Lama Surya Das

[nowhereman]

Lama Surya Das - Awakening to the Sacred: Creating a Personal Spiritual Life [eBook - ePUB]
Lama Surya Das, author of the bestselling Awakening the Buddha Within, is the most highly trained American lama in the Tibetan tradition. In this elegant, inspiring book, he integrates essential Buddhist practices with a variety of other spiritual philosophies and wisdom traditions, to show you how to create a personalized spiritual practice based on your own individual beliefs, aspirations, and needs. Through reflections on his own life quest, thoughtful essays, and entertaining stories, Surya Das examines the common themes at the heart of any spiritual path, including faith, doubt, love, compassion, creativity, self-inquiry, and transformation. He then explores prayer, yoga, chanting, guided meditations, breathing exercises, and myriad other rituals, providing practical examples of each that we can use day-to-day to nurture our inner spirit.

Surya Das is like a Buddhist Johnny Appleseed, galavanting across the countryside, planting seeds of spirituality in bare patches of ground. He believes that we are all fertile soil for cultivating the sacred in everyday life. "We all have spiritual DNA," he says. In Awakening to the Sacred, Surya Das heightens his efforts to increase the planet's spirituality quotient by teaching people how to take advantage of their own spiritual resources. Whether Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, or atheist, we can all enhance our spiritual side. Certainly meditating is a good way, and there's no one better to teach us than this limpid lama. But even more familiar activities can help, like praying, creating a spiritual notebook, or reading spiritual books--even gardening and walking count. Surya Das excels at demystifying the mystical and urges the reader to capitalize on resources closest at hand. No need to look too far when we can draw inspiration and practices from our own traditions. So take that apple seed, thumb through Awakening to the Sacred, and nourish those precious roots of spirituality. --Brian Bruya

The truth is that I feel as though I learn as much from my students as they do from me, writes Surya Das, an American lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and the author of the popular Awakening the Buddha. Here in the West, he adds, it seems appropriate that student and teacher should share Dharma in this way, finding their way together. In this affable, conversational tour of spiritual ideas and practices, the author, calling himself a spiritual player-coach, reaches out to the broad audience in this country who experience spiritual longing yet arent harnessed to a particular teacher or tradition. Dividing his book into three sections, Surya Das moves from a discussion of such major themes as rebirth and faith to spiritual practices, giving clear, simple instructions in meditation and the cultivation of the moment-by-moment awareness that Buddhists call mindfulness. With a disarming lack of pretension or reticence, the author explains his personal take on fasting, psychotherapy and prayer. Some of the prayers that I use include the concept of God or Divine Source or spirit, he writes. As a Buddhist and a Westerner, I am completely comfortable doing this. Others may feel differently. The book concludes with Surya Dass description of his own Buddhist tradition of Dzogchen: Dzogchen is about recognizing and realizing who we are. The author emphasizes that Dzogchen is grounded in principles of naturalness, openness and authenticity, and he demonstrates these qualities throughout. Offering the reader fresh, authentic impressions that are clearly the result of his own spiritual work and reflection, Surya Das emerges here as a genial post-denominational spiritual teacher, one whose straightforward approach to the esoteric deserves to reach a wide readership.

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[silver]

I picked up a book at the library by him, 'buddha standard time, awakening to the infinite,' and although I'm only to page 21, it seems a smooth read and I look forward to finishing it.

on the back cover...

'Lama Surya Das offers a wise and sane way to navigate these times.  This pragmatic book will be illuminating and helpful for anyone wishing to find the timeless amid the rush of time."
--Joseph Goldstein, author of One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism and A Heart Full of Peace.

[silver]

 

Now that I've finished Stephen Batchelor's book, I picked up this one again (buddha standard time) and have run into a couple paragraphs from chapter one that I'd like to share:

Cultivating awareness and appreciation of the present moment helps us feel more centered: we can keep our ship aright amid stormy seas and relax when the waters are calm, without extremes in either situation.  It helps to learn to take the pressure off ourselves with our endless responsibilities and lists.

Ten years ago I was having diner with Joseph Goldstein, an old friend and pioneering Western Buddhist Dharma teacher.  We were discussing work and common friends in our extended spiritual family.  During dessert, I was telling him what my late Dzogche meditation master Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche had told me on his deathbed in Dordogne, France.  I mentioned that, among other things, he had charged me with the mission of identifying one hundred disciples and Dharma-heirs (lienage successors).  I told Joseph how that felt like a great endorsement fro my enlightened master, yet also a huge challenge and an almost impossible feat.  And Joseph told me what he had learned:  you don't have to do it all right now, or even in this lifetime! 

That felt like a huge relief.  Ever since then, whenever I face a large task I say to myself, "Not all right now."  Take the pressure off when you can by repeating the same words.

