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Sanghadhara reflects on the Buddha's resolve to sit on the vajrasana beneath the Bodhi tree until he broke through conditioned existence and awoke. The talk explores vajrasana as the "diamond throne," drawing on an audio excerpt from Sangharakshita to unfold its meaning as the central point of the cosmos: the spiritual axis where the Buddha awakens, and where the symbolism of the vajra, the tree of life, and the Bodhi tree all meet. From there, the talk evokes Buddhist cosmology, the six elements, and the emergence of life and consciousness as part of a vast evolutionary movement that culminates in the possibility of awakening. The second half of the talk reflects on what this awakening reveals about selfhood, individuality, and reality itself. Talk given at Manchester Buddhist Centre, 2025.

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Have we got what it takes to wake up? Sanghagita follows Siddhartha Gautama's extraordinary quest to its turning point. In him we meet a seeker who turns down power, prestige and leadership, turning his back on the received wisdom of harsh asceticism, choosing instead something far more radical: to meditate alone in the comfortable shade of a beautiful tree. Here he meets Māra: tempter, accuser, embodiment of fear, desire, and doubt, unleashing everything he has to prevent Siddhartha's awakening. This talk was given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2026.

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Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate
Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: Bite-sized clips - Buddhist inspiration three times a week.
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Vessantara explores Sangharakshita's idea that fundamentally there is one spiritual experience, which has different aspects that we can unfold. Here he guides on how to contact and influence deeper levels of mind, culminating in the turning about of the basis, the transformation of the deepest level of mind. This talk was given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, 2016, as part of the series Aspects of Going For Refuge (Remastered).

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In this talk, Suryagupta discusses the language of the depths, which refers to communication beyond the surface level of experience. She begins by exploring the power of stories. Part of the series The Language of the Depths given at London Buddhist Centre, 2024.
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Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: A full, curated, quality Dharma talk, every week.
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As part of Adhisthana's 2023 Triratna Day celebrations, Saddhanandi speaks to us about the 'existential communication' that can arise between a more, and a less, experienced practitioner. A communication that can take you to the limits of your own being and encourage you to stretch beyond them. Part of the series Triratna Day Weekend: Is a Guru Necessary? Given at Adhisthana, 2023.

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Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: A full, curated, quality Dharma talk, every week.
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