Free Buddhist Audio

In this talk Bhadra describes the six realms as a mirror in which to fully know the particulars of our own self created universe. This talk was given at Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2017.

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Vadanya explores three great Buddhist symbols that describe the way things are: the wheel of life, the spiral path and the ultimate goal of Enlightenment. Together they form a guide to escape from the ultimate vicious circle into the complete freedom and fulfilment of Awakening. This talk was recorded at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2020, as part of the series The Wheel, The Spiral and The Goal.

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In this talk, Dharmasara relates the story of how Padmasambhava subdued the demons of Tibet to build Samye monastery. The monastery works as a symbol for a flourishing spiritual community which is not affected by the destructive forces in the world but instead puts them to the service of the Dharma. To subdue our own gods and demons, we have to become true individuals, and true individuals are what constitute the spiritual community. This talk was given during a young men's retreat held at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, as part of the series Entering the Realm of the Guru, 2022.
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In this talk, given during the 2013 Young men's retreat at Padmaloka, Padmavajra describes the qualities of the Dharma Warrior and how Dharma Warriors are fighting in the great battle between the spiritual community and the group - fighting for the liberation of the truly human individual against the forces of mediocrity and uniformity - the battle with Mara who embodies those forces. Padmavajra concludes with David Jones' magnificent evocation of a warrior in his poem 'The Hunt'. Given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2013.

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Mahasraddha speaks about becoming a true individual to the Oslo Sangha. He starts with the importance of being in touch with the bodhisattva ideal and the dangers of losing this connection. He then explores the relationship between the true individual, the positive group and the unhealthy group. This leads to an awareness of values and the importance of forgiving both ourselves and others when we don't manage to live up to the ideal. He also distinguishes individualism from individuality. Talk given in 2025.

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How do we listen to the 'voice within'? How do we become an individual? How can imagination free us? Satyalila weaves together Sangharakshita's teachings on the True Individual with Blake to show us how to follow our golden thread towards greater clarity, receptivity and awareness. Talk given on a retreat for women who have asked for ordination as part of a series on 'The Group, the Individual and The Spiritual Community' given at Tiratanaloka Retreat Centre, as part of the series Becoming an individual in today's world

Vajragupta offers a Buddhist reflection on the social and political times we are living through. The talk takes the myth of the asuras (the Titan realm on the Wheel of Life) as a way of seeing and understanding the kind of world we are creating. In that myth, the Buddha appears in the realm of the asuras holding a sword. What does that symbolise? Vajragupta suggests it can be seen as a sword of fearlessness, a sword of truth and wisdom, a sword of justice, and the sword of the archetypal "king". This talk was given at Cardiff Buddhist...

In the game of life we wander between realms, moving from lower states to higher as our actions affect the state of our mind. Pradaya tours of the third ring of the wheel of life, the six realms of worldly existence which depict the kinds of world we can live in according to our state of mind. His talk focuses on the worlds of animals, gods and humans, informing us on how to recognise which realm we're in and how to create opportunities for growth. This talk was given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, as part of the series The...

Sanghagita explores some of the most evocative and mysterious imagery from the Wheel of Life. In this talk we'll turn our attention to three realms that speak vividly to the struggles of human existence: the asuras, the pretas, and the hell realms. Expect support for home practice, practical ideas of how to bring these traditional teachings into your everyday life, and reflections on how to make your Great Escape! This talk was given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2025.

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Suddhayu introduces the Wheel of Life beginning with an exploration of the three poisons and how our actions form our lives. From 'The Wheel of Life: A User's Manual for Samsara. Talk given at Portsmouth Buddhist Center, Portsmouth, NH (USA), 2025.

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Suryagupta explores the story of Padmasambhava, the great tantric master, who was invited to Tibet when Buddhism could not take root through reason and philosophy alone. She describes how Padmasambhava confronted and transformed the unseen forces of Maras, demons, and gods, turning their energies towards the Dharma rather than away from it. The talk urges us to face our own inner and collective forces with courage, love, ritual, and devotion, calling on Padmasambhava's blessing for personal and societal transformation. This talk was given at the London Buddhist Centre in 2025.

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The Bodhisattva Ruchiraketu dreams of a golden drum radiating golden light which fills a totally transformed world...Classic Sangharakshita delving into one of the core texts studied in the Triratna Buddhist Order and Community. Part of the series Transformation of Life and World in the Sutra of Golden Light given in 1976.