[silver]

Just a tidbit I want to share from the book mentioned above, from chapter 2:

As time-bound beings, we need to go through the progressive stages of growth...before we can realize our intrinsic interdependence and the autonomy and freedom of our higher Self.  This is simply healthy psychological development.  Carl Jung said that the first half of our lives is spent developing an egoic self, and proposed that the second half be devoted to transcending it.  A child is not ready to transcend the ordinary, everyday self because he or she is still developing one.  But we shouldn't disparage the small self.  It is, after all, a part of our higher Self in the same way that time is part of the timeless.  Think of your small self as a gleam in the eye of your Buddha-nature.

Onward and inward, I like to say.  Growing up and growing "in," to become your authentic self can be a real challenge.  First, you have to strive to recognize and acknowledge the limitations of your small self and compassionately accept all your warts, because denying or ignoring your problems sidesteps the issue at great cost.  In this moment, could you easily list your likes and dislikes, inclinations, aversions, bad habits and good sense, hot buttons, blind spots and prejudices, greatest hits and flops?  Try it.  For the basic principle of enlightened living is seeing things as they are.

While retaining a modicum of healthy self-esteem--that is the Middle Way--you should not allow yourself to feel that you are more special than anyone or anything else.  And thinking you're worse than others is simply another form of narcissism.  For rest assured, none of us, neither saint nor sinner, is closer to God or Buddha than any other; we all possess Buddha-nature.  How can we be any closer to our higher Selves, which are already closer to us than our breath and our blood?

 I thought this was really good, and expresses what others on the forum here have said and are saying, at times.

I'd like to know if what I'm sharing from these books strikes anyone as inspirational or especially meaningful. 
Please feel free to share any thoughts you might have.

[zendancer]

Oct 29, 2014 22:57:40 GMT -5 silver said:

Just a tidbit I want to share from the book mentioned above, from chapter 2:

As time-bound beings, we need to go through the progressive stages of growth...before we can realize our intrinsic interdependence and the autonomy and freedom of our higher Self.  This is simply healthy psychological development.  Carl Jung said that the first half of our lives is spent developing an egoic self, and proposed that the second half be devoted to transcending it.  A child is not ready to transcend the ordinary, everyday self because he or she is still developing one.  But we shouldn't disparage the small self.  It is, after all, a part of our higher Self in the same way that time is part of the timeless.  Think of your small self as a gleam in the eye of your Buddha-nature.

Onward and inward, I like to say.  Growing up and growing "in," to become your authentic self can be a real challenge.  First, you have to strive to recognize and acknowledge the limitations of your small self and compassionately accept all your warts, because denying or ignoring your problems sidesteps the issue at great cost.  In this moment, could you easily list your likes and dislikes, inclinations, aversions, bad habits and good sense, hot buttons, blind spots and prejudices, greatest hits and flops?  Try it.  For the basic principle of enlightened living is seeing things as they are.

While retaining a modicum of healthy self-esteem--that is the Middle Way--you should not allow yourself to feel that you are more special than anyone or anything else.  And thinking you're worse than others is simply another form of narcissism.  For rest assured, none of us, neither saint nor sinner, is closer to God or Buddha than any other; we all possess Buddha-nature.  How can we be any closer to our higher Selves, which are already closer to us than our breath and our blood?

 I thought this was really good, and expresses what others on the forum here have said and are saying, at times.

I'd like to know if what I'm sharing from these books strikes anyone as inspirational or especially meaningful. 
Please feel free to share any thoughts you might have.

Silver: This is all fine and good, but notice that it still focuses upon a "you" at the center of things--"YOU have to strive" "YOUR likes and dislikes" "YOUR bad habits, hots buttons, prejudices, etc". What many of us are pointing to is losing the sense of this "you" that appears to be at the center of things. Life then becomes a kind of empty happening in which the body/mind does what it does without reflective ideas of transcending anything, becoming anything, improving anything, moving in any direction ("onward" "inward" "outward"), or being anything. It is being what one is without thoughts about being what one is. It is like getting lost in isness.

Ask yourself this question, "If the mind became totally silent, and all self-referential thoughts disappeared, and all ideas and beliefs were relinquished, what then?" This is what Farmer was pointing to with his statement to you on another thread that you found "nebulous." It appears nebulous because the mind cannot grasp what is being pointed to. You are already the truth, unbounded and whole, and one-with what is, but the mind prevents this from being obvious. Don't try to understand; just look.

[silver]

Oct 30, 2014 2:35:32 GMT -5 zendancer said:

Oct 29, 2014 22:57:40 GMT -5 silver said:

Just a tidbit I want to share from the book mentioned above, from chapter 2:

 I thought this was really good, and expresses what others on the forum here have said and are saying, at times.

