Contemporary voices, specially commissioned in-depth interviews and conversations from members of the Triratna Buddhist Order around the world, exploring the Buddha's teaching in modern times for modern lives! Check out our other podcasts! The Buddhist Centre Podcast | Free Buddhist Audio Talks (iTunes) | FBA Dharmabytes (iTunes) https://thebuddhistcentre.com/ Visit the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices project
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During this in-depth interview with Jyotika, Prakasha recounts his experience of living at Guhyaloka. For approximately five years he lived in the Vihara there with several other men. This was a time of deep spiritual practice, which gave rise to many fruits. Since then he has spent months on solitary retreat in the Valley and at Uttaraloka. In their conversation, among other tales, he shares the…
Guhyaloka—the ‘Secret Valley’—has been the Triratna Buddhist Community's primary place for men’s ordination since 1987. Over 600 men have become Order members there. It has therefore been vitally important in helping to shape what the Triratna community offers the world today. For it to thrive into the future, Guhyaloka needs to undergo major renovations, all of which require financial support.…
In this latest episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we follow the personal journeys of Sarvananda and Satyadaka, two lifelong friends and dedicated Dharma practitioners who have lived together in various contexts for over twenty years. It's a rare opportunity to listen into stories from such a close companionship, making this conversation a true delight to share with you. This episode covers a…
In this episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we explore the personal journey and reflections of Dharmacharini Maitripala, a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order as well as a private and public preceptor, based in Brunswick, Australia. Initially leading a seemingly idyllic life, Maitripala's quest for 'more' was sparked by a serene moment of beauty as she noticed the glistening morning dew…
In this latest episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we take a deep dive into the life and transformative journey of our guest, Dharmachari Samasuri. Our guest's journey began whilst struggling her way through medical school in London. Sharing a house with long time friend Karunamati when she found herself on the brink of a breakdown. Amidst the backdrop of Glastonbury Festival, she fondly…
In this episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we delve into the life of Dharmachari Jyotipala. Ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in the late 1970s, Jyotipala's spiritual journey has taken in many different contexts within the Order, including a spell living in India wearing formal Buddhist robes. However, his spiritual life started much earlier than that. Raised a catholic he became…
Join Satyalila for another episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast as she engages in a heartfelt conversation with Suryaka about their journey of discovering and embracing Buddhism. This interview was originally conducted for the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices project. Suryaka's name is pronounced as "Su-ree-a-ka," meaning "Like the Sun." Suryaka’s initial attraction to yoga and meditation retreats was…
In this podcast episode, we have the pleasure of hearing from Rijumayi, currently based in Melbourne, Australia, as she shares her spiritual journey as part of the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices project. Rijumayi takes us back to her formative years, recounting her initial encounters with Buddhism during her teenage years. Her interest in the teachings was ignited whilst in high school, she attended a…
As part of the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices project, celebrating 50 years of the Triratna Buddhist Order; In this episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we hear from Manjuvajra, a member of the Order for over 45 years, who shares their experience of reassessing their relationship with the order after withdrawing from their previous institutional roles. Manjuvajra notes that the order they joined…
In 2018, Satyalila had the pleasure of sitting down with Akasasuri at the Adhisthana Library for an interview as part of the Fifty Years Fifty Voices project. Extracts from this interview were used in the project, and now we are gradually releasing the full interviews to provide a deeper dive into the lives of various members of the Triratna Buddhist Order across the globe. In this far-reaching…
In the latest episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we are privileged to hear from Dharmachari Manidhamma. It was during a big procession celebrating Buddha Jayanti (the Buddha's 'Awakening' or 'Enlightenment'), where a life-sized bronze statue of Dr Ambedkar was installed, and slogans of 'Jai Bhim' and 'Victory to the Great Buddha' could be heard. As a young boy, Manidhamma fondly remembers…
