In this talk Padmavajra gives his own interpretation of Bhante's Advent. A poem about waiting long into the night, waiting for a mysterious stranger and what happens when he arrives. In the course of his exploration, Padmavajra refers to the Indian devotional term viraha or anguished separation of the lover, the poetry of George Herbert, Rilke's Duino Elegies and alchemy.

In the tantric tradition, the yidam - the Buddha or Bodhisattva upon which one meditates intently - is the "guhya" or secret Dharma refuge because they embody the entire Dharma. For us, as modern western Buddhists following Sangharakshita's particular presentation of the Dharma, is it appropriate that we see the Dharma refuge in the same terms? In this talk, Padmasagara argues that we need a broader approach to Going for Refuge to the Dharma which includes the strong foundations of a clear conceptual understanding of the Buddha's teaching, while also including a "guhya" or secret dimension derived from the three things given to us by our preceptor at the time of the private ordination ceremony: the refuges and precepts, the mantra and visualization practice of a particular Buddha or Bodhisattva, and a Dharma name.

Don’t listen to this talk if you want a straightforward explanation of what a dakini may or may not be. In fact, what is prompting you to listen to a talk on the dakini in the first place? Vidyadaka talks around the theme in this rousing exploration of the dakini, the gestalt and the artist.

In this talk Padmavajra explores the the eight consciousnesses of the Yogacara, the eight great cremation grounds and the 'mysterious home of the dakini'. The talk was given during the men's Great Gathering in the summer of 2020.