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Free Buddhist Audio

Giving Rise To The Bodhicitta

From Padmaloka Retreat Centre on Mon, 19 Sep, 2011 - 00:00
The first in a series of four talks based around the Bodhisattva ideal. Padmavajra explores the bodhicitta and the great stages of the spiritual path.

Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat centre, March 2011, for men training to join the Triratna Buddhist Order.
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Free Buddhist Audio

Laying The Foundations - Generosity and Ethics

From Padmaloka Retreat Centre on Mon, 19 Sep, 2011 - 00:00
The second in a series of four talks on the Bodhisattva ideal. Saddhaloka explains the importance of a firm grounding in generosity and ethics.

Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat centre, March 2011, for men training to join the Triratna Buddhist Order.
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lokabandhu

Gratitude Unlimited

From Triratna News on Sun, 18 Sep, 2011 - 06:29

Gratitude Unlimited

From Triratna News on Sun, 18 Sep, 2011 - 06:29Vajracaksu writes from Istanbul, where he runs a small Triratna Buddhist group, saying - “I’d like to bring to the attention of readers of ‘Triratna News’ a simple but beautiful website called ‘Gratitude Unlimited’. I’ve been trying to promote awareness of and use of this website over the years here in Turkey. The creators (friends of mine in the Order) were keen to produce a website for people to rejoice in others, delight in them, and express their...
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jnanarakshita

Connecting the Order, Movement and Preceptors' College: First Meeting of the Triratna International Council

From Triratna News on Fri, 16 Sep, 2011 - 05:06

Connecting the Order, Movement and Preceptors' College: First Meeting of the Triratna International Council

From Triratna News on Fri, 16 Sep, 2011 - 05:06Vidyatara, on behalf of the Triratna International Council, writes:

“On the evening of 22 August 2011 at Padmaloka, Bhante Sangharakshita addressed a group of 36 Order members representing the Triratna Buddhist Order and Community, giving his blessing to the first gathering of the International Council. This is the first time in the history of the Triratna tradition that a truly international group of Order members representing all three strands of Triratna (Order, Movement...
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Free Buddhist Audio

Buddhism and the Big Qs 1. Save the World, Save Yourself

From Birmingham Buddhist Centre on Fri, 16 Sep, 2011 - 01:00
World problems, spiritual possibilities. drawing from stories in the Pali Canon and from experiences of our Sangha. Saraha looks at how Buddhist wisdom might suggest a way forward.
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Free Buddhist Audio

Building Sangha, Creating Harmony

From Bristol Buddhist Centre on Fri, 16 Sep, 2011 - 01:00
Vajrasara explores the value of spiritual community, ways to encourage fuller harmony, and the many opportunities in friendship for waking up.
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Free Buddhist Audio

Sangha As An Insight Practice

From Bristol Buddhist Centre on Fri, 16 Sep, 2011 - 01:00
Jvalamalini uses the system of meditation to explore how Sangha can be a practice leading to Insight.

Please note: the last few minutes of this talk are missing. The complete quote used towards the end of the talk is:

"…there is something about the movement, the Order and even about me that is not easily definable. There is a touch of something that cannot be buttoned down, something that cannot in the end be defined. Even the desire to button it down or define it is a mistake – that was the mistake that the Theravada made in connection with its Vinaya. Everyone will need to take care of that rather mysterious, indefinable spirit that gives the movement life and energy."

(Sangharakshita “What is the Western Buddhist Order?” 2009)

And Jvalamalini's closing remarks were:

"If we all take care of that mysterious, indefinable spirit, we'll be a true Sangha. Insight will arise, the Bodhicitta will arise to the extent each of us, in relationship with each other, knows himself and gathers his energies, dwells in love and faith, lets go of unhelpful views, and opens to the indefinable mystery of Sangha."
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Free Buddhist Audio

Work-Place Well-Being

From Windhorse Evolution on Wed, 14 Sep, 2011 - 00:00
Here's another hour-long talk given at Uddiyana (the Windhorse;evolution HQ in Cambridge). It is the third of six talks on the theme of Right Livelihood. Saddharaja recounts a tourist trip into a copper and arsenic mine in Devon with his mother, and how appalling the working conditions would have been for the Victorian miners there. We learn the origins of the Cornish pasty. He expands on the terrible UK working conditions in Victorian times, e.g. children and pregnant women pulling coal trucks barefoot in mine shafts, men slogging in dangerous conditions for long hours and little pay. We learn about how Lord Shaftsbury, Robert Owen and others improved working conditions for the Victorian workforce.

Saddharaja relates all this to modern Right Livelihood and what our values are regarding working conditions in terms of: a) The Law. b) As human beings. c) As Buddhists. d) As a business. We take good working conditions for granted in the modern-day Western world.