I'd like to know if what I'm sharing from these books strikes anyone as inspirational or especially meaningful. 
Please feel free to share any thoughts you might have.

Silver: This is all fine and good, but notice that it still focuses upon a "you" at the center of things--"YOU have to strive" "YOUR likes and dislikes" "YOUR bad habits, hots buttons, prejudices, etc". What many of us are pointing to is losing the sense of this "you" that appears to be at the center of things. Life then becomes a kind of empty happening in which the body/mind does what it does without reflective ideas of transcending anything, becoming anything, improving anything, moving in any direction ("onward" "inward" "outward"), or being anything. It is being what one is without thoughts about being what one is. It is like getting lost in isness.

Ask yourself this question, "If the mind became totally silent, and all self-referential thoughts disappeared, and all ideas and beliefs were relinquished, what then?" This is what Farmer was pointing to with his statement to you on another thread that you found "nebulous." It appears nebulous because the mind cannot grasp what is being pointed to. You are already the truth, unbounded and whole, and one-with what is, but the mind prevents this from being obvious. Don't try to understand; just look.

Well, I think because this particular section of the book is referring to growing up - from small self (child) to Self, it has to demonstrate that 'you' business.  This isn't my go-to book to explain the important parts of the Buddhist philosophy - that would be Stephen Batchelor's two books mentioned on my thread about his teachings through those books. 

While reading these books and others, I've awakened more to this whole non-duality business, but there are still things about some of it that remain mysterious to me - too mysterious to adopt them into my own philosophy for now.  If you are so adamant about this losing of the self biz, then doesn't it seem really strange that it should take literally forever for some forum members to come clear about all these philosophical notions and periphery?  There's no way I would trust those conversations to bring any sort of clarity to those tenets of non-duality and what-have-you.  To me, it just seems like some are leading others down the proverbial primrose path.  If quiet is supposed to be the thing, why all the noise?  It's probably just me, ha ha!

You're a businessman, and so you have to fill out YOUR tax returns and make sure YOUR accountant/bookkeeper does HIS job, so I'm thinking if the original Buddha were standing here with US now, would he or could he ascribe to a kind of philosophy that has the power to get an individual off track with what goes on in THEIR lives?  From what I read in one of Batchelor's books (or maybe it was another one) that the Buddha had to compromise his own beliefs to save his own skin because he had to deal with politicians up close and personal, so there's that to consider, as well. 

Just thinking out loud.

[Deleted]

Oct 30, 2014 3:03:50 GMT -5 silver said:

Oct 30, 2014 2:35:32 GMT -5 zendancer said:

Silver: This is all fine and good, but notice that it still focuses upon a "you" at the center of things--"YOU have to strive" "YOUR likes and dislikes" "YOUR bad habits, hots buttons, prejudices, etc". What many of us are pointing to is losing the sense of this "you" that appears to be at the center of things. Life then becomes a kind of empty happening in which the body/mind does what it does without reflective ideas of transcending anything, becoming anything, improving anything, moving in any direction ("onward" "inward" "outward"), or being anything. It is being what one is without thoughts about being what one is. It is like getting lost in isness.

Ask yourself this question, "If the mind became totally silent, and all self-referential thoughts disappeared, and all ideas and beliefs were relinquished, what then?" This is what Farmer was pointing to with his statement to you on another thread that you found "nebulous." It appears nebulous because the mind cannot grasp what is being pointed to. You are already the truth, unbounded and whole, and one-with what is, but the mind prevents this from being obvious. Don't try to understand; just look.

Well, I think because this particular section of the book is referring to growing up - from small self (child) to Self, it has to demonstrate that 'you' business.  This isn't my go-to book to explain the important parts of the Buddhist philosophy - that would be Stephen Batchelor's two books mentioned on my thread about his teachings through those books. 

While reading these books and others, I've awakened more to this whole non-duality business, but there are still things about some of it that remain mysterious to me - too mysterious to adopt them into my own philosophy for now.  If you are so adamant about this losing of the self biz, then doesn't it seem really strange that it should take literally forever for some forum members to come clear about all these philosophical notions and periphery?  There's no way I would trust those conversations to bring any sort of clarity to those tenets of non-duality and what-have-you.  To me, it just seems like some are leading others down the proverbial primrose path.  If quiet is supposed to be the thing, why all the noise?  It's probably just me, ha ha!

You're a businessman, and so you have to fill out YOUR tax returns and make sure YOUR accountant/bookkeeper does HIS job, so I'm thinking if the original Buddha were standing here with US now, would he or could he ascribe to a kind of philosophy that has the power to get an individual off track with what goes on in THEIR lives?  From what I read in one of Batchelor's books (or maybe it was another one) that the Buddha had to compromise his own beliefs to save his own skin because he had to deal with politicians up close and personal, so there's that to consider, as well. 