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Ratnaprabha takes us through this great, but short, Buddhist text, using his own re-rendering, and inspired by Han Shan's commentary. This talk was given at West London Buddhist Centre, 2012.

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Bhante Sangharakshita described the Diamond Sutra as one of two books 'by which I have been most profoundly influenced.' We could see it as the keystone in the central arch of the architecture of his thinking about the Dharma. In this talk, Satyalila introduces the Sutra in its context of the Perfection of Wisdom (or Prajnaparamita) tradition and explores its significance for Sangharakshita, and for us. Talk given on a Bristol Buddhist Centre Sangha Retreat at Adhisthana, 2019.

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Using Shantideva's 'Bodhicharyavatara' as a root text, Padmavajra brings us face to face with the big questions implicit in any life that seeks to embrace change and impermanence as facts of Reality. An excellent, strong talk - good medicine for hard times. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, as part of the series The Alchemy of Love, 2004.

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Amala speaks here on the fifth Paramita, of Meditative Absorption. This talk was given as part of Part of the series A Koan for Our Times, a series of lectures given by The College of Public Preceptors, 2024.

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Satyaraja offers this practical exploration of some themes from the Bardo Thodol, or the Great Liberation through Hearing in the Intermediate State. The talk was given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2022.

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In this talk Vajradevi reflects on our good conditions, and our own conditioning in the light of Pratitya Samutpada and relates this reflection to the Women in Early Buddhism. 

This talk was given on the Women's UK and Ireland Area Order Weekend at Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2018.

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Padmavajra explores the great text that reveals the realms between death and new life, where anything is possible in the Bardo - the 'intermediate state'. This is also an excellent introduction to the recent history of the text itself as it has come into the West and influenced practitioners and cultural figures in many significant ways. Overall, this is a challenging and insightful series looking at how a true classic of spiritual literature has relevance to our modern ways of living and dying. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2005, as part of the series Tibetan Book of the Dead...

A personal talk about gifts and teachings that Satyaraja has received from his Teachers, from the first retreat with S. N. Goenka in India early 1970's, to his first contact with Triratna and meeting Bhante Sangharakshita a few years later, to several very significant meetings with Bhante, and concluding with what his two kalyana mitras, Kamalashila and Padmavajra, have given and what they mean to him. Given at Stockholm Buddhist Center, 2025.

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This month's FBA Podcasts and Dharmabytes celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Sangharakshita's birth, founder of the Triratna Buddhist Community and Order.

Nagabodhi's book : The Boy, the Monk, the Man examines the life of Sangharakshita - audacious reformer, and for some a deeply controversial figure. In an absorbing narrative, Nagabodhi takes us on a journey through the twists and turns of Sangharakshita's life; the experiences, insights, and reflections that nurtured his approach as a teacher; and the legacy he left behind. Here, Padmasuri interviews Nagabodhi - two long time friends in conversation and exploration. Recorded at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 2024.

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This month's FBA Podcasts and Dharmabytes celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Sangharakshita's birth, founder of the Triratna...

Subhuti gives us an early sight of the developing vision behind the Sangharakshita Library and Study Centre at Adhisthana, via a stirring evocation of the need for a deep knowledge of the Dharma strong enough to meet the considerable challenges of the modern world. In recalling Sangharakshita's conviction that something was working through him, Subhuti suggests that we cannot hope to understand the depth of vision available to us without fully immersing ourselves in the study of our teacher's emerging, unfolding understanding of just what it is he–and we–are trying to channel.

In hearing of the...

Dayanandi shares how she was encouraged and inspired by Bhante's teachings on the Bodhicitta spirit. "Bhante encouraging shared collective community the creative conditions challenged us to go beyond us. As we were young and had a lot of energy, we took on Bhante's task of creating the conditions for the Bodhicitta to arise. It was spiritually nurturing to attend Bhante's lectures. They were very strong. It was through Bhante's dedicated, clear mind and friendliness, by him sharing his heartfelt inspiration, that contributed to the energy and spark in our dedication to his vision." This talk was given at Dharmadhara...

Vessantara reflects on ways we create suffering through the tension of resistance and anticipation. Excerpted from a talk called Dukkha of Resisting and Anticipating Change given at Adhisthana as part of the series Dukkha and the Unbiased, 2018.

