Getting Dharma On The Go
Posted on July 28, 2009, in Art of Dharma, with
The Dharma on an iPod Nano
We all need to slow down our lives so we can take time for the important things in life. However, this is not always as easy to do as some of us would like. One of the most important things to do as a practitioner of the Dharma is to study a little bit each day in addition to meditating. As much as we hate to say it, most of us are to busy to stop and find time to study the Dharma. Luckily, we are fortunate enough to be able to take the Dharma with us. How? Well there are many different ways but in this blog post I will be covering podcasts.
iTunes Buddhist Podcast Selection
A Podcast is a feed of audio or video files updated periodically, quite similar to a blog. You can find Podcasts on a myriad of different subjects. Mahayana Buddhists are know for their adaptation to the latest advances in society. Because of this they have taken on Podcasting (the process of posting Podcasts) and used it to their advantage. As practitioners we can also use podcasts to our advantage, and that is actually what they are intended for. Most major buddhist teachers have podcasts of their own that are available for download. Their podcasts are usually a running feed of their teachings made available to us through the internet. So how do you get a podcast? Well there are a variety of podcast directories on the internet but the easiest is to download them for free through Apple’s iTunes. Once you have the Podcasts on iTunes you can watch them on your computer (which isn’t helpful if your on the go all the time like myself) or burn them to a CD, transfer them to your iPod or iPhone, and take them with you. Now that you have them on a laptop, CD, or iPod you can study the Dharma on your commute to work, in a waiting room, or on your next flight to Prague. Below I have posted a list of podcasts on iTunes. Don’t forget to download iTunes first by clicking here!
Podcasts:
- Teachings by his Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Lama Sumati Marut Audio Teachings
- Lama Sumati Marut Video Teachings
- Daily Buddhism
- Buddhist Geeks
- Zen Cast
- Dharma Seed
- These are just a few… Please share any podcasts you find helpful in the comments below.
Thanks so much for the informative post about Dharma podcasts! I actually started listening to Zen Cast about six months ago, and Gil Fronsdale is great! I look forward to downloading and listening to posts from the remaining podcasts you have mentioned.
I highly recommend audiodharma.org — they have hundreds, if not thousands, of fantastic talks, mostly by Gil Fronsdal, but by many other teachers as well!
I also recommend Tara Brach’s excellent talks, which you can find at http://www.imcw.org
I’ll be checking out these others you list too. Thanks much!
ITunes has hundreds of Dharma talks for free. The Bob Thurman Podcast is very easy to understand. Berkeley Buddhist Monastery currently has weekly lectures on the Ten Grounds chapters from the Avatamsaka Sutra. Also try the “wholesome listening, limitless potential” of Dharma Radio. For more podcasts check out our post Dharma On The Go! Share the Dharma! September 11th, 2009 Lewis & Pansy Buddhist Learning Center