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Dharmachakra

Free Buddhist Audio has been serving free recordings of high quality, full-length Dharma talks since 2006. Over 3 million downloads and counting... Get our free weekly Dharma talk podcast with inspiring speakers on Buddhism, meditation and mindfulness.

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787 episodes
Updated Saturday

Episodes787

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Apr 13, 2013 · 40 min
The Tiger's Cave
In this week's FBA Podcast, Padmavajra takes us on an amazing journey into: "The Tiger's Cave." This is the first in an excellent 8-talk sequence by Padmavajra on Zen Buddhism. The series is full of colourful stories and challenging insights from the lives of the great Masters of China and Japan. This talk introduces the basics and brings us face to face with the Great Emptiness at the heart of practice. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2004 This talk is part of the series "Tangling Eyebrows with Zen Masters."
Apr 6, 2013 · 1 hr 4 min
Magic For the Modern World
In this week's FBA Podcast, "Magic For the Modern World," Candradasa takes a personal look at aspects of magic in the East and West, considering its place in Buddhist history and practice and also its meeting with Christianity at the time of the Renaissance. What emerges is a picture of how magic defined in various ways can be a powerful metaphor for the everyday work of Buddhist meditation and ethical practice – with the enchantment of love and wisdom fused the only one we need. The Buddha is the Master of Enchantments and his path – a magical training with him – is available to all. The truly marvelous awaits… Talk given in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, October 2012. This talk is part of the series "Religion Without God."
Mar 30, 2013 · 54 min
The Blissful Mind
In this week's FBA Podcast, "The Blissful Mind," Vajradevi explores bliss, happiness, joy and their relationship to the Buddhist path. What stops us feeling happy more of the time? Is there a difference between freedom of desire and freedom from desire? Last of a series of four talks entitled 'The Powers of the Mind' given at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre in April 2011.
Mar 23, 2013 · 46 min
Treasures of Padmasambhava
In this week's FBA Podcast, Vadanya delivers an engaging and rich talk titled: "The Great Hidden Treasures of Padmasambhava."
Mar 16, 2013 · 1 hr 17 min
Art & The Spiritual Life
In this week's FBA Podcast, we bring you a classic talk by Sangharakshita: "Art & The Spiritual Life." "Art is the organisation of sensuous impressions that express the artist's sensibility and communicate to his audience a sense of values that can transform their lives." Using his own definition, Sangharakshita investigates the relevance of art and the artist to higher evolution. Talk given in 1969 as part of the series "The Higher Evolution."
Mar 9, 2013 · 1 hr 4 min
Ashvaghosha: India's Great Buddhist Poet
In this week's FBA Podcast, "Ashvaghosha: India's Great Buddhist Poet" Dhivan introduces Ashvaghosha, the Buddhist poet of 2nd c. AD India. Two of his works survive: a poetic re-telling of the Buddha's life-story ('The Buddhacarita' or 'Acts of the Buddha'), and 'Handsome Nanda', about the conversion of the Buddha's sensuous and wife-loving cousin to the Dharma. Here Dhivan shares some of his own translations of Ashvaghosha from Sanskrit and Pali sources, in this accessible and humorous introduction to some fine Buddhist poetry. This talk given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 20 August 2009, on the occasion of the launch of Urthona magazine, issue 26.
Mar 2, 2013 · 42 min
Poetry East: Sasha Dugdale Interview
In this week's FBA Podcast, Maitreyabandhu brings us "Poetry East: Sasha Dugdale Interview." Sasha Dugdale is a poet and translator. She worked for the British Council in Russia in the 1990s where she set up the Russian New Writing Project with the Royal Court Theatre. Since her return in 2001 she has translated new plays for the Court, the RSC and other theatre companies. Her recent translations of Elena Shvarts' poems Birdsong on the Seabed were shortlisted for the Popescu Prize and the Academica Rossica Award. Her third book of poetry Red House appeared in August 2011 and is published by Carcanet Oxford poets. "One of the most original poets of her generation" Paul Batchelor, The Guardian. PoetryEast.net
Feb 22, 2013 · 58 min
Life – For A Limited Time Only
In this week's FBA Podcast "Life – For A Limited Time Only," Suriyavamsa begins with the inevitability of death and some of our habitual attitudes to death and suffering, reading from contemporary poets. He brings out the Buddhist perspective that life and death are not separate, but parts of the same process. This talk was given at Parinirvana Day 2010 at the Glasgow Buddhist Centre.
Feb 16, 2013 · 1 hr 4 min
Death And The Buddhist
In this week's FBA Podcast "Death And The Buddhist," Danavira is very funny, can do poetic and profound, tends to the chaotic in his style, and has a particular genius for this kind of thing; this kind of thing being talking about death. The whole talk is a kind of respectful joyride through the hardest subject of all – sit back and enjoy a thoroughly adult treat that's likely to blow the heart wide open. Talk given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, Men's Event 2000
Feb 9, 2013 · 53 min
Reflections on Vajrasattva
In this week's FBA Podcast "Reflections on Vajrasattva: Purity, Confession and Death," Dhammadinna shares her thoughts on Vajrasattva. His purity is not any sort of purity that can be attained – he is beyond space and beyond time. He is a very positive, profound, beautiful figure encouraging us to turn towards our innate purity, our Vajrasattva nature, so that we can wake up to the fact that in our deepest nature we've never been impure. This talk was given as part of the Vajrasattva Festival Day at the London Buddhist Centre on Sunday 13th February 2010.
Feb 2, 2013 · 51 min
Triratna Buddhism
