| The Buddhist Centre

Centre Team

Taking Darshan (Dharmabytes Podcasts)

From Free Buddhist Audio on Mon, 11 Aug, 2025 - 12:20

Urgyen Sangharakshita - Bhante - who died last year, is not only the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order and Community, but also teacher and spiritual friend to Padmavajra. Padmavajra first met him when he was 17 and in this talk he shares some of his own most cherished memories of Bhante, including his experiences of being with him in India when he returned there in the 1970’s to found the Order there. Excerpted from the talk...

Centre Team

Bodhisattvas and Buddhas (Dharmabytes Podcast)

From Free Buddhist Audio on Mon, 11 Aug, 2025 - 10:48

Aryajaya explores Sangharakshita’s relationship to his teachers, who form the lineage for the Triratna Buddhist Order. A lovely exploration of the experience of relationship to the Bodhisattvas of Buddhist tradition via meditations passed from teacher to disciple, evoking a wide open sense of connection to the great beauty they represent. Excerpted from the talk Sangharakshita’s First Connection with His Teachers and Receiving Practices given as part of the series Themes from...

Sahananda

Death of the Former Ratnavira

From Order Connection on Sat, 9 Aug, 2025 - 18:31

Death of the Former Ratnavira

From Order Connection on Sat, 9 Aug, 2025 - 18:31

Ian Tolley - formerly Ratnavira - passed away this morning, 9th August at his home in Inverness.

In May this year he was diagnosed with terminal cancer associated with a tumour in his spine. He had recently been receiving palliative care at home and received visits from Friends and order members. In the past few days there had been a loss of communication. Today he passed away with his sister and wife Martha present.

He was ordained by Sangharakshita in August 1977 and took...

Read more about Death of the Former Ratnavira

Centre Team

Bhante and the Bodhisattva Spirit (FBA Podcast)

From Free Buddhist Audio on Sat, 9 Aug, 2025 - 11:00

Dayanandi shares how she was encouraged and inspired by Bhante’s teachings on the Bodhicitta spirit. “Bhante encouraging shared collective community the creative conditions challenged us to go beyond us. As we were young and had a lot of energy, we took on Bhante’s task of creating the conditions for the Bodhicitta to arise. It was spiritually nurturing to attend Bhante’s lectures. They were very strong. It was through Bhante’s dedicated, clear mind and friendliness, by him sharing...

Centre Team

Final Journey to Ordination (Dharmabytes Podcast)

From Free Buddhist Audio on Fri, 8 Aug, 2025 - 13:15

Saddhaloka explores the key aspects of any practitioner’s commitment, Going Forth and Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels, evoking how Sangharakshita engaged with these formative acts as foundations of his own practice in India at the end of the Second World War. With an introduction by Dhammarati.Excerpted from the talk Going Forth And Going For Refuge as part of the series Themes from the Dharma Life of Urgyen Sangharakshita (Triratna International Council 2019).
...

Centre Team

My Life and the FWBO

From Sangharakshita 100: A Celebration on Thu, 7 Aug, 2025 - 22:09

My Life and the FWBO

From Sangharakshita 100: A Celebration on Thu, 7 Aug, 2025 - 22:09

The Triratna Video Library is back celebrating Sangharakshita’s 100th birth anniversary with another freshly edited never-before-seen talk by Bhante from the archive. The release for August is a talk entitled ‘My Life and the FWBO’.

In 2002 Sangharakshita offered his support to the new FWBO (Triratna) sangha by giving three public talks in Kraków, Poland. In this second talk he recounted his life story from early bed-bound days, discovering Buddhism, army life, travels across India, life in...

Vajrapriya

Shabda Special: Sangharakshita Centenary Issue

From Order Connection on Thu, 7 Aug, 2025 - 15:05

Shabda Special: Sangharakshita Centenary Issue

From Order Connection on Thu, 7 Aug, 2025 - 15:05

August 26th is the 100th anniversary of Sangharakshita’s birth - the highlight of the Centenary that is being marked throughout the year. The International Order Office team and International Order Convenor, Vajrapriya, would like to invite you to contribute to the October issue of Shabda. This will be a special Centenary issue, similar to the successful 50th anniversary issue of Shabda last October. It is an opportunity to reflect on our relationship to Bhante and, in particular, to...