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Dharmabytes: A Courageous Undertaking

By Centre Team on Mon, 5 Feb, 2024 - 11:00

Vajradevi explores the poisons of craving and aversion which fuel emotions. She shares the story of David Attenborough meeting the gorillas in Africa as an example of how to meet potentially scary, overwhelming mind states with a simple awareness, in touch with whatever feelings there are and a willingness to meet and connect with that. Excerpted from the talk entitled Working Mindfully with Craving and Aversion, part of the series Pathways...

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Dharmabytes: He Who Had Become Buddha

By Zac on Thu, 18 May, 2023 - 06:00

Order Members and Mitras Training For Ordination gathered together in a big marque set up in Taraloka’s beautiful grounds to listen to a series of talks and guided meditations led by Vajradevi on the theme of the Satipatthana Sutta. Excerpted from the talk Pure Presence: The Basis For Seeing Clearly, Part of the series The Great Gathering: Dancing with Pure Presence given at Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2022.

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Dharmabytes: Awareness Wisdom

By Zac on Mon, 20 Mar, 2023 - 06:00

Vajradevi speaks to a large gathering of Order Members and Mitras Training for Ordination under a big marque at the annual Great Gathering on the theme of the Satipatthana Sutta.

Reflecting on the theme of the weekend Vajradevi said: “When we’re mindful and present to what’s happening – both ‘internally’ and ‘externally’ – our responses become steady, wise, and confident. Whatever we’re doing, whether we’re meditating, working, communicating, or singing, becomes a vehicle to ‘grow’ awareness. Mindfulness becomes panoramic and...

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Dharmabyte: Clinging to Aspects of Practice Separates Us

By Zac on Mon, 19 Dec, 2022 - 06:00

Whatever we’re doing, whether we’re meditating, working, communicating, or singing, becomes a vehicle to ‘grow’ awareness. Mindfulness becomes panoramic and we live with immediacy and creativity. How do we relate to different aspects of our practice? How do we relate to the practice of others? Vajradevi encourages us to be on the lookout for attachment to views regarding our Dharma practice and the tendency to compare ourselves, furthering the divide between self and other.

Excerpted from...

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FBA Podcast: Ethical Challenges In the Modern World

By Sadayasihi on Sat, 26 Jun, 2021 - 06:00

What are the particular challenges we face in the 21st Century? There are many, and Vajradevi focuses on the mind precepts and our use of technology. This talk is linked with Akuppa’s talks on ‘21st Century Bodhisattva’ and drawing on the book ‘21 Lessons for the 21st Century’ by the historian Yuval Noah Harari.

This talk was given as part of a series at Shrewbury Triratna Centre, 2019.

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Dharmabyte: The Spiritual Faculties are Embryonic

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 26 Apr, 2021 - 06:00

Vajradevi reminds us that the word indriya (‘faculty’) applies to both spiritual and sense faculties and that we can use the latter to strengthen the former. Delighting in the word ‘moha’ sounding like ‘a soft fluffy cloud’, Vajradevi draws out the fact that it is the most difficult of the poisons to recognise - greed and aversion being much louder and more colourful. It’s also ‘a natural state of affairs’ until we can create and support conditions to...

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Dharmabyte: Introduction to Talking Meditation

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 16 Nov, 2020 - 06:00

Vajradevi introduces the idea of ‘talking meditation’, where we carry the thread of awareness through verbal communication. This extends beyond awareness of the speech precepts to being aware of the texture or tone of our own and others’ voices, using a ‘settled back’ stance and giving priority to the thread of awareness/knowing over the content of what’s being said. She gives tips for the practice: staying aware of our own minds, aiming to let go of trying and...

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Dharmabyte: A Steady Persistence

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 10 Aug, 2020 - 14:00

Bhante Sangharakshita talks about viriya as ‘vigour’ or ‘energy in pursuit of the good’. Vajradevi explores this in relation to the mindfulness, including the four right efforts, wise and unwise involvement and the near enemy of viriya. Viriya allows for there to be a continuity of awareness.

From the talk entitled The Spiritual Faculty of Viriya, part of the series Pathways to the Beautiful Mind: Bristol Rains Retreat 2019. (Bristol, UK)

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Dharmabyte: An Intuition In Us

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 18 May, 2020 - 14:00

Vajradevi explores aspects of faith, including faith and receptivity, the relationship of confidence and doubt in our own practice. She goes on to look at how faith and wisdom relate, including right view and how ‘faith is wisdom, but not fully realised.’

From the talk Recap On Sati (mindfulness) & Exploring the Faculty of Faith as part of the series Pathways to the Beautiful Mind: Bristol Rains Retreat.

Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2019.

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Community Highlights

Complete Recordings from the Bristol Buddhist Centre Rains Retreat 2019

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 3 May, 2019 - 10:52

The 2019 Bristol Buddhist Centre’s Rains Retreat was called “Pathways to a Beautiful Mind”. Led by Vajradevi, the retreat explored ways of cultivating a beautiful mind by using the framework of the Satipatthana Sutta as well as the five spiritual faculties.

You can now listen to the complete recordings - which include led meditations and pujas as well as Dharma talks - and take part in your very own rains season retreat at your leisure! A big...