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In the weeks following Urgyen Sangharakshita's death in 2018, Mahamati, one of his secretaries and companions, spoke informally at a number of Order gatherings about the experience of working closely with him during the last fifteen or so years of his life. Here, Mahamati reflects on aspects of their time together, and on aspects of Sangharakshita's personality and character which were not always visible publicly. We are afforded a series of glimpses into the concerns of his final years and those of his last days. A moving, very personal account of connection, duty, love and faith from a disciple about...

Saccanama explores the First Noble Truth of dukkha or unsatisfactoriness. Through looking at incidents from the life of the Buddha, he explores not just the individual aspect of dukkha but also the collective or social aspects of dukkha which are often overlooked or downplayed in Buddhist tradition. He also explores the traditional descriptions of dukkha before going on to examine what Joanna Macy calls apathy or our disconnection from the world. Through emphasising the collective and social aspects of dukkha, we have a motive for practice that doesn't buy into the danger of individualism. This talk was given at...

Dhammarati explores Triratna's system of practice - its background in practice, its relationship to tradition, and its implications for the very nature of spiritual life. An encouraging, grounded, flexible take on the rigorous, meaningful, and rewarding challenges of a lifetime of working with the mind and the heart.

Talk given at the national Triratna Buddhist Order weekend, February 2008.

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Dassini looks at the Eight Worldly Winds and the Four Right Efforts, relating them back to the Four Mind Turning Reflections. This talk was given as part of the series Rainy Season Retreat, Glasgow Buddhist Centre, 2017.

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Dharma is the experience of reality, and also the expression of that experience in the form of the Buddha's teaching, especially the law of conditionality. It is the raft that carries you to Enlightenment, the further shore; it is whatever helps you to develop spiritually. This classic talk by Sangharakshita was given in 1968 as part of the series Introducing the Three Jewels of Buddhism.

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What is 'animism' and what kind of philosophy does it entail? Dhivan considers how animism rests on an intuition about the aliveness of the world, and how this intuition can inform a mode of philosophy that does not bypass the earth as the living presence behind all thinking. This talk was given at Adhisthana as part of the series Wisdom of the Earth: Philosophy and the Climate Crisis, 2023.

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Tejopala likens the current global climate crisis to a village with a fire that threatens everyone in it and asks what a community of monks living in such a village might do in such circumstances. He also draws on the advice given by Urgyen Sangharakshita in his talk given in 1984 called 'Buddhism, World Peace and Nuclear War' as to how Buddhists should act to address an overwhelming existential threat, in which Bhante urges civil resistance. This talk was given at the Melbourne Buddhist Centre as part of Buddhist Action Month, 2019.

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Referencing Sangharakshita's teaching on personal responsibility, Khemasuri shows how, through self-development and sangha, we can make a radical difference in the world. This talk was part of a two talk series entitled The Lion's Roar by Shakyapada and Khemasuri given at

Bhadra gave this talk as part of BAM 2018. He references David Loy's two icebergs and explores how we might revise the Triratana mandala of practice to strengthen our sense of interconnectedness with the world. Given at Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2018.

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Saraha addresses the UK & IE Triratna Buddhist Order convention, exploring the collective practice of taking part in Order chapters. The Buddha went forth to seek an end to suffering, to go beyond what binds us to the samsaric world. The theme of this event also encompasses 'going beyond' and the ways in which we are approaching that as an Order. This talk was given at the Triratna Buddhist Order convention on the theme Going Forth, Going Beyond, 2022.

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Prajnahridaya explores Awareness of Reality, but not in a way you might expect. What if seeing the truth were less about 'understanding' reality, and more about coming into relation with and opening up to what we might experience as a living spiritual force? Through the course of the evening we will be becoming more aware of the Buddha, who is himself reality. Prajnahridaya will be speaking quite personally about his encounters with the Buddha whilst on pilgrimage in India, as well as practices that can allow the loving influence of the Buddha to enter more into our lives and...

Let's hear it for the early Buddhist women! Mahajapapati was the first Buddhist nun and leader of the women's ordained sangha, and her two chief disciples were Khema and Uppalavanna. Maitrisiddhi explores some challenging material - and also very inspiring texts around the beginning of the bhikkhuni sangha. The talk also features Mara - the embodiment of everything that holds us back. How do we free ourselves from his insidious whispers? Talk given at Taraloka Retreat Centre as part of the series Daughters of the Buddha, 2025.

