In early 2020, only weeks preceding the full onslaught of the pandemic, Vajrin survived a catastrophic fall from a bike deep within New Zealand bush. Paralysed from the chest down and stranded in Auckland for months of lockdown, he called upon the Dharma. Despite four decades of practice, it didn’t seem to help. Or did it? …in ways he hadn’t predic…

Fresh off a three-week solitary retreat, Vajragupta (m) shares, in a very personal and heart-felt way, what it was like, and what happened during that time. Coming to terms with his mother's slide into dementia, evoking the strangeness of dreams and memories, describing the sheer vividness of experience on retreat, and reflecting on both the joy an…

Sangharakshita describes how when faced with a tremendous fear, one with no apparent cause or object, how the Buddha’s example of sitting with it until it subsides leads to determination, an essential heroic quality in the spiritual aspirant's quest for Enlightenment. Excerpted from the talk The Heroic Ideal in Buddhism given in 1969. *** Subscribe…

Suryagupta shares personal reflections on death and dying, discovering patterns in the human condition, and relates this to the life of the Buddha. This talk was given as a part of the London Buddhist Centre’s Winter Retreat 2023, part of the series The Noble Quest, 2023. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: On Apple Podcasts | On Spot…

Fearlessness is courage in the face of fear, not the absence of fear. When we are with someone who is dying, we are confronted by our own death. Our sense of self is fundamentally brought into question as we face our core spiritual problem: the truth of insubstantiality and impermanence. Vidyamala gives a strong account of working with suffering an…

Lokeshvara shares how the impact of fear and anxiety led him to learn to meditate. Fear is a universal emotion that can be quite debilitating, but seen in another way, it’s like a little mini-death and an opportunity for Dharma practice. Excerpted from the talk Gesture of Fearlessness given at Buddhafield East, 2010. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabyte…

In this talk, Sanghagita takes us on a journey into the cremation ground. A fearful place filled with demons and powerful natural forces, and also the place where we can discover true freedom. Talk given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2023. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts A full, …

Vajragupta shares how her creativity and devotion flow to (and from) her collection of Barbies. Drawing on the imagery, chakras and mantras of the Five Wisdom Queens, she leads a meditation evoking each of their qualities in turn. Excerpted from the talk Barbies As the Five Wisdom Queens given at Norwich Buddhist Centre, 2024. *** Subscribe to our …

Ratnaprabha tells the story of Queen Vaidehi languishing in prison and longing for a better world. The Buddha teaches her to meditate on the land of Bliss, Amitabha's Pureland. What is the significance of Pureland Buddhism? Excerpted from the talk Birdsong Dharma given at West London Buddhist Centre, 2018. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: …

Maitrisiddhi explores Shinjin as faith, bodhicitta and wisdom. What happens when the conditioned mind lets up for a bit? Experiences of beauty, openness, love, desire to go for refuge and devotion naturally arise; we experience contact with ‘amida’, the quality of limitlessness. Are those experiences ‘ours’ – or something else? This talk was given …

In answering the question 'What is Buddhism?', Sangharakshita identifies higher evolution - the development of higher states of consciousness - with the twelve links in the progressive trend of the Buddha's teaching of conditioned co-production. Here he defines the second link, that of faith, translated from the sanskrit shraddha. Excerpted from th…

Here Paramartha shares a story illustrating Milarepa as teacher, master, vertical kalyana mitra, in relation to Rechungpa, known as his ‘moonlight disciple’. A young but seasoned practitioner, a cotton-clad yogi, devoted to his teacher, but who was a bit head-strong and stuck in his practice. Excerpted from the talk Rechungpa's Unusual Faith given …

Mahamani provides an overview of the Three Myths of the spiritual life: self-development, self-surrender, and self-discovery. These offer us three paradigm-shifts – three world-views - that can open us into radical freedom. What, for us, allows the open dimension of being to arise? The Three Myths invite us to trust and have deeper confidence in di…

Faith is the sort of emotional response that you have when you are confronted by the embodiment of Enlightenment. Vajragupta shares a story from the life of Milarepa. Excerpted from the talk Faith: the Emotional Response That You Have When You Are Confronted by the Embodiment of Enlightenment given at Mid Essex Buddhist Centre, 2021. *** Subscribe …

