Touching the Void

FromFree Buddhist Audio

Start listening View podcast show

Touching the Void

FromFree Buddhist Audio

ratings:

Length:

68 minutes

Released:

Jul 14, 2005

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

In this moving talk Jnanavaca relates events in Joe Simpson’s popular mountaineering book ‘Touching the Void’ to aspects of Buddhist practice. For more talks and to help us keep this free, visit freebuddhistaudio.com

Released:

Jul 14, 2005

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Free Buddhist Audio has been serving free recordings of high quality, full-length Dharma talks since 2006. Over 3 million downloads and counting... Get our free weekly Dharma talk podcast with inspiring speakers on Buddhism, meditation and mindfulness. Tune in, be inspired!

Skip carousel

Anapanasati – Meditation on the Breath: Core meditation teaching from Viveka. Here is her fresh and vibrant take on the traditional practice of anapanasati - mindfulness with breathing. Using the breath as a stabilizing presence, this series of reflections is designed to help us discover the... by Free Buddhist Audio
1 min listen
Out of Compassion for the World: In this talk, "Out of Compassion for the World", Parami explores the theme of the Buddha's compassionate action and how ultimately it came from beyond self, beyond other - it emerged from his realisation of 'Emptiness'. by Free Buddhist Audio
47 min listen
Standing on Emptiness: View, Meditation, and Action: A lovely, thoughtful exploration of the traditional Buddhist path of ethics, meditation and wisdom, using poetry and the ideas of contemporary science to evoke the mystery that lies at the heart of practice. by Free Buddhist Audio
1 min listen
Understanding Karma and Buddhist Ethics: A good, pithy introduction from Nagapriya (not to say quirky - check out the soccer references!) to the traditionally thorny and rather misunderstood area of karma and rebirth, teasing out its relationship to Buddhist ethics in general. by Free Buddhist Audio
1 min listen
How to Relate – by Jinananda: In this talk Jinananda gives us some practical tips on good communication and healthy relationships. He brings in the Buddha's words from the Sigalaka Sutta to illustrate some of the ways relationships were managed in the Buddha's time. by Free Buddhist Audio
42 min listen
Padmasambhava: Ok, buckle up. 'Padmasambhava' by Danavira is, as we've come to expect from the man, a rollicking ride of a talk. Actually, 'talk' doesn't really do it justice: try incantation, wrong-footing evocation, dramatic monologue and enactment through storytel... by Free Buddhist Audio
65 min listen
Buddhism and Ecology: This is a fascinating, challenging and, in the end, realistically affirming look at Buddhist practice in the face of global climate crisis. What can we do? How can we change the ways we think and respond to the seemingly insurmountable problems the pla... by Free Buddhist Audio
1 min listen
The Sound of Reality: Fabulous stuff from Padmavajra. This richly rewarding talk explores the place and function of sound in Buddhist practice and history, as well as within the speaker's own spiritual life. A wide-ranging cultural journey is made from John Coltrane to Sufi... by Free Buddhist Audio
58 min listen
Introduction to Mind and Mental Events: A new year's talk by Subhuti to help dust away all those mental cobwebs hanging over from the last one! Just the thing for sharpening your wits, deepening your understanding of the thorny area that is ethics, by Free Buddhist Audio
1 min listen
Mindfulness For Just About Everything (Part 1): This is a timely and invaluable talk from Paramabandhu. Drawing on many years of experience as a consultant psychiatrist and Dharma teacher, he invites us to consider the lessons Buddhist techniques around meditation and mindfulness training can bring ... by Free Buddhist Audio
41 min listen
How To Keep In Touch: Lalitavira's splendid talk on mindfulness - especially mindfulness of the body - is here to ground you! Through vivid imagery, we encounter the root practice of Buddhism as it appears in earliest times. In doing so, by Free Buddhist Audio
1 min listen
Mindfulness of Reality: In 'Mindfulness of Reality', the excellent Kulananda (Michael Chaskalson) brings a welcome compass to the maze of Buddhist teachings around the nature of existence itself. After all, it's not easy, is it? Impermanence, dependent arising, becoming, etc. by Free Buddhist Audio
41 min listen
Breaking the Mould: A sparkling discussion from 2003 on the use of images for accessing the Buddhist tradition. And an indispensable exploration of everyday practice of the Dharma in the beautiful light of the Tathagathagarbha Sutra. by Free Buddhist Audio
1 min listen
Touching the Void: In this moving talk Jnanavaca relates events in Joe Simpson's popular mountaineering book 'Touching the Void' to aspects of Buddhist practice. For more talks and to help us keep this free, visit freebuddhistaudio.com by Free Buddhist Audio