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In this talk Suddhayu explores images from the Fire Sermon and the Parable of the Burning House in relation to the current political climate in the USA. From a Buddhist perspective, the world is always on fire — and sometimes it feels like the heat gets turned up. He uses the theme of 'Going Forth from Samsara' to speak about personal transformation and a compassionate response to the suffering of others. This talk was given on Sangha Night at Aryaloka Buddhist Center, Newmarket NH USA, 2025.

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What is the spiritual community and how does it differ from the group? Why is it important? How does the spiritual community come into being? How can I be part of the conditions for it to arise? Kalyacitta takes us on a heart-felt and imaginative exploration of the spiritual community, drawing on her own experience of bringing about a true Sangha. Talk given on a retreat for women who have asked for ordination as part of a series on 'The Group, the Individual and The Spiritual Community' given at Tiratanaloka Retreat Centre as part of the series Becoming an...

Communication with another can be a wonderfully connecting and liberating experience or it can destroy us. Recognising the mystery and interconnectedness of all things we find the uncanny ability to communicate meaningfully. Mindfulness, courage and renunciation are essential. Saraha invites us all, with practical steps, to notice and live freedom in Shunyata, connection in aloneness and the mutual co-arising of each other. Better than 1000 meaningless words is one word on hearing which makes the heart become calm. This talk was given at Adhisthana, 2025.

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Satyaraja begins the series of talks on the four acceptance verses with an inspiring, careful, and systematic exploration of the verse 'With Loyalty to my Teachers, I Accept this Ordination'. He investigates the centrality of the relationship with Bhante Sangharakshita, our own preceptors and the world and culture which we join at the sacred moment of ordination. This talk was given as part of the series What is the Order? Given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2022.

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Subhadramati gives a talk for Cambridge Sangha night as part of a series on the Six Distinctive Emphasis of the Triratna Buddhist Community. A talk full of energy, insight and inspiration on Ordination within Triratna. Given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre,  2016.

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Nagabodhi interviews Sangharakshita in a wide-ranging discussion about the FWBO's history and the continuing process of translating the Buddha's Dharma for the West.

At times the exchanges are more personal than is common as we listen in to questions and answers regarding a variety of historical features of the personal and public life of the founder of a new, radical spiritual community. What emerges is the clear sense of a complex man and of broad vision allied with a remarkable unity of purpose. The consistency of this through all joys and difficulties speaks volumes by itself. Interview...

Punyamala explores how we can bring our mindfulness to the crucial juncture in our experience, the gap between feeling and craving. This point - the point of freedom, also sometimes referred to as the battleground of the spiritual life - is where we can start to change the habits that bind us to the Wheel. It's the point where we can move from the reactive mind to the creative mind, move closer to the Buddha. This talk was given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2025.

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Awareness, or mindfulness, is the keystone of the Buddhist path and of any truly human life. The Buddha's teaching on what awareness is and how to practise it is vast, and profound, and takes us far beyond what we might usually associate with the word 'mindfulness'. It requires a willingness to open our hearts and a good deal of courage to enter upon this way. Are you up for the challenge? Prajnahridaya explores how cultivating awareness is central and crucial to our existential situation, as well as evoking some of the wonders and treasures we can expect to discover...

Ratnaghosha explores the Buddha's vision of spiritual community as it is expressed in verses 197, 198 and 199 of the Dhammapada. This is a comprehensive survey of the Buddha's teaching but is also replete with practical advice about how we might apply this to our lives today - and finishes on a very encouraging note. Recorded at the Dublin Buddhist Centre, 2024.

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In this talk Padmavajra explores the first two verses of the Dhammapada and their far reaching implications. He explores how we create not only our own happiness or suffering through our actions but also how we create worlds, worlds of suffering or worlds conducive to human growth and even freedom. He then describes how the Bodhisattva works tirelessly and heroicly to create a Buddha field for the benefit of all beings. Talk given during the February Great Gathering weekend at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2020.

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Kusalasara explores the opening verses of the Dhammapada, or 'Way of Truth' showing a path of discovery of the pure mind and the impure mind. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Essential Revolution given at  London Buddhist Centre as part of the series The Dhammapada, 2022.

