is exploring the transformative magic that is Bodhichitta practice. In this excerpt he reflects on the Verses of Confession of Faults - powerful expressions of the human situation, small-mindedness in the context of life and death, concluding with a reading of the confessional verses from the Sevenfold Puja. From the talk "Death and Desire," the second in a great three-part series on 'The Alchemy of Love' given at Padmaloka, 2004.

"And there he saw a man beating that drum. Then from the sound of the drum he heard these confessional verses." Today's FBA Dharmabyte, "Shifting the Centre of Gravity: Confession," is an excerpt from the talk, "The Spiritual Significance of Confession," by Sangharakshita, 1976.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte , "Loving Samara," is a talk specially recorded by Viveka Chan in San Francisco for the LBC's Parinirvana Festival Day, 2012, entitled 'He Who Was So Kind'.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is an excerpt from a personal talk "Life as an Order Member" by Lokeshvara, the last in a series of four talks given to men training for ordination on the 'What Is the Order' retreat at Padmaloka, 2011.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte "The Bodhisattva as Hero," by Sangharakshita is from the talk "The Heroic Ideal in Buddhism" given in 1969. 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. Talk given in 1969.

In today's FBA Dharmabyte "The Compassionate Hearer," Padmavajra puts us in touch with Bodhichitta as song. Here he  shares with us the Shurangama Sutra on OM MANI PADME HUM, the mantra of Avalokitesvara, the one who hears the cries of the world. From the richly rewarding talk "The Sound of Reality" given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004.

In today's FBA Dharmabyte "Buddhist Dragons," Sangharakshita shares a few thoughts on the naga, or Buddhist Dragon. From the talk, "Protectors of the Dharma" in the "Transformation of Self and World" series on The Sutra of Golden Light by Sangharashita, 1976. In this series Sangharakshita here shows how one of the most popular of Mahayana Sutras takes on the idea of transformation, and finds the beauty that awaits us in the dream that is also like Reality.

Today's FBA Dharmabyte is titled: "Dr. Ambedkar and Social Revolution" from the recently released talk, "Dreaming Angels." In this excerpt Vajratara evokes the social revolution of Dr Ambedkar. A revolution, she says, which is still needed to overthrow unhelpful attitudes in society, free the disadvantaged and give meaning to those who long for a higher life. Talk given at the Women's National Order Weekend, December 2012.

The real Bodhichitta is neither individualistic nor altruistic. In today's FBA Dharmabyte "Bodhicitta Arising" Sangharakshita talks with us about Stream Entry, a radical transformation in the nature of Going for Refuge, and the four levels of the arising of the Bodhichitta. This is an excerpt from the talk "Looking Ahead a Little Way" by Sangharakshita in 1999.

We decided to publish a short talk today for our FBA Dharmabyte: "Diversity in the Triratna Buddhist Order," by Saddhanandi given in 2003. Saddhanandi, 'She who delights in Faith', is the Chair of Taraloka Retreat Centre for Women. Here she talks about her own life, past and present, as a process of uncovering the true art of living. This talk is part of the series "Diversity in the Western Buddhist Order".