In this podcast episode, Amritavani shares her journey towards the Dharma, starting from her childhood fascination with something bigger calling her. She talks about her exploration of different spiritual paths, including yoga, Christianity, and the divine feminine, before finally finding her way to the Dharma through a meditation class in Croydon. It was at the Croydon Buddhist Centre that she…
In this latest episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, Parami and Sraddhavajri engage in a conversation for the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices project. They share their early encounters with the Dharma and its transformative impact on their lives. In particular, Sraddhavajri reminisces about her childhood in Modinagar, India, where her parents were involved with Buddhism and the teachings of Dr.…
On a cold winter's evening towards the end of 1969, at number 14 Monmouth Street, a small shop named Sakura, accessed via a side entrance through an alleyway, then down a narrow set of stairs into a basement, a meditation class was being held. Seated at the back of the room was Sangharakshita, dressed in robes, with a western pullover underneath, wearing an abundance of rings and long hair.…
Growing up in Chorley, Lancashire, in the northwest of England, Abhaya (1936-2022) recalls his early life as the youngest of four siblings, raised by parents who were run off their feet. With Dad away at the war, mum managed a small chip shop in which he and his brothers used to help out. Following in the footsteps of his older brother Jack, Abhaya would later spend several years at a Catholic…
Many people in the Triratna Buddhist Community know Amoghasiddhi for his kind and welcoming smile, as well as his tireless Dharma work for our sangha in Nagpur, India. Now part of the ordination team in India, as well as a member of Indian Public Preceptors Kula, Amoghasiddhi has been ordained for over 30 years. In this moving interview with Candradasa, originally recorded back in 2018 for the…
When Aryadhi encountered meditation for the first time, she wholly embraced it amid the very positive atmosphere of the London Buddhist Centre . She recalls the memory of waking up on her first retreat after a powerful new year’s eve puja just knowing that she was a Buddhist, and that her life would never be the same again. A series of important self discoveries would begin to unfold during her…
“This conversation I'm having with you right now is an expression of Bhante's vision of the Dharma.” In this latest full interview for the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices Project , we hear from Dharmashalin. Now the Mitra convenor for the Birmingham Buddhist Centre, Dharmashalin made his first proper contact with Buddhism at 19 years old after a period of drug-based experimentation and existential…
Sucimani interviews Vijaya and for the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices Project . Vijaya shares movingly about the suffering she faced growing up in a slum near Nagpur railway station, losing her younger brother and father in quick succession and, subsequently, having to fight periods of depression. Later in life a visiting Dharmachari would come and teach her meditation and in her own words she recalls…
Al igual que muchas de las historias que escuchamos en el proyecto Cincuenta Años, Cincuenta Voces , la amistad ha marcado la vida de los miembros de la Orden en toda nuestra comunidad internacional. En este episodio escuchamos a dos buenos amigos que comparten sus caminos y su historia de práctica del Dharma, con un toque poético. Desde Mérida, en el corazón de los Andes venezolanos, hasta el…
“Padmapani is my Yidam, two-armed Avalokitesvara… I came from a Pureland Mahayana tradition so I wanted all of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas to be part of my practice, but I gradually narrowed down… Avalokitesvara gave the Heart Sutra and bit by bit it became clear that, ‘Well, it’s just a question of how many arms!” When Prasadacarin’s school teacher organized a class visit to a Mahayana Buddhist…
" Things have changed in the last 10 years or so. A lot of it was just building on what I’d received from Bhante and other Order Members and other people… over the years. But I think, for me, it feels as if those three years with all that time to completely focus on the Dharma did sort of liberate things or bring to fruition a lot of seeds that had been planted by Bhante and other people over a…
“I asked him, if I would go there, will I get food? And he said “Yes, obviously there will be a feast and you can have enough to eat.’ And I thought then, ’I’ll go.’” In 1998 when Ratnakumar was 13 years old, one of his cousins asked him if he’d like to go to a public meeting. That meeting just so happened to be an anniversary celebration for the birthday of Dr. Bimrao Ambedkar, the great leader…
“I had been looking for so long. And then I saw my first woman Order Member. And that was like the ‘fourth sight’… that inspired me to go for refuge. (Amarapushpa) “It’s not something that has to do with ideas and concepts… It’s about more practical wholeness, with your heart. (Chandrasiddhi) Grabación en inglés y español | Recording in English and Spanish *** Amarapushpa, a lawyer from New York,…