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The Buddha's wisdom can be summarised by the three lakshanas, this is not nihilistic, but an honest recognition of the way things are. Change is inherent in life, the only choice we have is whether we change for the better! To open to this change we need confidence, which we can find in the dharma and the sangha. Jnanadhara gave this talk at a Young Mens Retreat, at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2012.

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Subhadramati starts with the story of the Snow Queen and takes us on an exploration of imagination and Dharmic responsiveness, faith and wisdom. She shows how it is imagination that removes the twin thorns of ignorance and craving, that allows us to ascend towards the beauty of the Three Jewels. This talk was given on a Mythic Context Retreat at Tiratanaloka Retreat Centre, 2024, as part of the series Mythic Context retreat. Some technical terms are used.

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In early 2020, only weeks preceding the full onslaught of the pandemic, Vajrin survived a catastrophic fall from a bike deep within New Zealand bush. Paralysed from the chest down and stranded in Auckland for months of lockdown, he called upon the Dharma. Despite four decades of practice, it didn't seem to help. Or did it? …in ways he hadn't predicted. This talk was given at Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2024.

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Suryagupta shares personal reflections on death and dying, discovering patterns in the human condition, and relates this to the life of the Buddha. This talk was given as a part of the London Buddhist Centre's Winter Retreat 2023, part of the series The Noble Quest, 2023.

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In this talk, Sanghagita takes us on a journey into the cremation ground. A fearful place filled with demons and powerful natural forces, and also the place where we can discover true freedom. Talk given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2023.

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Maitrisiddhi explores Shinjin as faith, bodhicitta and wisdom. What happens when the conditioned mind lets up for a bit? Experiences of beauty, openness, love, desire to go for refuge and devotion naturally arise; we experience contact with 'amida', the quality of limitlessness. Are those experiences 'ours' – or something else? This talk was given at Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2024.

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Mahamani provides an overview of the Three Myths of the spiritual life: self-development, self-surrender, and self-discovery. These offer us three paradigm-shifts – three world-views - that can open us into radical freedom. What, for us, allows the open dimension of being to arise? The Three Myths invite us to trust and have deeper confidence in different ways of experiencing meditation. From the series entitled the Open Dimensions of Being: The Three Myths of the Spiritual Life, Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2022.

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A delightful, uplifting and heartfelt talk from Saraha offering three pieces of sage advice for the spiritual life. Not to be missed. This talk was given at Birmingham Buddhist Centre, 2018.

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Saccanama explores the pre-Buddhist responses to goodness, truth and beauty that are the roots of faith; Jung's 4 factors of consciousness; 'faith is innate, doubt acquired'. Recorded at the Swedish Summer Retreat at Dharmagiri as part of the series 'To Place the Heart Upon' - Exploring Faith in Buddhism, 2019.

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Ratnaghosha looks at the parable of the Jewel in the Garment from the White Lotus Sutra and explores jewel symbolism elsewhere in the Lotus Sutra and in Buddhism more broadly. This talk was given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2024.

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The plant just needs to grow, it doesn't need to know what kind of plant it is. We need to make an effort to grow, we need to apply the teachings of the Dharma, to give, be kind, communicate openly and warmly. Although simple practices, these practices can really change us profoundly. Here Amoghavajra introduces the Parable of the Rain Cloud from the White Lotus Sutra. This talk was given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2002.

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A father, now wealthy, spots his long-lost son in the streets. He gradually befriends him until he has the self-confidence to take on his inheritance. Akashadevi introduces the parable from the Lotus Sutra which yields fascinating lessons in accepting the riches of our deepest nature. A talk for the West London Buddhist Centre, 2018.

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Saddhaloka riffs on everything fiery - flames abound, smoke fills the air, the Buddha gets almost apocalyptic in his vision of things. Luminous stuff.

This is the first in a two-part series The Burning House - an Image from the White Lotus Sutra referencing Chapter 3 of the 'Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law' given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2002.

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The Enlightenment of the Buddha was an irreversible breakthrough into a new kind of consciousness for the world. All our practice flows from this endless stream of wisdom and compassion, flowing throughout the history of humanity. Dhammarati explores this momentous event, and its implications for us today. This talk was given on Buddha Day Festival at the

London Buddhist Centre, 2022.

