Talks by members of the Western Buddhist Order - suitable for all
Building a Buddhist Culture: A symposium of talks
This symposium of talks, on the theme of Creating a Buddhist Culture, was given at the 1998 FWBO Day. Subhuti spoke about Creating a Culture, a culture of meaning and ethical values, at the heart of which is the Buddhist vision of wisdom and compassion. Kulananda talked about Creating a Buddhist Economy and offered a framework of the five precepts through which to develop a dana society. Maitreyi spoke about Creating Community, drawing on her experience of communities both within and without the Buddhist tradition. (57 mins.)
Buddhism for a Post-Modern World: A Series of 7 public lectures
1. A Vision of Self-Transcendence
According to Buddhism we do not exist, at least not in the way we normally view ourselves. By holding on to this false view we limit ourselves and suffer unhappiness. But we can transcend this situation. Speaking with clarity and joy Ratnaguna describes this upward and outward movement of life and consciousness, embodied in the Buddhist qualities of Wisdom and Compassion, and demonstrates how these inseparable aspects of Enlightenment are essential for the well-being of contemporary society.
2. Meditation
The story of Meghiya is the story of an impetuous attendant of the the Buddha determined to pursue the practice of meditation at any cost, even if it means leaving his master unattended. By telling the story in his own words Kamalashila breathes life into a character whose basic attitudes are as current nowadays as at the time of the Buddha. Throughout his tale Kamalashila elaborates on many issues relating to meditation and the human condition, as well as concluding with foundations upon which meditation can be truly effective.
3. Beyond Good and Evil
Everyone is concerned with ethical issues. Whether it is sexual ethics, financial ethics, the ethics of our leaders or of our friends, in some way we are deeply concerned. However the globalisation of contemporary society has brought diverse cultures into proximity and questioned the truth of respective cultural values. Can there be an ethical system without reference to an ablsolute authority or is behaviour simply to be governed by personal preference? What is the Buddhist approach to ethics? With humour and energy Nagabodhi speaks on this issue both through anecdote and the exploration of Buddhist ideas.
4. Death into Life
Death is the great leveller and universal truth. But how can one live ones life in the face of this truth? In this lively and highly personal talk Parami relates her considerable experience with, and response to, death and dying, and in particular her work with individuals dying from AIDS. By drawing insights from the Buddhist tradition and and reflecting on her experiences she presents to us the challenge and rewards that a greater awareness of death would have on our lives.
5. Buddhism in a Post-Modern World
Buddhism has come to the West, has come into contact with the Postmodern World. The Postmodern world is characterised by a perspective that there is no fixed, common, reality from which truths can be known. The sea of faith has given way to a Sea of scepticism. God is dead and Shakespeare just another dead white european male. Buddhism, on the other hand, is the tradition born from the teachings of an Indian saint over two and a half millennia ago. In this incisive and insightful talk Kulananda explores their meeting and anticipates some developments from that meeting.
6. Breaking Free
Srimala's recent autobiography, 'Breaking Free', demonstrates the difficulties inherent in combining family life, and in particular motherhood, with the spiritual life. She goes as far as to write that the former is antithetical to the latter because it has a basic selfish intention. In addition to praise her book also attracted its critics. Speaking from her own experience, and drawing from the Buddhist tradition, Srimala bases her talk around answering an imaginary critic and addresses the issues that can place family life in such opposition to the Buddhist life.
7. Buddhism For Today
Whenever Buddhism has encountered a new culture it has effected changes within that culture, whilst at the same time developing to the meet the culture itself. So how might Buddhism genuinely manifest in the world we know today? Looking at the phenomena of disorientation and atomisation in the postmodern world Subhuti speaks about how that Buddhism for a postmodern world might appear.
The Path of the Inner Life: a symposium of talks
This symposium was given at the 1999 FWBO Day.
Padmavajra introduced the theme of the symposium and spoke about how all of our activities as Buddhists come from the inner life.
Ratnaguna talked about The Reflective Life, detailing the importance of reflection and giving suggestions about how to develop reflection as a practice.