68 min listen
Buddhism and Quantum Physics: Jnanavaca is back! Last time it was mountaineering (see our very first podcast), this time it's Einstein, Schroedinger, double slits, and all that stuff you wished you understood about quantum physics but despaired of ever knowing so as to impress at p... by Free Buddhist Audio
1 min listen
Three Visions of the Buddha: The Buddha as lover, as master of enchantments, as a vision of the sky. In this talk, Candradasa presents the story of the Buddha's life as a backdrop to three visions of practice, focussing on a progression through love and corresponding to the tradit... by Free Buddhist Audio
67 min listen
Staying at Home, Dancing with the Universe: Another excellent talk, from the Buddhafield project. Amaragita takes a look at Buddhist practice in the light of parenting, and has a lot of good things to say about the everyday business of staying with our experience, by Free Buddhist Audio
35 min listen
Vajrapani – Energy Unlimited: To get us moving again now the new site is up and running, here's a cracking and wonderfully detailed talk by Vessantara, author of 'Meeting the Buddhas'. He is the ideal person to introduce us to the complex and fascinating Tantric figure of Vajrapani... by Free Buddhist Audio
77 min listen
Is the Immanent Buddha a Fallacy?: Happy Holidays, Everyone! So, this is as close as we could get to a Christmas edition... You know, 'Buddha Nature - easily confused for 'incarnation', all that... - No? Oh, well, what this most definitely is is an absolute cracker of a talk from Saga... by Free Buddhist Audio
53 min listen
The Early Teachings of the Buddha: The teachings that Ratnaguna explores in this talk are all from the Sutta Nipata â€“ one of the earliest of Buddhist texts. His sub-title is the rather intriguing: 'The Dharma before Buddhism'. You might say that when it comes to the Sutta Nipata, by Free Buddhist Audio
44 min listen
Death and the Buddhist: This is pretty fantastic in its way. Danavira is one of the best speakers we know - he is very funny, can do poetic and profound, tends to the chaotic in his style, and has a particular genius for this kind of thing; this kind of thing being talking ab... by Free Buddhist Audio
66 min listen
All One Gorgeous Mistake: A jewelled casket of a talk by Vajradarshini, with poetic accompaniment. Rumi meets Tsongkhapa in the Tavern of Ruin, and Dogen, Milarepa and Nagarjuna join them to talk about 'self' and 'world'. Joanna Macy turns up too â€” then many voices, by Free Buddhist Audio
1 min listen
The Diamond Sutra: This is a gem of a talk from Abhaya. With his customary dry wit and sharp eye he leads us on the crazy paving path through the Diamond Sutra â€” a text guaranteed to turn your world upside-down. Some very funny parts to this talk â€” and some ex by Free Buddhist Audio
1 min listen
Simplicity: Kamalashila has spent a lot of his adult life exploring meditation - and this talk is a lovely little foray into the whole subject as a crucial aspect in life and practice, with special consideration given to reflection on the six elements. Oh, by Free Buddhist Audio
56 min listen
Akshobya: Settle back and touch base with this very enjoyable and, at times, inspiring talk by Saddharaja on the great blue Buddha of the eastern quarter of the mandala - the Unshakeable One, the Imperturbable Akshobya. by Free Buddhist Audio
41 min listen
Shinran and Kabat-Zinn: This wonderful talk by Ratnaguna looks at the Pureland tradition of Shinran, comparing some of his approaches to those of the contemporary teacher John Kabat-Zinn, pioneer of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. by Free Buddhist Audio
1 min listen
Amoghasiddhi – Lord of the Midnight Sun: Vaddhaka can usually be relied on to give a pretty great talk - and this is no exception. Here we have a real treat - a terrific, energetic exploration of the green Buddha of the north: Amoghasiddhi (Dundubishvara), the Unobstructed One. by Free Buddhist Audio
36 min listen
Pain and Suffering by Ratnaguna: Pain and Suffering is the first of two talks that Ratnaguna gave earlier this year at the Stockholm Buddhist Centre. He explores the whole area of feeling, both pleasant and painful, but especially the pain side of the spectrum. Using storytelling, by Free Buddhist Audio
60 min listen
We Have a Huge Barrel of Wine But No Cups: Time for another talk from Vajradarshini. More poetry, more Rumi, more listening joy. Actually, we just liked the title so much we had to go for it this month - but, in fact, it's another splendid journey around the idea of Enlightenment, by Free Buddhist Audio
53 min listen
What is Mind?: This is the first in a series of talks from the Western Buddhist Order Convention in 2001 offering different perspectives on the Abhidharma and exploring from a personal perspective what the study of the 51 Mental Events can tell us about our minds and... by Free Buddhist Audio
48 min listen

