Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

Dharmabyte: The Art of Disappearing

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 2 Sep, 2019 - 14:00

How free would your life be if you gave up unreal expectations? Try to remember something too important to forget. Renunciation is where you are allowing yourself to be obedient to the call of the heart – what do you really want to say ‘yes’ to? One of her telling quotes is ” … there is no spiritual development without renunciation, and no renunciation without spiritual development …”

Saddhanandi begins this Dharmabyte with a poem by Naomi Shihab...

Community Highlights
Community Highlights

Prakasha on Buddhism and William Blake (with Satyalila)

By Free Buddhist Audio on Thu, 11 Jul, 2019 - 20:55

In this interview, Prakasha shares the remarkable story of the unfolding of his Dharma Life from a fascination with the English poet, painter and visionary William Blake in the late 1970s and early 80s and how this led him to a deep immersion in the Vajrayana approach to Buddhism. Following on from Bhante, in ‘Buddhism and William Blake’ he elucidates the common basis between the symbolic worlds of Blake and the Vajrayana.

Recorded at a retreat on William Blake, Adhisthana 2017.

...

Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

Dharmabyte: Trusting the Process

By Sadayasihi on Thu, 18 Apr, 2019 - 14:00

Our FBA Dharmabyte today is by Varasahaya called Trusting the Process.

Drawing on her experience as a poet, Varasahaya discusses creativity, imagination, and the writing process as a spiritual practice. She reads some of her poems, and explains the process by which they came to birth, and what she learnt about letting go of self as she grappled with writing.

An excellent and very accessible talk given to Sangha night at the West London Buddhist Centre. Taken...

Wellington Buddhist Centre
Wellington Buddhist Centre

Three Poets at City Gallery

By akashagarbha on Mon, 18 Feb, 2019 - 23:14

In December there was an enjoyable evening at Wellington City Gallery with Maitreyabandhu from the London Buddhist Centre. He was talking with two Wellington poets, Bill Manhire and Jenny Bornholdt, who were reading and talking about their poetry.

Click on the link below to listen.

Sangharakshita Memorial Space
Sangharakshita Memorial Space

In gratitude

By Munisha on Fri, 9 Nov, 2018 - 23:35

In gratitude

By Munisha on Fri, 9 Nov, 2018 - 23:35

In deep gratitude to my teacher who has given me so much, my favourite of his poems.

INVOCATION

Field-freshening rain,
White night-rain lingering on in drizzles till the dawn,
Pools of bright silver making, birthing streams
In dry clay river-beds, pour down, O rain,
All day, all night, pour down pour down, O rain,
Pour down…

World-welfaring Compassion,
Void-born Compassion diamond-hard and petal-tender,
Peace to wild heartwaves bringing, birthing love
On the low...

Sangharakshita Memorial Space
Sangharakshita Memorial Space

An impromptu 'Indexer's Obituary'

By Satyalila on Sun, 4 Nov, 2018 - 12:59

An impromptu 'Indexer's Obituary'

By Satyalila on Sun, 4 Nov, 2018 - 12:59

I’ve been working on the index for Volume 13 of Bhante’s Complete Works for the last few weeks and finished it on Friday morning, having worked late into the night before.  It has felt like its own kind of vigil for Bhante to be doing this.  A great privilege to tend his ‘Dharma body’, or one physical manifestation of it, at least.  I’m not a professional indexer but a (supported) amateur - tho’ as Vidyadevi kindly reminded me, the etymology of...

Sangharakshita Memorial Space
Sangharakshita Memorial Space

Questions arising following your passing

By Bodhidasa on Thu, 1 Nov, 2018 - 06:42

Questions arising following your passing

By Bodhidasa on Thu, 1 Nov, 2018 - 06:42

Should I mourn your absence?
What form could contain
that unrivalled presence?

Should I weep for you?
What tears offer release
to one already freed?

Should I run to your side?
What frantic display
reveres your stillness?

Should I recall you?
What image gives shape
to your shabby elegance?

Should I speak of you?
What eulogy does justice
to your eloquence?

Should I bequeath garlands?
What wilted flowers
could embody such wisdom?

Should I hold to your words?
Why...

Buddhist Voices
Buddhist Voices

50 Years, 50 Voices - Aryavacin y Manjugita (Highlights)

By sanghadhara on Mon, 15 Oct, 2018 - 20:46

I’m men’s Mitra Convenor in Nottingham, very actively involved with the Venezuelan Sangha and exploring William Blake’s legacy…

Aryavacin

…and I fell in love with the Order.
Manjugita

Track titles in English
01 Manjugita reading one of her poems ‘The Mirror’ (El Espejo) - the metaphors she delights in
02 Our ordinations – the impact on Sangha in Mexico and on Venezuelans
03 Our Order names – the meaning given at ordination, how we responded at the time, how...

Dublin Buddhist Centre
Dublin Buddhist Centre

Maitreyabandhu at Poetry Day Ireland 2018

By Sadayasihi on Wed, 25 Jul, 2018 - 18:06

Maitreyabandhu discusses his childhood, forbidden love, his path to writing poetry and what Buddhism can learn from poetry (and what poetry can learn from Buddhism) in this wide-ranging interview with Jnanadhara, the chair of the Dublin Buddhist Centre. 

He also reads a selection of his poetry - including from a forthcoming book on the painter Paul Cézanne - as part of this special evening held as part of the programme of events during the 2018 Poetry Day Ireland festival.

...

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