Under the title of The Inner Life in the Inner City Ratnaghosa spoke broadly about the inner life in relation to the outer life, awareness and refinement of sense input and the dangers of literalism. (90 mins)
Why is Enlightenment the Answer to Old Age, Sickness and Death?
At 38 Vidyamala is a Buddhist with considerable personal experience of physical pain and sickness. Her spirituality is based in self-responsibility, the embracing of life and being present to what is happening now. Drawing themes from the life of the Buddha, and especially the story of the four sights, as well as from her own experience, she offers a practical approach to living in the face of old age, sickness and death. (60 mins.)
Western Buddhist Meditation: 6 talks by Kamalasila
1. FOUNDATION. We do not meditate in isolation; there is both a context and foundation to Buddhist meditation. Kamalashila introduces these lectures, speaks of the purpose of Buddhist meditation, beginning by describing the human condition and the fact of suffering and evokes the beauty of the jewel of the Dharma. (60 mins.)
2. GRAVITATION. Using the Meghiya Sutta to illustrate, Kamalashila speaks about the need to work against the basic gravitational pulls of greed hatred and delusion. He looks, in particular, at the importance of commitment, the contemplation of the 'unlovely', and the cultivation of Metta. (69 mins.)
3. UNIFICATION. Unification of the mind can be gained through the practice of mindfulness, especially in the context of meditation. Kamalashila explores two ways of looking at this: firstly through the system of eradicating the five hindrances and cultivating dhyana; secondly through the stages of concentration elaborated in the Anapanisati Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya. (66 mins.)
4. ILLUMINATION. To have Insight is to change in the most radical way. In this detailed talk Kamalashila speaks of the cultivation of Insight and then looks at what someone with Insight would be like. He considers this through the traditional list of the four holy persons: the arahant, non-returner, once-returner and stream entrant. (68 mins.)
5. TRANSFORMATION. According to Buddhism we misinterpret the nature of the world around us. In this talk Kamalashila addresses this issue from the position of the Yogacara school and, in particular, the way in which that school viewed the working of the mind through the model of the eight consciousnesses. He shows how, through the transformation of these consciousnesses, this misinterpretation is overcome. (60 mins.)
6. EXEMPLICATION. In this culminating talk Kamalashila considers how all Buddhist spiritual practices come together as a whole in the practice of mindfulness. He explores the foundations of mindfulness from the Satiptana Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya and then turns to two aspects of mindfulness: Sati, or awareness of the fact, and Sampajanna, awareness of purpose. (67 mins.)
Please note that these talks are available as 3 pairs, like so:
Friendship as a Path to the Transcendental
At the first Great Gathering of women in the FWBO in July 1998, Parami describes the message of the Gandavuha Sutra: that through friendship it is possible to understand the nature of Reality and develop the arising of the Bodhicitta. In taking us along the journey traversed by Sudhana in this sutra Parami makes some thought-provoking and humorous observations about women and friendship, and exhorts women to cultivate the three functions of a spiritual friend: protecting and caring; teaching and guiding; exhorting and inspiring.(71 mins.)
Friends in the Good Life
In this personal and moving talk given at the Great Gathering for women in the FWBO in 1998, Samata charts the course of her spiritual life and shows the influence certain friendships had upon it. Describing her friendships with Srimala, Dhammadinna, Parami, Maitreyi and Anjali, she illustrates how friendship helps us move away from an attitude of acquisitiveness and towards an experience of relatedness and love. Doing so she provides us with a shining example of the transformative power of friendship. [Unsuitable for those at an introductory level.] (72 mins.)
Living in the Midst of Paradox
Speaking to the women's Great Gathering at Taraloka in July 2000 Kulaprabha shares some of her reflections on Wisdom. She looks at paradoxical statements in a number of Dharma texts, presenting the challenge of the Buddha's Wisdom as a paradox which goes against all common sense; what we are being asked to look at is the non-existence of ourselves. In doing so she encourages her audience not to be satisfied with a premature understanding of the Dharma. (63 mins.)
