Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

Dharmabyte: Life is a Search for Refuge

By Zac on Thu, 14 Apr, 2022 - 06:00

Padmasagara explores the profundity of the Buddha’s statement that spiritual friendship is ‘the whole of the spiritual life’ or, in other words, the whole of the Going for Refuge. 

From the talk The Mystery of Spiritual Friendship, part of the series Of the Mysteries of Spiritual Friendship and the Three Tantric Refuges given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2022.

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Community Highlights
Community Highlights

What the World Needs Now: Triratna’s Gift

By Centre Team on Thu, 20 Jan, 2022 - 17:19

What the World Needs Now: Triratna’s Gift

By Centre Team on Thu, 20 Jan, 2022 - 17:19

Saturday, April 9 2022

Triratna Day 2022 will focus on our contribution to the world: a vision of truth, communicated in a culture of kalyana mitrata (“beautiful friendship”), for the benefit of all. The day will be an experience of that, especially of being part of a global network of friendships for the good.

We’ll have four events—meditation, talk, a seminar and a puja—hosted from Adhisthana, Berlin, and the Americas. Translation will be available for some sessions. And our symbol will be Bhante Sangharakshita’s...

College of Public Preceptors
College of Public Preceptors

Eight Guidelines | Spiritual Friendship

By akasajoti on Mon, 13 Sep, 2021 - 11:21

Eight Guidelines | Spiritual Friendship

By akasajoti on Mon, 13 Sep, 2021 - 11:21

Subhadramati and Vajrashura, from London (UK) and Dublin (Ireland), reflect on the practice of spiritual friendship and the value of community, in the fifth in a series of informal, personal, conversations between Public Preceptors about the Eight Guidelines for Ordination Training.

The Eight Guidelines offer a framework through which Order Members and Mitras can reflect on and communicate about their going for refuge and process of training for Ordination into the Triratna Buddhist Order. In this series, members of the Preceptors’...

Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

Dharmabyte: Dhardo Rimpoche: Myth and Friendship

By Sadayasihi on Thu, 11 Feb, 2021 - 06:00

Paraga discusses the importance of connecting with both Myth and Kalyana Mitrata as key aspects to help translate Dhardo Rimpoche’s aspect of ‘Radiate Love’ into our Dharma life.

Excerpted from the talk entitled Radiate Love given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre during the ‘A Living Bodhisattva’ retreat in March 2019.

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Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

Dharmabyte: Good Friends Reflect Us Back

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 30 Mar, 2020 - 14:00

Maitreyi shares the story of Meghiya to illustrate the importance of having strong friendships on the spiritual path.

From the talk entitled Sanghakaya and the Heart’s Release given at Manchester Buddhist Centre, December 2015.

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Free Buddhist Audio

FBA Podcast: Good Friends

By Sadayasihi on Sat, 28 Mar, 2020 - 13:00

Kalyana Mitrata is spiritual friendship, even ‘the lovely intimacy’, the need for close and supportive connections with others in treading the path. Ratnaprabha  explores why the Buddha said spiritual friendship is ‘the whole of the Buddhist Life’. Is it as important now as it was in the Buddha’s time? Is a Kalyana Mitra the same thing as a guru or teacher? How can we make the intimate connections in our lives really stimulating and nourishing? How do we...

Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

Dharmabyte: Keeping Good Company

By Sadayasihi on Thu, 26 Mar, 2020 - 13:00

Here Padmasuri shares stories of friendship between the early Buddhist nuns and the Buddha. Featuring glimpses into the lives of Mahapajapati, Patajara, Dhammadinna, Kisagotami, Mitta, Queen Mallika. Many of these women would have gone forth for friendship, a sort of cradle of friendship, in which the truth teachings would be held and practiced. Just so then, so now.

Exerpted from the talk The Buddha Was a Friend As We Can Be a Friend, the fourth and final in a...

Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

FBA Podcast: Spiritual Friendship and the Tantric Rites

By Sadayasihi on Sat, 21 Mar, 2020 - 13:00

Vajratara introduces the theme of spiritual friendship or kalyana mitrata. What is spiritual friendship? How is it distinguished from ordinary friendship? How can we make friends? What is the difference between vertical and horizontal friendship? Using stories, personal anecdotes and images she introduces the overall theme to prepare for more talks in this series, which focusses on the tantric rites and friendship.

This talk is part of the series Spiritual Friendship and the Tantric Rites, given at a ...

Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

Dharmabyte: Sangha Doesn’t Happen By Chance

By Sadayasihi on Thu, 19 Mar, 2020 - 13:00

Suryamati reminds us that the spiritual life is difficult to practice on one’s own. Here we here the story of Meghiya where the Buddha advises that spiritual friendship is needed for the heart’s release.

How do we be a sangha member? How do we help others in their practice of sangha?

Here, we get an introduction to the teaching on the Samgrahavastus, the four means of unification.

From the talk entitled Building the Buddhaland given at Sangha Night, Sheffield Buddhist Centre,...

Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

FBA Podcast: A Helping Hand

By Sadayasihi on Sat, 14 Mar, 2020 - 13:00

Ratnaghosha reflects on how friendships and connections are woven into the tapestry of his life, how other people give our lives a sense of richness and abundance. In the sangha, people are passing on the Dharma through their relationships – living, breathing Dharma is passed on through spiritual friendship. The Buddha was the original spiritual friend, exemplifying for us that Enlightenment demands communication.

From a series of talks given during the Year of Kalyana Mitrata at the Cambridge Buddhist...

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