"And I give myself to the Conquerors completely, and to their sons. Take possession of me Sublime Beings. In devotion I become your servant". In his second talk on the Bodhicaryavatara, Padmavajra tells us how Shantideva takes to heart, ever more firmly, the Bodhicitta, through his lavish performance of puja and a searing confession of faults. The talk was given in the shrine room on the weekly Padmaloka day retreat. It was given in honour of the anniversary of Sangharakshita's founding of the Triratna Buddhist Order on 7th April 1968.

In the game of life we wander between realms, moving from lower states to higher as our actions affect the state of our mind. Continuing from last week's talk, Dharmamayi gives us a closer look at what can emerge from 'the gap' in the chain of cyclic, repetitive existence. When we act creatively rather than reacting to events in the habitual way, a huge range of possibilities opens up. The spiral path is a progressive series of positive mental states leading to ever more free and expansive ways of living. It's a path we can all enter through choosing how to respond to what life brings, and is the same path which took the Buddha all the way to Enlightenment. This series of talks explores three great Buddhist symbols that describe the way things are: the wheel of life, the spiral path and the ultimate goal of Enlightenment. Together they form a guide to escape from the ultimate vicious circle into the complete freedom and fulfilment of Awakening. Talk recorded on 25.02.20

This series of talks explores three great Buddhist symbols that describe the way things are: the wheel of life, the spiral path and the ultimate goal of Enlightenment. Together they form a guide to escape from the ultimate vicious circle into the complete freedom and fulfilment of Awakening. In this talk, Vidyavacin introduces the three family protectors - three archetypal figures representing different aspects of the ultimate goal of the spiritual life. Between them, Manjusri, Avalokitesvara and Vajrapani symbolise the complete spiritual development of a human being. These three aspects are Wisdom, the cognitive dimension; Compassion, the emotional dimension; Energy, the volitional dimension. Talk recorded on 10.03.20 at Sheffield Buddhist Centre.