A lover of chocolate, trees and poetry, Jayaraja explores how to make the Buddha’s teaching real in our lives by looking at the connection between courage and shraddha, commonly translated as 'faith'. Excerpted from the talk Courage, Vulnerability and Healing Our Tempestuous World given as part of the series Seeds of the Heart given in the Dharma P…

A delightful, uplifting and heartfelt talk from Saraha offering three pieces of sage advice for the spiritual life. Not to be missed. This talk was given at Birmingham Buddhist Centre, 2018. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts A full, curated, quality Dharma talk, every week. 3,000,0…

Suryadarshini retells the story from Sangharakshita's Know Your Mind about staying in contact with faith in the midst of a desert of suffering. She exhorts us to continue to turn towards our experience, even in the absence of pleasure or inspiration. Excerpted from the talk Faith and Doubt In Ten Minutes given at Norwich Buddhist Centre, 2018. *** …

Here Akashamitra takes us through the first of the five spiritual faculties, shraddha, often translated as faith or confidence. Excerpted from the talk entitled Confidence, part of the series The Five Powers of the Mind given at London Buddhist Centre, 2024. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcas…

Saccanama explores the pre-Buddhist responses to goodness, truth and beauty that are the roots of faith; Jung’s 4 factors of consciousness; 'faith is innate, doubt acquired’. Recorded at the Swedish Summer Retreat at Dharmagiri as part of the series ‘To Place the Heart Upon’ - Exploring Faith in Buddhism, 2019. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Au…

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 is wisdom, but not fully realised.' Excerpted from the talk entitled Exploring the Faculty of Faith, part of the series Pathways to the Beautiful Mind given at Bristol Buddhist Centre,…

The jewel in Buddhism represents the deepest nature of our being. Punyamala explores the symbol of the jewel in the lotus as evoked in the White Lotus Sutra. Excerpted from the talk entitled Jewel In the Lotus given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2007. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite…

Ratnaghosha looks at the parable of the Jewel in the Garment from the White Lotus Sutra and explores jewel symbolism elsewhere in the Lotus Sutra and in Buddhism more broadly. This talk was given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2024. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts A full, curated, …

Just as plants need soil, warmth, light, and rain to grow, so humans need health and leisure, spiritual friendship, intellectual clarity, and the 'Rain of the Dharma'. Sangharakshita draws out the White Lotus Sutra's 'Parable of the Rain Cloud', in a talk entitled The Rain of the Dharma given in the USA, 1993. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podca…

Subhadramati explores the parable of the rain cloud drawing out the dharmic significance of how things arise. Excerpted from the talk Symbols of Life as part of the series Myths and Parables From the White Lotus Sutra given at London Buddhist Centre, 2015. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts…

The plant just needs to grow, it doesn’t need to know what kind of plant it is. We need to make an effort to grow, we need to apply the teachings of the Dharma, to give, be kind, communicate openly and warmly. Although simple practices, these practices can really change us profoundly. Here Amoghavajra introduces the Parable of the Rain Cloud from t…

Vadanya explores the parable of 'The Return Journey' in the White Lotus Sutra. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Return Journey given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2008. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-sized inspiration three times every week. Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio…

In his stirring way, Guhyavajra recounts the parable of the burning house and offers his reflections on its relevance to our lives now. Excerpted from the talk entitled Escape from the Burning House, part of the series The Burning House - an Image from the White Lotus Sutra given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, 2002. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes p…

When insight arises we feel that it has come of its own accord. Once upon a time a young man abandoned his father and went to live in another country... Akashamitra re-examines the eternal allegory for our times. Excerpted from the talk Myth of the Return Journey as part of the series Myths and Parables From the White Lotus Sutra given at London Bu…

A father, now wealthy, spots his long-lost son in the streets. He gradually befriends him until he has the self-confidence to take on his inheritance. Akashadevi introduces the parable from the Lotus Sutra which yields fascinating lessons in accepting the riches of our deepest nature. A talk for the West London Buddhist Centre, 2018. *** Subscribe …

Jnanavaca kicks off a new seminar series exploring the myths and parables of the glorious White Lotus Sutra. Here he unpacks the wisdom of the parable of the Burning House. Excerpted from the talk Parables From the White Lotus Sutra - The Burning House, given at the London Buddhist Centre, 2015. *** Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: On Apple Po…