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Jnanasiddhi gave an inspiring and practical talk sharing her extensive understanding and experience of peace making. She illustrated different approaches of peacemaking in relation to the five aspects of the spiritual path. And focused on how we can create the conditions within ourselves - through our practice - to contribute to harmony with others.Talk given at Birmingham Buddhist Centre,m, 2023.

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A fresh and engaging re-telling of Siddhartha Gautama's quest for Awakening. In particular, Vajragupta focuses on the moment of crisis when Gautama realises that the ascetic practices, and everything else he has tried, have got him no nearer Enlightenment. Sometimes it is in a moment of crisis that the ordinary mind gives up; it cracks and new light shines through. In Gautama's case, he suddenly remembers an incident from his childhood, sitting under a rose-apple tree. This talk was given at Croydon Buddhist Centre for Buddha Day, 2024.

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The Karaniya Metta Sutta ends with liberation from the wheel of samsara. But the spiritual life doesn't end there. Bodhinaga explores the goal of Buddhism in terms of metta and compassionate activity. This talk was given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2024.

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Taking the line 'May the flames that transmute samsara into nirvana' from the familiar Triratna Dedication ceremony as his starting point, Jnanadhara explores the transformative power of mindfulness. What exactly are those flames? How does mindfulness help us 'transform, transmute, transfigure' in the words of Bhante Sangharakshita? Taking a deep dive into the Tantric symbolism of Padmasambhava and drawing on poetry and his love of music and mantra, Jnanadhara presents us with an excellent grounding in how we might pass through the flames of transformation and live in a more sacramental world. Talk given as part of the Padmasambhava...

In this talk Padmavajra explores 'the way of the ecstatic wanderers', the Mahasiddhas who are the early Buddhist Tantric adepts. He tells some stories, including stories about Sangharakshita and his encounters with a one-eyed Tantric in South India. He also evokes 'the mysterious home of the dakini' which takes us to the Land of the Five Jnanas. Finally, he makes a plea to take the magic power of Love out to others to heal the violence of this world. This talk was given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2023.

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Here we have a talk given by Balajit in celebration of Padmasambhava Day at the Birmingham Buddhist Centre, 2022.

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Vajratara provides an inspiring and thorough introduction to Padmasambhava's consort and great disciple, Yeshe Tsogyal. This talk was given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2008.

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How do we prepare ourselves to receive teachings? How do we prepare ourselves to meet reality? Maitrisingha explores the importance of humility, courage and spiritual friendship. This talk was given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2023.

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Ksantikara delves us deeper into the mandala of the five Buddhas by. evoking the mystery, power and courage of the deep-green Buddha Amoghasiddhi. Ksantikara extols us to be brave enough to encounter the depths of our being. And from the depths to gather the power to act, to move towards enlightenment and set ourselves free. Given at London Buddhist Centre as part of the series The Symbolic World of the Five Buddha Mandala, 2019.

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Padmasagara gives a talk on the Buddha Amitabha, Avalokitesvara and the Bodhisattva vow. He shares three stories, each of them drawing out the boundless radiant love of Amitabha and the inconceivable nature of true compassion. Given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2019, as part of the series Faces of Enlightenment.

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Allow life to flourish in the realm of Ratnasambhava. Garavavati explores the symbols, wisdom and transformational power of the yellow Buddha in the southern realm of the Five Buddha Mandala. This talk was given on London Buddhist Centre's Winter Retreat, 2022.

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Akshobhya: Transforming Hatred Into the Mirror-Like Wisdom

Under hatred lies fear, under fear there is compassion. Vajrapriya shares something of the symbolism of Akshobhya and talks about how we bring the mirror-like wisdom into our daily lives. This talk was given at Birmingham Buddhist Centre, 2019.

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A clear and passionate talk, looking at bodhicitta and its twin aspects of love and letting go: wisdom and compassion. Maitrisiddhi explores the role of paradox and how we need to 'hold two necessary ideas together' without polarising between them. Given at Taraloka Retreat Centre as part of the Taraloka & Tiratanaloka online Great Gathering weekend, for women training for ordination and Order Members, 2021.

