Cambridge Buddhist Centre Talks
These talks have all been given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre and uploaded to the Free Buddhist Audio website.
The second in our series of Public Talks 'What do Buddhists think...?'. Sagaraghosa speaks on Buddhism and Physics.
As part of our series of talks 'What do Buddhists think...?, Vajrasadhu talks on The Arts.
A talk as part of Buddha Day 2012 at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre
Arthapriya explores the Buddhist understanding of what we call reality, and how it is less common sensical than we might imagine. In particular, he questions how much our 'outside world' is in fact so strongly conditioned by our state of mind.
Covering karma, emptiness,...
Covering karma, emptiness,...
Drawing together modern neuroscience, positive psychology and traditional Buddhist teachings, Ruchiraketu explores how compassion is an intrinsic mode of the mind, but one that can so easily be overwhelmed by another mode akin to fight or flight response.
He also looks at how compassion...
He also looks at how compassion...
Vajradevi explores bliss, happiness, joy and their relationship to the Buddhist path. What stops us feeling happy more of the time? Is there a difference between freedom of desire and freedom from desire?
Last of a series of four talks entitled 'The Powers of the Mind' given at...
Last of a series of four talks entitled 'The Powers of the Mind' given at...
A pithy talk exploring the Buddha's practical suggestions to find greater freedom in one's life - genuine freedom that does not rely on external factors to give a sense of freedom.
Third in a series of four talks given at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre in 2011 on the theme '...
Third in a series of four talks given at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre in 2011 on the theme '...
What if all of our emotional and spiritual problems were caused by an incorrect understanding of our true nature? Vajrapriya explores the Buddha's insight that our commonsense assumptions about ourselves are the source of our suffering.
Unpicking those assumptions is the first step...
Unpicking those assumptions is the first step...
As part of Buddha Day festival, in this impassioned talk Padmavajra evokes the Buddha through the early descriptions of him, in particular the complete blissful freedom of his being. He discusses the necessity of an integration of the 'pleasure principle' and the 'reality principle...
In this short talk given to a group of men, Vajrapriya explores masculine energy in archetypal terms, before talking about energy in its Buddhist application, where it's known as virya.
The talk finishes with an evocation of the transcendental archetype of energy, the Bodhisattva...
The talk finishes with an evocation of the transcendental archetype of energy, the Bodhisattva...
A robust talk by Sagaraghosa, critiquing structural elements of our society from a Buddhist standpoint, and exploring what we can do to bring about a society more in line with Reality.
Last of three talks in the series 'Reality and What to Do About It'
Last of three talks in the series 'Reality and What to Do About It'
Vajrapriya takes the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path - rebranding it as the Meaningful Eightfold Path - and considers how its eight areas contribute to a meaningful life, and how following it eventually eliminates the whole problem of meaninglessness.
Second of three public talks in...
Second of three public talks in...
Arthapriya explores the Buddhist understanding of what we call reality, and how it is less common sensical than we might imagine. In particular, he questions how much our 'outside world' is in fact so strongly conditioned by our state of mind.
Covering karma, emptiness,...
Covering karma, emptiness,...
An overview talk at the start of a weekend studying the imagination. Subhuti gives some background to his conversations with Bhante over the last 18 months and then launches into an overview of the latest conversations he's had - on the subject of the imagination.
In his fifth talk on the theme of Imagination Subhuti comes to the Buddha and how we relate to him. Possibly the most interesting material of the series he explores what it would mean to engage with the Buddha more from our cultural context; taking great inspiration from the Buddhist cultures of...
In his fourth talk on the theme of the Imagination Subhuti enters the world of art and aesthetics. Of course based on what Sangharakshita says in the 'Religion of Art' he is however keen to emphasis the natural and uncomplicated aspects of art - it doesn't need to be Shakespeare and...
The third talk given to Cambridge Order members on the theme of Imagination. This talk revolves around seeing the world as alive. In 'Living with Awareness' Bhante muses that a world that is not seen as alive is not one in which enlightenment is possible; Subhuti unpacks the significance...
The second part of the discussion about the history of Imagination, specifically in the West but also with reference to India and 'global culture'. Subhuti tries to give an overview of why and how the Imagination is important; whilst also communicating some of the potential pitfalls of...
A weekend of Study with the Cambridge Order. Subhuti introduced material from a recent conversation with Sangharakashita on the topic of Imagination. In this session Subhuti launches into a history of Imagination within Western Culture, of necessity it involves broad brush-strokes, but none the...
The 14th of October 1956 marked a historic event in Buddhist and world history; the conversion of Dr Ambedkar and 400,000 of his followers to Buddhism.
In this talk Subhuti paints a picture of Dr Ambedkar was and what he achieved, weaved into this is a exhortation to genuinely practice...
In this talk Subhuti paints a picture of Dr Ambedkar was and what he achieved, weaved into this is a exhortation to genuinely practice...
The third of three short talks given on Padmasambhava Day, exploring how to transform the 'demons' of the contemporary world.
The first of three short talks given on Padmasambhava Day, exploring the demons that we meet in the contemporary world, and how to transform them.
In celebration of Padmasambhava, a series of short talks were given on the theme of "Taming the Demons of the Modern World."
Choice is something we all have - we have the choice to act the way we act, the choice in the way we live our lives, which is very positive. The Demon of...
Choice is something we all have - we have the choice to act the way we act, the choice in the way we live our lives, which is very positive. The Demon of...
A talk given in the buildup to Padmasambhava Day, to explore this crucial aphorism and approach of Padmasambhava, given in the title.
Vajrapriya makes the link between this saying, and Sangharakshita's explanation of the Noble Eightfold Path as a path of Vision and Transformation;...
Vajrapriya makes the link between this saying, and Sangharakshita's explanation of the Noble Eightfold Path as a path of Vision and Transformation;...
On the eve of the historic change of name to the Triratna Buddhist Community, Vajrapriya explores just what it means to go for refuge to the three Jewels.
He uses the image of the mandala to talk about the dynamics of making changes in ones life, and the difficulty and conflict that...
He uses the image of the mandala to talk about the dynamics of making changes in ones life, and the difficulty and conflict that...
The Dhatuvibhanga Sutta - the Exposition of the Elements - tells the story of a meeting between the Buddha and a young monk called Pukkusati. The young monk doesn't at first realise who he is sharing his lodgings with. He is just very grateful the next morning for the offer of some help with...
A talk given to a mixture of Buddhists and general public as part of a Science Festival.
He explores how both science and Buddhism both have their own internal critiques.
Cambridge Buddhist Centre, Open Day 2009
He explores how both science and Buddhism both have their own internal critiques.
Cambridge Buddhist Centre, Open Day 2009
A lovely talk here from the excellent Dhivan. Be prepared for the odd surprise as he considers the relationship between what we think we may know about the Buddha, and what the historical evidence suggests. As Dhivan sifts the information that's come down to us, we meet several different...
Here's a splendid and wonderfully detailed talk from Dharmavira about the life of one of Tibetan Buddhism's great guru's of the modern age (whose name is also sometimes written 'Chetul Sangye Dorje'). This was given as part of a series looking at Sangharakshita's main...