Dr. Ambedkar: Dhamma Revolution
Speaking on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Dr Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism Padmavajra addresses a subject which is close to his heart. He speaks about the great Indian leader, Dr Ambedkar, and relates important incidents from Dr Ambedkar’s life. He explains how Dr Ambedkar and his followers came to Buddhism, exploring the origins of the new Buddhist movement in India, looking at why conversion was necessary and, in particular, why they chose Buddhism. (79 min)
Talks aimed at the WBO and those pursuing ordination
Talks on Bodhicitta from the 1997 WBO Convention
1. Stepping into the Void
In this keynote talk of the 1997 Order Convention Subhuti introduces the theme of the Bodhicitta and relates the theme to the future of the Order. He identifies six elements of the Bodhicitta significant to the development of the Order - that it takes us beyond ourselves, is most likely to be experienced collectively, as a force that drives us and directs us to the welfare of others, spurs us in our personal evolution and aligns us with reality. (62 mins.)
2. A River Out of Time
Pursuing the theme of the Bodhicitta Kulananda relates it to Sangharakshita’s teaching of the gradual development of Insight. He applies the model of cultural, provisional, effective, real and absolute levels to the arising of the Bodhicitta. In answering the question of how we might develop the real level of the arising of the Bodhicitta he speaks, in particular, in terms of the Bodhicitta as ‘other power’ which flows down to us like a river. (57 mins.)
3. Going Forth in the Bodhicitta
In this talk, strongly influenced by his own practise of Brahmacharya, Kamalashila speaks about renunciation and Going Forth. With reference to the field of the Bodhicitta he touches on areas such as Brahmacharya, the mystery of embodiment, and vows as effect rather than cause. (68 mins.)
4. Bodhicitta: Quicksilver Elixir of the Spiritual Life
In this lively and engaging talk, drawing on his extensive knowledge of the Buddhist tradition, Saramati traces the development of the Bodhicitta doctrine through the Mahayana. He speaks about the figures of Atisha and Shantideva and, in order to give a practical example of how the Bodhicitta might be developed in practise, he briefly presents a seven point teaching from the Indo-Tibetan Lo Jong (mind training) teachings. (65 mins.)
5. A Great and Endless Cry of Longing
Drawing inspiration from accounts of the Buddha’s Going Forth, his Enlightenment and his communication of the truth, Padmavajra speaks with passion about the Buddha’s love. Delivered with deep and sincere devotion he urges his audience onwards through a landscape rich with imagary to invoke the intensity of that love. (55 mins.)
6. Bodhicitta in Pure Land Buddhism
With delightful clarity Ratnaguna speaks on a subject that is obviously close to his heart, tracing the development of Pure land Buddhism through Shinran’s seven patriarchs, the development of the Bodhicitta in Pure Land Buddhism, the the place of the Bodhicitta in Shinran’s teaching. (75 mins.)
Discipleship in the WBO
The idea of discipleship has become downgraded in the modern West and yet it is one that permeates the entire Buddhist tradition. So what does it really mean to be a disciple? What are the essential qualities and duties of the disciple? How does discipleship lead to individuality and liberation? Speaking at the 1995 Order Convention Dharmachari Ratnaguna covers each of these questions in a clear and stimulating talk, illustrating his points throughout by drawing on his own reflections and with stories of 'good' and 'bad' disciples from the life of the Buddha. (62 mins)
Notes for a Talk on Hakuin
In this unique and electrifying talk at the 1995 Order Convention Padmavajra evokes the Japanese Zen master Hakuin. Taking the form of a poetic monologue Padmavajra speaks of Hakuin's early life, his fear of suffering and death, the burning desire to come to the truth of 'The Great Matter'. He pursues Hakuin on his relentless path to Insight through koan practice. Including reflections of his own, short poems from Sangharakshita and snatches from various commentaries he gives an account of the master's life, closing with his death and final utterance. (58 mins)