In this week's FBA Podcast "Triratna Buddhism," Vadanya tells the story of Sangharakshita and the new Buddhist Order and movement he founded. He talks about the early days of the FWBO and demonstrates the radical nature of the movement that has now become the Triratna Buddhist Community.
Jan 26, 2013 · 57 min
The Individual and Community
In this week's FBA Podcast , "The Individual and Community" Dhammarati talks about the Order as the basis for the New Society. Basing his talk in part on the lectures where Sangharakshita originally introduced the idea of the New Society, which also includes interesting material on the Order, specifically the distinctions between Public and Private Ordination and what they represent. Dhammarati then goes onto to explore the central importance the Triratna Buddhist Order places on communication and connection as a means of personal transformation and the basis from which we influence the world. This gives us the significance of the Triranta Buddhist Order as a community of individuals trying to change themselves and have a positive impact on society making them a nucleus of a new society. Talk given in a seminar at Dharmapala College, 2010.
Jan 19, 2013 · 56 min
Dreaming Angels
This week's FBA Podcast , "Dreaming Angels" is a rousing and challenging talk by Vajratara given on the December 2012 National Order Weekend for women. The full title is "Dreaming Angels Each Imbued with the Mysteries of the Other – Why the Triratna Buddhist Order is Needed and What It Can Do." Vajratara begins her talk by evoking the social revolution of Dr Ambedkar. A revolution, she says, which is still needed to overthrow unhelpful attitudes in society, free the disadvantaged and give meaning to those who long for a higher life. She explains how the Triratna Buddhist Order can be in the first rank of the fighting forces in this revolution by referring to the Five Pillars of the Order.
Jan 12, 2013 · 42 min
Buddhism: A Force for Good in the World
In this week's FBA Podcast , "Buddhism: A Force for Good in the World" Vajragupta explores the potential of the Buddha's teachings to transform society, starting with seeing how the Dhamma has helped millions of people who've suffered under the Hindu caste system change their lives. He asks how we've done in bringing this part of Bhante's vision into being in the last 40 years, and encourages us to take opportunities to change society, including helping activists in positive change, and bringing a Buddhist perspective to current social debates.
Jan 5, 2013 · 57 min
Buddhism and Peace
In this week's FBA Podcast , "Buddhism and Peace" Parami thoughtfully asks: What is peace? And what does peace mean for Buddhists? Is it just the absence of war and conflict; guns and screaming? Or is it also the deep silence that arises when the mind and heart are in harmony – a positive state of mind that can be cultivated both personally and collectively, where good and evil don't exist as concepts? This talk was given by Parami at Manchester Buddhist Centre on 30th July 2011 in the series Buddhism and the Big Questions.
Dec 29, 2012 · 1 hr 2 min
Dhyana Paramita, the Perfection of Meditation
In this week's FBA Podcast , Kamalashila introduces the fifth perfection: "Dhyana Paramita, the Perfection of Meditation." Kamalashila is the author of 'Buddhist Meditation: Tranquillity, Imagination, Insight', an excellent manual on the practice of Buddhist meditation. Talk given at the West London Buddhist Centre, 2012.
Dec 22, 2012 · 54 min
The Myth of Tristan and Iseult: Love, Transgression and Death
In this week's FBA Podcast , "The Myth of Tristan and Iseult: Love, Transgression and Death," Dhivan explores the origins and significance of the myth of Tristan and Iseult, relating it to the practise of Buddhism in the modern west. The twelfth-century Cornish story of Tristan and Iseult has captivated imaginations and inspired poets, composers and artists ever since. What is it about this tale of a love potion and a doomed love, of adultery and lies, that is so fascinating? The talk was given on 11 September 2008 at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, on the occasion of the launch of Urthona Magazine, issue 25.
Dec 15, 2012 · 1 hr 21 min
Sangharakshita in Conversation with Kathleen Raine
This week's FBA Podcast , "Sangharakshita in Conversation with Kathleen Raine," is a retro piece from the 1980s when 'Independent Arts' ran an ambitious and extremely impressive Arts program through the Croydon Buddhist Centre in London. Here's a first offering from the archive of recordings – an open conversation between Sangharakshita, founder of the Western Buddhist Order, and the renowned poet and scholar Kathleen Raine, one of the founders of the Temenos Academy. The occasion was the launch of Sangharakshita's book 'The Religion of Art' – and the discussion ranges widely and, at times, controversially through the subject of the Arts considered as a vehicle for spiritual truths. It's full of talking points and challenges to contemporary orthodoxies around art theory. But whatever one's take on the views of the participants, this is a marvellous record of a unique meeting of minds.
Dec 8, 2012 · 1 hr
Poetry, Soulmaking and Meditation
The Jungian commentator James Hillman suggested that 'soul' needs nurturing as well as 'spirit' in human life. Our FBA Podcast , "Poetry, Soulmaking and Meditation," Paramananda uses deeply meaningful poems to show soulmaking in action, and explains how the process can be brought into your meditation practice.
Dec 1, 2012 · 1 hr 7 min
Stop Buying Stuff and Learn How to Be Happy Instead
Our FBA Podcast this week is a window into the ancient art of happiness. In " Stop Buying Stuff and Learn How to Be Happy Instead," Ratnaguna explores alternatives to buying more stuff and hooking up to more electronic gadgetry… The Buddha repeatedly said that the only reason he taught was to alleviate suffering, and he in fact enumerated three level of happiness. This teaching is no longer simply an issue of personal growth – it has become vital to the future of our planet. Talk given at Manchester Buddhist Center, 2011 in a series of free public talks, Buddhism and the Big Questions.