More Episodes from Free Buddhist Audio

Skip carousel

Free Buddhist Audio - Is A Guru Necessary (Revisited): revisits Sangharakshita's classic 1970 lecture. In this energetic and playful talk Ksantikara adds his own reflections to Sangharakshita's original list of what a Guru is not (not the head of a religious group, not a teacher, not a father/mother... by Free Buddhist Audio
53 min listen
Breaking the Bonds of Selfhood Through Serving the Dhamma: Here is a strong, beautiful talk by from the final day of the 's International Convention 2013 in India, bringing us back to the task in hand as members of the Order and as Buddhists: engaging with breaking the fetters and weakening the hold that... by Free Buddhist Audio
51 min listen
Launch of The Buddhist Vision and the Dhammapada: Here is a recently re-discovered little lost delight - launching each other's books and clearly enjoying themselves. Sangharakshita's in fine humour - and it's great to hear him read and quote from the bible! Is that a twinkle in his voice? ... by Free Buddhist Audio
28 min listen
Lion's Roar - Why Integration = Love: explores integration as a process of meeting Mara in her life and in scenes in the life of the Buddha, and the fulfillment of integration during the Buddha's last days of exquisite love. This talk was given at , 2018. *** Subscribe to our Free... by Free Buddhist Audio
51 min listen
Celebrating the Buddha Pingiya's Praises to the Way to the Beyond: In this talk explores these beautiful verses which evoke the Buddha, his qualities and the profundity of his teaching. This talk was given at , 2014. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: | | A full, curated, quality Dharma... by Free Buddhist Audio
47 min listen
The Jataka Stories: In an excellent and thorough introduction to the Jataka tales, explains the value of stories of the Buddha's past lives and how they originated. She tells the stories of the Hare in the Moon and the Monkey King. This talk was given at the , 2017. ... by Free Buddhist Audio
33 min listen
Kasyapa and the Flower: In a striking and inspiring talk, tells the life story of the Buddha's disciple Kasyapa: the Buddha uniquely said that Kasyapa would have gained enlightenment even without his help. The crescendo is a mysterious transmission when the Buddha held up... by Free Buddhist Audio
47 min listen
Let Your Inner Riches Shine: The most human thing to do is to keep being kind. Generosity helps you build connection and community. explores the themes of generosity and abundance. Talk given at , 2008. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: | | A full,... by Free Buddhist Audio
58 min listen
An Example of Sanity and Compassion in the World: This talk is a commentary on, and a homage to, Sangharakshita's talk ''. This seminal talk applies not only to nuclear war, but any major difficulty the world faces. In this talk, explores Sangharakshita's analysis of the problems we are facing as a... by Free Buddhist Audio
49 min listen
Challenges of the New Society: In this talk sets out a vision of the 'Power of the Dhamma' as a force within the nature of reality that leads to growth and development. This is the Dhamma Niyama, to reify it is a mistake, but to deny it leaves us with an impoverished sense of the... by Free Buddhist Audio
59 min listen
On War: War, destruction and conflict are on the increase in the world, as are conflicted and destructive individual lives. How do we live in a way that brings about a less conflicted world and a more creative, integrated way of being? explores this complex... by Free Buddhist Audio
56 min listen
The Transforming Power of Conflict: gave an inspiring and practical talk sharing her extensive understanding and experience of peace making. She illustrated different approaches of peacemaking in relation to the five aspects of the spiritual path. And focused on how we can create the... by Free Buddhist Audio
51 min listen
The Buddha's Liberating Vision: explores the glimpses of the Buddha's liberating vision found in the Ariyapariyesana sutta, focusing on the Buddha's description of Reality in terms of pratitya samutpada (conditionality) and his response to Brahma Sahampati's request to teach the... by Free Buddhist Audio
55 min listen
The Longing For Liberation: In this talk, takes us on a vivid journey starting with the Buddha's exploration of what is the noble quest, moving into personal examples of the ignoble and noble quests in her own life. Vajratara invites us to look at our own motivation, our own... by Free Buddhist Audio
66 min listen
In the Footsteps of the Buddha - A Noble Path: gives the first of a two-part talk on the first two of the 4 Noble Truths, evoking the miraculous communication of the Buddha’s dharma. Talk given as part of Dharma Day 2023 at the and marking the 25th anniversary of the opening of the current... by Free Buddhist Audio
29 min listen
