Today’s FBA Dharmabyte “Samsara & the Three Laksanas,” by Dhammadinna, is from the first talk in a five-part series from Tiratanaloka’s retreat on the ‘Four Mind Turning Reflections‘ of the Tibetan tradition. This introductory talk by Dhammadinna is an ideal entry point to the world of the mind-turnings. Seen as foundations for the building of practice, the reflections encourage us to make life meaningful in the face of a relentlessly ungovernable reality. Here she explores seeing conditioned existence in terms of the three laksanas and ways of giving up craving without harmful side effects. A strong look in the mirror of the heart. Talk given at Tiratanaloka Retreat Centre, 2005

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Our FBA Podcast today is a talk by the delightfully clear Vajrapriya titled “The Selfless Mind.” What if all of our emotional and spiritual problems were caused by an incorrect understanding of our true nature? Vajrapriya explores the Buddha’s insight that our commonsense assumptions about ourselves are the source of our suffering. Unpicking those assumptions is the first step to the arising of a wisdom that leads to an expansive and liberating way of relating to others and the world.

Talk 2 in a series of 4 talks entitled ‘Powers of the Mind’ given at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre, April 2011.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Skandha is another of those untranslated terms – it literally means a trunk of a tree! In today’s FBA Dharmabyte Sangharakshita offers his understanding of the “The Five Skandhas.” From the inspiring talk, “The Awakening of the Bodhi Heart”, from the 1969 series “Aspects of the Bodhisattva Ideal.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In today’s FBA Dharmabyte titled “What Karma Is” Nagapriya offers a good, pithy introduction to the traditionally thorny and rather misunderstood area of karma and rebirth, teasing out its relationship to Buddhist ethics in general. This excerpt is from the talk “Understanding Karma and Buddhist Ethics” given in Manchester, 2003

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today’s FBA Podcast is another reading from The Perfection of Wisdom Sutras. This one, “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras” Chandana talks about the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, a category of Sutras in the Mahayana tradition.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download