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 In his first talk on Shantideva's Bodhicaryavatara Padmavajra speaks of Sangharakshita's evocation of the Bodhicitta. He goes on to talk about his discovery of the Bodhicarayavatara and what is known of the life of Shantideva. The main part of the talk is Padmavajra's discussion of some of the verses of the first chapter of the Bodhicaryavatara, especially of verse ten, in which the Bodhicitta is likened to the highly potent quicksilver elixir of the alchemist, capable of transforming the worst of things into the Bodhicitta. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre as part of the series Shantideva's Bodhicaryavatara

Vessantara offers an introduction to the origin of the Bodhicitta in the brahma viharas, moves on from the blue sky to the refuges and an exploration of the view of scientific materialism. This talk was given in 2020 at Adhisthana as part of the series The Bodhicitta Practice which includes many led meditation practices.

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Balajit starts by exploring different perspectives on what is the body and how limited views can limit our practice. He shares his own journey of discovery around what the body is, particularly during his years living at Vajraloka Retreat Centre. The talk then looks at what it might mean for the body to be truly, profoundly and deeply at peace with itself. Given at Manchester Buddhist Centre, 2017.

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Singhashri reminds us of Bhante's emphasis on the development of the true individual, positive group and spiritual community. She then links an embodied and relational approach to our individual and collective going for refuge, encouraging us to explore how a direct experience of safety, dignity and belonging in the sangha might support collective awakening. She ends by sharing specific ways we may practice "somatic going for refuge" which she describes as not a new level of going for refuge, but rather a way of practicing that we can "needle through" our lives from provisional to cosmic going forth. This...

Here Ratnadharini takes us a little closer into the whole, often misunderstood area of karma in Buddhist thinking. She draws out the important details of the process that we call 'actions and consequences' - but her emphasis is always on putting what we learn into practice in real life, with other real people.

The fourth talk in a five-part series The Four Mind-Turning Reflections of the Tibetan tradition given at Tiratanaloka Retreat Centre

Reflecting on her response to Bhante Sangharakshita's death, Khemasuri celebrates the gratitude she feels for what she has learned in her Dharma practice, partciluarly the ability to open up and turn towards what is difficult in a very real way. This is a series of talks and practices from the Four Reminders Retreat at Taraloka Retreat Centre, November, 2018.

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The first of a series on the 4 reminders, given live at the North London Buddhist Centre, 12 Sept 2020. 1. Our life as a human being is a precious opportunity. 2. Everything changes, and death is inevitable, so don't lose your opportunities. 3. You do make a difference, the way you live and act now will change the future for yourself and for the world. 4. Ordinary habitual or self-centred life is a trial for everyone, so live a meaningful life, take your opportunities, make a difference! Everyone can liberate themselves. What is so special about human awareness, and what particular advantages make it 'precious...

The human body, at peace with itself, Is more precious than the rarest gem. Cherish your body - it is yours this time only. The human form is won with difficulty, It is easy to lose. All worldly things are brief, Like lightning in the sky; This life you must know As the tiny splash of a raindrop; A thing of beauty that disappears Even as it comes into being. Therefore set your goal; Make use of every day and night To achieve it. With these inspiring words as a starting point, Sanghagita explores the practice of The Four...

What does it take to create a context which allows people to experience meaning? Saddhanandi looks how sangha is created through meaningful, authentic friendships and communication. The talk includes references to her interviews about poetry with Sangharakshita. This talk was given at Cardiff Buddhist Centre, 2023.

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"Happy indeed we live, friendly amid the haters. Among those who hate we dwell free from hate. Happy indeed we live, healthy amid the sick. Among those who are sick we dwell free from sickness. Happy indeed we live, content amid the greedy. Among those who are greedy we dwell free from greed." (The Dhammapada, chapter 14, 'Happiness', verses 197-199). Ratnaghosha explores the Buddha's vision of spiritual community as it is expressed in three verses of the Dhammapada. This is a comprehensive survey of the Buddha's teaching but is also replete with practical advice about how we might apply this...

In a life well lived there is a conscious search for meaning. Suryagupta reflects on the Buddha's (and our own!) Noble Quest. This talk was given as a part of the LBC Winter Retreat 2023, following the Buddha's This talk was given at London Buddhist Centre as part of the series The Noble Quest, 2023.

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Jnanadhara explores the meaning of inspiration and its importance in the Dharmalife. He makes some general observations about the nature of inspiration, discusses the three kinds of faith, and concludes by talking about The Buddha as a source of inspiration. This talk was given at Adhisthana as part of the series Changemakers Weekend: Passing on the Flame, 2024.