A great conversation with the quietly brilliant Abhayadana about her Buddhist work and practice in India. Her name means 'Giver of Fearlessness' - and this is something she has dedicated her life to, helping support and free women in her community from the stigma of social caste and the violence that often goes with it. We hear about her personal approach via meditation and reflection on the…
"Buddhism gave me an understanding - or at least a suggestion that one could change" In this second in the two part series about Manjusvara we hear about the three things that fundamentally changed his life: a car accident, coming across the London Buddhist Centre and fundraising. From his time in the US through to the practice of writing as a means of transformation to his involvement in…
"Do not use Buddhism to protect yourself from life... use it to celebrate life" Manjusvara - poet, musician, fundraiser - died while leading at retreat at Dhanakosa in 2011. Here he is, in 2007, giving a talk marking the twentieth anniversary of his ordination. He explores the history of his engagement with the Triratna Buddhist Order (previously the Western Buddhist Centre), starting with his…
Kiranada is an ordained Buddhist, a traveler, a renowned artist in (cruelty-free) silk, a teacher, an author and a Mom. Here she is at the Portsmouth Public Library in June 2019, reading from her book 'A Year Of Silence', an account of her year-long silent, solitary retreat in the New Zealand bush. As one of her last engagements before heading off to Kentucky and Missouri to begin a further 3-year…
"Someone said to me, on one's ordination retreat, depth charges are planted - and you never know when they are going to go off... " Danayutta was working as an investment banker in London when she first decided to go on a 10-day retreat with the London Buddhist Centre. This retreat changed the direction of her life - she realised that she wanted to commit to the Dharma life rather than pursuing…
"So my impression of Bhante was that he was a magician who had some secrets that I wanted to get…" Ananda was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order (then the Western Buddhist Order) on the 7th April 1968, which makes him the most long-standing member of our Order. In this full and frank conversation with Satyalila, Ananda speaks about his own spiritual journey in the Triratna Buddhist Order…
The first in an occasional series this year of unreleased archive episodes from Buddhist Voices. Here's Lokeshvara, one of our two International Order Conveners in Triratna, talking in 2015 at the end of his voyage around the world achieved in exactly 80 days. No hot-air balloons or steam trains or packet ships, alas, just lots of economy flights and time zone surfing! What we do hear coming…
A deep-dive of a conversation between Abhaya and Satyalila, framing the practice of the Dharma as a path towards beauty, letting go, and liberation of the heart and mind. Abhaya speaks frankly about the very early days of the FWBO (now Triratna) and how his understanding of Urgyen Sangharakshita's systematic approach has evolved alongside his personal connection to his teacher and friend. We also…
A gem of a conversation with Maitripala, from Melbourne (via Emerald City) in Australia, describing her beautiful practice of Metta Walks across the continent and the Buddhas In My Pocket project that has grown up around it. Her evocation of a modern day pilgrimage, engaging with strangers and sharing moments of deep connection and mutual kindness, is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. A…
Jnanadakini was the first Mexican woman to be ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order and joins us to talk about her work bringing the Dharma to other Latin American women. We hear about the recent ordination, broadcast live on The Buddhist Centre Online, and about Jnanadakini's mythic connection to building sangha at home in Mexico, in Venezuela, and across the continent. Her quiet joy in this…
Continuing our series of in-depth conversations with Buddhists in Mexico, here is the irrepressible Upeksamati: Dharma pioneer in his homeland and founder of the Mexico City Buddhist Center. We hear of his own Buddhist training in England in the 1980s and '90s and how that influenced his approach to bringing what he learned back home again. We get, in effect, a crash course in the essentials of…
First in a series of occasional episodes featuring Triratna voices from Mexico. Here we meet the wonderful Aurea and her family in Mexico City and hear their story of what it's like to be a Buddhist (or have a Buddhist in your life) in a country where that's still fairly unusual. An inspiring, warm conversation that shows the tremendous difference love and support from friends and family can make…
