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. In this talk, from 1985, Padmavajra is introducing Buddhism to a general audience. He focuses on the importance of examining our own experience and expands this by looking at individuality and skilfulness. Padmavajra includes reminiscences from his time India, a discussion of creative approaches to Buddhist practice and concludes with the simile of the lotus pond. This talk was given in the Croydon Buddhist Centre in January 1985. The tape quality is good.

We meditate in order to realize a new consciousness. Meditation involves a particular kind of effort. The new consciousness that emerges does so in stages.... Maitreyabandhu explores.

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. This is an unusual, early, talk from Sankharakshita which will be new to most people. 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. The tape quality reflects its age, the sound is slightly distorted, but clear, during the readings and more distorted during the duet.