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'Just as I love and cherish my body, which is divided into many limbs, so I should love and cherish this whole world, which is divided into many beings.' So says Shantideva in his famous 'Guide to the Path of Awakening'. In this talk Vadanya will explore what Shantideva tells us about the wisdom teaching of 'anatman' – often translated as 'no-self' – and look at how this apparently negative doctrine opens up a positive and inspiring vision of connectedness. Given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2024.

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On a warm spring day, under the overhanging branches of the Sycamore tree in the Buddhist Centre garden, Parami richly evokes Gautama's quest, realisation, and their relevance for today's world. This talk was given on Buddha Day at the Birmingham Buddhist Centre, 2010.

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Nagasiddhi traces the period after the Buddha's going forth: as he masters meditation then turns towards extreme asceticism in his quest to overcome dukkha. Having taken himself to the brink of death, the Buddha-to-be finally realises that he must find his own 'middle way' to liberation. This talk is part of the series In the Footsteps of the Buddha given during a Buddhist Centre Online home retreat, 2021. This magical week-long retreat explores the images, myths and symbols of the Buddha's journey to awakening using dharma talks, meditation, storytelling, puppetry and art. Visit 'In the Footsteps of the Buddha' for...

Amitasuri explores what can happen when faced with well-being, illness, ageing and death, and looks at how the Dharma might influence our response. Amitasuri takes her Dharma practice to her work as a Buddhist Hospital Chaplain, where she supports health and well-being through pastoral, religious and spiritual care for staff, patients and their families in a number of hospitals in Greater Manchester. This talk was given at Manchester Buddhist Centre, 2015.

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After an account of the Buddha's life, Sangharakshita asks how, if at all, such a man can be defined or categorised. This talk was given in 1968 as part of the series Introducing the Three Jewels of Buddhism

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Kalyanaprabha shares some of her own recollections of Bhante Sangharakshita going back to their first encounter in 1984, stories both humorous and serious, evoking some of his unique qualities. Drawing on an unpublished fragment, 'What I learned from my gurus', she reminds us of some of the fundamental aspects of his teaching. This talk was given as part of a series entitled Triratna Day Weekend: Is a Guru Necessary? Given at Adhisthana for the Triratna Day celebrations, 2023.

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Ksantikara revisits Sangharakshita's classic 1970 lecture. In this energetic and playful talk Ksantikara adds his own reflections to Sangharakshita's original list of what a Guru is not (not the head of a religious group, not a teacher, not a father/mother substitute, not a problem solver) and explores the important of having people in our life to look up to and be in contact with. Ksantikara implores us to find a situation of Kalayana Mitrata (beautiful friendship) and to stay receptive to those more evolved than us. This talk was given at Adhisthana as part of the series Triratna Day...

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.

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Here is a recently re-discovered little lost delight - Sangharakshita and Subhuti launching each other's books and clearly enjoying themselves. Sangharakshita's in fine humour - and it's great to hear him read and quote from the bible! Is that a twinkle in his voice? 

Talk given at Triratna [FWBO] Day celebrations in 2001.

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Subhadramati explores integration as a process of meeting Mara in her life and in scenes in the life of the Buddha, and the fulfillment of integration during the Buddha's last days of exquisite love. This talk was given at Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2018.

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In this talk Alokadhara explores these beautiful verses which evoke the Buddha, his qualities and the profundity of his teaching. This talk was given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2014.

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In an excellent and thorough introduction to the Jataka tales, Akashadevi explains the value of stories of the Buddha's past lives and how they originated. She tells the stories of the Hare in the Moon and the Monkey King. This talk was given at the West London Buddhist Centre, 2017.

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In a striking and inspiring talk, Paramananda tells the life story of the Buddha's disciple Kasyapa: the Buddha uniquely said that Kasyapa would have gained enlightenment even without his help. The crescendo is a mysterious transmission when the Buddha held up a lotus and Kasyapa smiled, regarded by Zen Buddhists as the start of their lineage. Paramananda discusses what 'transmission' could mean for us. This talk was given at West London Buddhist Centre, 2017.

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The most human thing to do is to keep being kind. Generosity helps you build connection and community. Danapriya explores the themes of generosity and abundance. Talk given at East Kent Buddhist Group, 2008.

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