Karunadevi has been a practicing Buddhist since the 1980s after finding her way to California from the heartland of Iowa. The first American to be ordained in the U.S. into the Triratna Buddhist Order she is now a member of the College of Public Preceptors, helping maintain the spiritual wellbeing of the community worldwide. We hear about Karunadevi's journey to the Dharma via family, friends, and…
Subhuti talks about his reasons for leading study on the Bodhicitta for the College meeting #Subhuti #Bodhicitta #Preceptors' College
A conversation wth the artist and poet behind the new eBook from The Buddhist Centre Online: Anādi - Without Origin (in English and Spanish editions). We hear about the origins of the book and about Binisa's meditative inspiration that underpins her work as a Dharma painter and illustrator, looking to the classic Tibetan tradition of thangka painting. Anādi is a beautifully illustrated art and…
Lokamitra has spent most of his adult life working in India to support the Dalit Buddhist community in their struggle against Hindu caste prejudice and its regard of them as literally "untouchable". Inspired by the life and work of the great Dalit leader, India's first Justice Minister Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the Nagaloka Institute provides an invaluable chance to thousands of young Dalits,…
A special edition of Buddhist Voices, from India at the height of celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the mass conversion to Buddhism in 1956 of hundreds of thousands of Dalit (ex-Untouchable caste) Indians, inspired by their great leader Doctor Bhimrao Ambedkar to escape the horrors of the Hindu caste system and work towards a more just society in India. Subhuti, a longstanding champion…
Ratnashri from Mumbai and Vijaya from Nagpur talk to Dassini about their perspectives on the Triratna International Council; being outside of India for the first time, and being inspired by the example of Dr Ambedkar to see learning and developing skills as having no age limit. Vijaya shares her top 3 highlights from the meeting, the first being an approach to conflict resolution that builds…
Vidyatara was one of the forces behind the development of the Triratna International Council after its foundation in 2011. We get a chance to catch up with her on her first return visit to the UK after moving back to Melbourne, Australia. She still carries a fierce passion for the vision of a genuinely international Buddhist movement and that comes through as we hear about aspects of her life and…
Satyalila interviews Kamalamani about a strong decision in her life as a Buddhist - to forego having children - and her subsequent decision to write a book about it. A great conversation between two good friends about a long, challenging, ultimately affirming personal process and choice. Get more information on Kamalamani's book and where to buy it:…
Dhammarati talks here about a new project on the system of training in Triratna. He is one of the most experienced members of the Triratna Community, having been chair of the College of Public Preceptors for a decade. He lives and works at Adhisthana, and is now the convenor of the International Council. Dhammarati reflects on what is essential in Buddhist practice: a growth of awareness which…
Parami interviews Kamalanandi and Padmavyuha about gender diversity in Triratna on the occasion of the first residential retreat for gender diverse people in our community. A timely and topical discussion about the issues raised in society generally by changes in awareness around gender – and in a particular Buddhist culture as it expands its sense of itself to be more inclusive and more forward…
Satyalila reporting from an inspiring retreat at Adhisthana in the UK for a group of volunteers who came together to help Vidyadevi and Kalyanaprabha with editorial work on the first two of the twenty-seven volumes that will make up the entire Complete Works of Sangharakshita. And to to collectively dedicate their efforts - spiritual and practical. We hear about some of what's involved - from the…
Members of the Triratna Buddhist Order on their Pan-American Convention join with women training for ordination to chant the Bodhichitta mantra for the benefit of all beings. The 'Bodhichitta' is sometimes rendered as the 'will to Enlightenment' or the 'heart-mind of Enlightenment' - signifying the complete dedication of our efforts to cultivate wisdom and compassion, in line with the Buddha's…
Viriyalila in conversation with the wonderful Saddhajoti, whose vision of a Buddhist retreat centre rising out of barren sugar cane plantation land has been fully realized here at Chintamani, near Cuernavaca in Mexico. It's a truly extraordinary achievement, and the great beauty and elegance of the place has been hugely enjoyed by all lucky enough o be attending the Triratna Buddhist Order's 2015…
As part of a meditation evoking the path of friendship and lineage, members of the Triratna Buddhist Order chant the 'kalyana mitrata' mantra in a rainstorm at Chintamani Retreat Centre in Mexico. Recorded as part of the 2015 Triratna Buddhist Order Pan-American Convention: https://thebuddhistcentre.com/tags/pan-american-2015 #mantra #chanting #harmonies #friendship #chant #singing #Buddhist…