He goes on to explore well-being issues for today's Buddhist workforce in the UK, along with the latest occupational health trends, e.g. stress, muscoskeletal disorders and chronic fatigue. He suggests that as individuals must take responsibility for our health. He suggests a two-fold approach of: a) growth and development, and b) Seeing Things As They Really Are. All this relates to the Wheel of Life and the Spiral Path, and may not be easy to do in our ever-changing, pressurised modern world.

He offers six ways we can each invest in our work-life well-being: Six Awarenesses: physical activity, perceived demand, lifestyle, food intake, body and purpose. He sees these as deep investments which will pay off in our spiritual lives in the long-term.

During the talk he gives interesting visual images and stories to illustrate his points. He finishes the talk with a reading from Tsong Khapa.

playdownload and donate
Free Buddhist Audio's picture
Free Buddhist Audio

Work-Place Well-Being

From Windhorse Evolution on Wed, 14 Sep, 2011 - 00:00
Here's another hour-long talk given at Uddiyana (the Windhorse;evolution HQ in Cambridge). It is the third of six talks on the theme of Right Livelihood. Saddharaja recounts a tourist trip into a copper and arsenic mine in Devon with his mother, and how appalling the working conditions would have been for the Victorian miners there. We learn the origins of the Cornish pasty. He expands on the terrible UK working conditions in Victorian times, e.g. children and pregnant women pulling coal trucks barefoot in mine shafts, men slogging in dangerous conditions for long hours and little pay. We learn about how Lord Shaftsbury, Robert Owen and others improved working conditions for the Victorian workforce.

Saddharaja relates all this to modern Right Livelihood and what our values are regarding working conditions in terms of: a) The Law. b) As human beings. c) As Buddhists. d) As a business. We take good working conditions for granted in the modern-day Western world.

He goes on to explore well-being issues for today's Buddhist workforce in the UK, along with the latest occupational health trends, e.g. stress, muscoskeletal disorders and chronic fatigue. He suggests that as individuals must take responsibility for our health. He suggests a two-fold approach of: a) growth and development, and b) Seeing Things As They Really Are. All this relates to the Wheel of Life and the Spiral Path, and may not be easy to do in our ever-changing, pressurised modern world.

He offers six ways we can each invest in our work-life well-being: Six Awarenesses: physical activity, perceived demand, lifestyle, food intake, body and purpose. He sees these as deep investments which will pay off in our spiritual lives in the long-term.

During the talk he gives interesting visual images and stories to illustrate his points. He finishes the talk with a reading from Tsong Khapa.
playdownload and donate

  • Getting started

    Welcome to our quick guide to the International Urban Retreat 2011. On these five sections (use the arrows or dots to navigate) you’ll find instructions for taking part at a Buddhist Centre near you or for joining in online. View all participating Centres. Or get started now…

    The Urban Retreat is designed and run by the Triratna Development Team, funded by Buddhist Centres around the world. It’s completely free to take part, and it’s contents are only accessible to members of the retreat.

    This year’s theme

    Our theme for 2011 is ‘Sailing the Worldly Winds’. The ‘worldly winds’ is a Buddhist teaching about how we can all get blown about by changing circumstances in our life. When things don’t go the way we want we can get anxious, irritable, or we can just lose initiative. The urban retreat provides teachings and practices to help recognise these situations and respond to them with greater equanimity. Read more about how an urban retreat works.

     

     

  • Course materials

    We’ll offer full instruction for the retreat online, but you can also buy Vajragupta’s new book: ‘Sailing the Worldly Winds’. It’s not essential to read it to be able to take part, but it’s a great guide to the material we’ll be dealing with and will help you make the most of your retreat. You can download a sample chapter, or read it here (it’s also embedded for easy reading on the last panel here).

    Online resources:

    • You’ll be able to take part in our online practice group and post comments and questions, as well as images, quotes and videos inspired by your own experience on retreat.
    • Listen to short talks on the worldly winds. Each day of the week there will be a ten-minute inspirational talk, and each speaker will be from a different part of the world.
    • You can also post or pictures [at] thebuddhistcentre.com (body: Please%20tell%20us%20where%20you%20are%20in%20the%20world%3A%0A%0APlease%20give%20us%20your%20name%3A) (email us a picture of your shrine) for the Metta Wave and we’ll add it to the map!

  • To join in the online urban retreat, this is what you’ll need to do:

    • Log-on each day, Saturday 8th to Saturday 15th, and get the ‘teaching’ for that day. This will be a short video talk, or a short text, followed by some questions and reflections, and then suggestions for how to practice that day. The reflections and suggested practices are designed so that you can keep them in mind as you go about your day – at work, home, college – wherever you are.
    • Each day you log-on you’ll be asked to review how you got on with your practice the day before, and then be given a new ‘teaching’ for the day to come.
    • You can log-in from anywhere in the world and at any time of day. The first two days there is a bit more input, during the week daily input will be simpler.
    • On or before the second day, Sunday, you’ll also need to print out six copies of the urban retreat practice diary.

  • View the Metta Wave in a larger map

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