Four Noble Truths - Satipatthana Sutta: ends a series of talks on the Satipatthana Sutta, looking at the Four Noble Truths, and focusing on the first two. Talk given at , 2018. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: | | A full, curated, quality Dharma talk, every week.... by Free Buddhist Audio
55 min listen
The Dakini and the Skull Garland: Tantric Buddhism is concerned with the direct experience of who we are and what we can become. Its aim is to help us realize our potential by transforming the energy locked in by old habits, fears, and views. This experience cannot be mediated by... by Free Buddhist Audio
47 min listen
The Elusive Dakini: Don’t listen to this talk if you want a straightforward explanation of what a dakini may or may not be. In fact, what is prompting you to listen to a talk on the dakini in the first place? talks around the theme in this rousing exploration of the... by Free Buddhist Audio
43 min listen
The Buddha Here and Now: evokes the spirit of Tantric Buddhism, which transforms the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha from abstract ideals into living qualities of our present experience. He explores the guru, the yidam and the dakini as Tantric embodiments of Enlightenment here and... by Free Buddhist Audio
50 min listen
Meeting the Buddha Through Imagination: The Buddha lived 2,500 years ago, so how can we meet him and open ourselves to the inspiration and resources that come from him? Through imagination we can cultivate the capacity to meet the Buddha on an archetypal level. This can have a... by Free Buddhist Audio
35 min listen
Creative Spaces and Sacred Spaces: Contexts For Transformation: Within the arena of the visual arts, the studios where renowned artists create their works have become the subject of intense interest and scrutiny. In Buddhism, there is a tradition of creating inspiring and beautiful spaces for spiritual practice.... by Free Buddhist Audio
51 min listen
10 Points For An Awakening Sangha: Sangha is not just a cosy group of people, it is a context for transformation on the path to Awakening. explores 10 points on how we can transform through the practice of sangha. Given in the context of Sangha Day at the , 2017. *** Subscribe to... by Free Buddhist Audio
56 min listen
Meeting Spiritual Friends: Speaking personally about stepping onto the Buddhist path, shares stories of spiritual friendship in the context of his own life and reflected in the work of Gampopa’s Jewel Ornament of Liberation. The work, inspired by devotion to Manjusri, is... by Free Buddhist Audio
66 min listen
The Sevenfold Puja: Salutation: Here offers reflections on the third verse of Triratna’s Sevenfold Puja, Salutation, by exploring the range of possible responses we can have to Buddhism, from contentment with worldly life, to intellectual agreement with Buddhism, or to the... by Free Buddhist Audio
36 min listen
The Buddha Vandana - Revering the Highest Ideal: What is the central focus of our lives? shares a story from the Buddhist tradition where the monk Mahanama asks the Buddha; “What dwelling places (of the mind) shall we live in?” This talk was given at , 2018, as part of the series . ***... by Free Buddhist Audio
55 min listen
A Deeper Rhythm: explores the dynamic vision of Urgyen Sangharakshita in setting up a new Buddhist movement in the West, and asks how we might relate to him now. His central reference point in this provocative and moving talk is the Padmasambhava Abisheka - the... by Free Buddhist Audio
55 min listen
Breaking Through Psychological Conditioning: In this talk , based on Sangharakshita's 1969 talk 'Breaking through to Buddhahood', shares some of his experience as an Order Member to illustrate how we might move beyond our unhelpful psychological conditioning. This talk was given as part of the... by Free Buddhist Audio
75 min listen
Answering the Call: If we ignore the call of our higher potential, it often clamors louder! In this personal talk, , with characteristic ease and intelligence relates Sangharakshita’s Five Great Stages of the Path to her own journey so far. This talk was given on... by Free Buddhist Audio
66 min listen
The Alchemy of Meditation - Desire: How do we keep our meditation alive and fresh - especially over the long-term? Can we get lost and bogged down in our meditation and lose connection with creativity, play, and freshness? How do we go deeper? Responding to these questions, looks at... by Free Buddhist Audio
26 min listen
Doubt as Hindrance: This is a great introduction to the basic Buddhist methods of working with doubts based on unhelpful confusion, in meditation and in general practice. explores the relationship between doubt and suffering, and highlights the ways in which we can... by Free Buddhist Audio
43 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Touching the Void

Touching the Void

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Free Buddhist Audio