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Bhadra introduces the archetypal magician, Padmasambhava, at a day for men in Bristol. He uses episodes from the magician's life to illustrate how engaging the imagination through ritual and being willing to make the journey of descent are key elements of a fruitful practice. Excerpted from the talk The Art of Ritual and Descent given at Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2016.

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Previously unreleased and, rather famously, given off-the-cuff at the London Buddhist Centre, this is an enjoyable and stirring evocation of the great Tantric Guru of Tibet by our founder, Sangharakshita. Excerpted from the talk entitled Padmasambhava, 1979.

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How do we transform our energies to realise insubstantiality - the blue-sky nature of everything? We need compost - all our 'stuff' - and the faith that everything can transform, given time. This excerpt is from the talk entitled Padmasambhava and Insubstantiality by Satyakavi given at Taraloka Retreat Centre as part of the series Mystery of Mantra, 2026.

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Suryagupta draws on her decades of Buddhist practice alongside experiences of activism, parenting, and work in the arts, to reflect on what it means to be fully human: to struggle, to long for growth, and to seek connection, meaning, and love. Excerpted from the talk Being Human given for Buddhistisches Tor Berlin, 2026. ***

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Drawing on her experience as a poet, Varasahaya discusses creativity, imagination, and the writing process as a spiritual practice. She reads some of her poems, and explains the process by which they came to birth, and what she learnt about letting go of self as she grappled with writing. Excerpted from the talk entitled Writing As Spiritual Practice given at West London Buddhist Centre, 2017. ***

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The imagination is a superpower. Buddhism offers unique tools to harness this superpower for the benefit of all beings. Sagaravajra encourages us to let the muse communicate through us.

Excerpted from the talk entitled Maps of the Imagination, given at the Buddhafield Festival as part of the series The Dharma Parlour: Buddhafield 2023 - Liberation Through Imagination.

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"Art is the organisation of sensuous impressions that express the artist's sensibility and communicate to his audience a sense of values that can transform their lives." Using his own definition, Sangharakshita investigates the relevance of art and the artist to higher evolution. Excerpted from the talk entitled Art and the Spiritual Life given as part of the series The Higher Evolution, 1969.

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Following the theme of channeling our strong emotions into energy that can be used in our spiritual practice, Paranita will be exploring how we can direct the feeling of falling in love with another person towards cultivating deeper spiritual ideals and falling in love with those. Excerpted from the talk The Rite of Fascination - Falling In Love given at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2023.

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Parami gives the introductory talk for the 2015 Triratna International Urban Retreat live in Adelaide, Australia. Her theme - and the theme of the whole retreat - is Living in the Greater Mandala, and she brings this alive in the most human, poetic, and inspired of ways. Her range is broad as she evokes the mandala itself, and the profound, playful path of the Bodhisattva. Excerpted from the talk entitled Living In The Greater Mandala recorded in Adelaide, Australia, for the Urban Retreat, 2015.

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Does my life matter? Can I really say that actions have consequences? In this short talk Kavyamani explores the Yogacara teaching of the Alaya Vijnana, commonly referred to as the storehouse consciousness, reflecting that all our actions are like seeds and at some point they will bear fruit. Excerpted from the talk Everything Matters and Nothing Is Lost, part of the series Seeds of the Heart: Talks from the Dharma Parlour, at Buddhafield, 2022.

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With precise reference to three poems by Sangharakshita, Samantabhadri explores the haiku at its best. Speaking on a Silent Retreat at Taraloka, she focuses on the evocation of the moment, on compassion and other implicit emotion, on the unworldliness of the poet and on the haiku as a communication of an insight experience. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Wonder of the Haiku given at Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2022. ***

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Sangharakshita tells the story of the Buddha's encounter with Brahma Sahampati. This lecture celebrates the anniversary of the Buddha's decision to teach, with an account of the events just after his Enlightenment. Excerpted from the talk entitled The New Man Speaks, 1971.

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More of a lively ramble than a talk, Devamitra explores of the relationship between imagination and devotion based loosely around the Ti Ratana Vandana. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Heart of Triratna given at Birmingham Buddhist Centre, 2013.

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Vidyamala introduces the key aspects of this part of the Sutta and then speaks of the importance of allowing for growth and integration in our practice. She speaks of the twin pillars of awareness and love and how mindfulness can lead to a deeper and deeper sense of connection with all of life and how kindness is a natural expression of that. She also speaks of her own practice after the recent death of her father. Excerpted from the talk Citta - Fragments On Love, part of the series An Exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta given on Gravity and Grace retreat at Rivendell, 2017.

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In this talk Dayanandi cov­ers the first of the five great stages of spir­itual exper­i­ence that develop and unfold as we pro­gress on the Path to Enlightenment — integ­ra­tion and whole­ness. Excerpted from the talk entitled Mindfulness and the Mandala of Integration, part of the series The Five Great Stages of the Spiritual Path given at Manchester Buddhist Centre, 2011.

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In Sthiranaga's exploration of this section of Canto 103, he provides some practical techniques to help keep us from becoming estranged from our meditation practice as well as tips to creatively explore the positive formulation of the precepts, which can form part of the 'enactment' of Padmasabhava's advice to Queen Ngang Chung, which leads to her liberation. Excerpted from the talk Working with the Mind given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre as part of the series Illuminations from The Guru's Heart, 2025.

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A delightful talk to mark the re-launch of 'Mitrata, a journal (now discontinued) which helped develop the systematic study of Buddhism and was especially intended for 'mitras' ('Friends'). Here, Sangharakshita tells the story of Meghiya drawing out the theme of spiritual friendship and receptivity to one's teacher. Excerpted from The Launching of the New Mitrata, 1983. ***

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A beautiful introduction by Ratnavandana to the Brahma Viharas as an integrated set of practices flowing from metta- loving-kindness. Her central image is that of a tree, deep-rooted and spreading its canopy wide as she evokes a profound, personal connection to the cultivation of the sublime abodes- loving-kindness, compassion, joy with others, and equanimity. Ratnavandana also leads a guided meditation on cultivating a connection to the Brahma Viharas. Excerpted from the talk Introduction to the Brahma Viharas (With Guided Meditation) given as part of the series Brahma Viharas - Bristol Retreat, Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2015.

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Ratnaprabha takes us through the realisations that came to the Buddha during his all night meditation under the Bodhi tree, culminating in the vision of the morning star, the Star of Healing. Its light was the first sight of the Awakened One, a light symbolising the illumination of awareness itself. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Star of Healing given at West London Buddhist Centre, 2014.

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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. This parable from the Lotus Sutra yields fascinating lessons in accepting the riches of our deepest nature. Excerpted from the talk entitled The Myth of the Return Journey by Akashadevi given at West London Buddhist Centre, 2018. ***

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