Just thinking out loud.

Silver, you should check out Pema Chodron. Like LSD, she's in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She's very down to earth, good for looking at feelings/emotions/fear. Should be able to find her at the library too.

[zendancer]

Oct 30, 2014 3:03:50 GMT -5 silver said:

Oct 30, 2014 2:35:32 GMT -5 zendancer said:

Silver: This is all fine and good, but notice that it still focuses upon a "you" at the center of things--"YOU have to strive" "YOUR likes and dislikes" "YOUR bad habits, hots buttons, prejudices, etc". What many of us are pointing to is losing the sense of this "you" that appears to be at the center of things. Life then becomes a kind of empty happening in which the body/mind does what it does without reflective ideas of transcending anything, becoming anything, improving anything, moving in any direction ("onward" "inward" "outward"), or being anything. It is being what one is without thoughts about being what one is. It is like getting lost in isness.

Ask yourself this question, "If the mind became totally silent, and all self-referential thoughts disappeared, and all ideas and beliefs were relinquished, what then?" This is what Farmer was pointing to with his statement to you on another thread that you found "nebulous." It appears nebulous because the mind cannot grasp what is being pointed to. You are already the truth, unbounded and whole, and one-with what is, but the mind prevents this from being obvious. Don't try to understand; just look.

Well, I think because this particular section of the book is referring to growing up - from small self (child) to Self, it has to demonstrate that 'you' business.  This isn't my go-to book to explain the important parts of the Buddhist philosophy - that would be Stephen Batchelor's two books mentioned on my thread about his teachings through those books. 

While reading these books and others, I've awakened more to this whole non-duality business, but there are still things about some of it that remain mysterious to me - too mysterious to adopt them into my own philosophy for now.  If you are so adamant about this losing of the self biz, then doesn't it seem really strange that it should take literally forever for some forum members to come clear about all these philosophical notions and periphery?  There's no way I would trust those conversations to bring any sort of clarity to those tenets of non-duality and what-have-you.  To me, it just seems like some are leading others down the proverbial primrose path.  If quiet is supposed to be the thing, why all the noise?  It's probably just me, ha ha!

You're a businessman, and so you have to fill out YOUR tax returns and make sure YOUR accountant/bookkeeper does HIS job, so I'm thinking if the original Buddha were standing here with US now, would he or could he ascribe to a kind of philosophy that has the power to get an individual off track with what goes on in THEIR lives?  From what I read in one of Batchelor's books (or maybe it was another one) that the Buddha had to compromise his own beliefs to save his own skin because he had to deal with politicians up close and personal, so there's that to consider, as well. 

Just thinking out loud.

As long as there is any attempt to maintain, adapt, or create a philosophy of life, it is movement in the wrong direction. This has nothing to do with ideas or beliefs ABOUT life; it has to do with becoming free of the mind's dominance, and realizing that who we are is NOT who we THINK we are.

[silver]

Oct 30, 2014 8:24:41 GMT -5 maxdprophet said:

Oct 30, 2014 3:03:50 GMT -5 silver said:

Well, I think because this particular section of the book is referring to growing up - from small self (child) to Self, it has to demonstrate that 'you' business.  This isn't my go-to book to explain the important parts of the Buddhist philosophy - that would be Stephen Batchelor's two books mentioned on my thread about his teachings through those books. 

While reading these books and others, I've awakened more to this whole non-duality business, but there are still things about some of it that remain mysterious to me - too mysterious to adopt them into my own philosophy for now.  If you are so adamant about this losing of the self biz, then doesn't it seem really strange that it should take literally forever for some forum members to come clear about all these philosophical notions and periphery?  There's no way I would trust those conversations to bring any sort of clarity to those tenets of non-duality and what-have-you.  To me, it just seems like some are leading others down the proverbial primrose path.  If quiet is supposed to be the thing, why all the noise?  It's probably just me, ha ha!

You're a businessman, and so you have to fill out YOUR tax returns and make sure YOUR accountant/bookkeeper does HIS job, so I'm thinking if the original Buddha were standing here with US now, would he or could he ascribe to a kind of philosophy that has the power to get an individual off track with what goes on in THEIR lives?  From what I read in one of Batchelor's books (or maybe it was another one) that the Buddha had to compromise his own beliefs to save his own skin because he had to deal with politicians up close and personal, so there's that to consider, as well. 

Just thinking out loud.

Silver, you should check out Pema Chodron. Like LSD, she's in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She's very down to earth, good for looking at feelings/emotions/fear. Should be able to find her at the library too.

Huh?!  What's lsd got to do wit' it?  I have one of her books and it's gonna get read, I just have a stack I'm working on....and more awaiting me at the library.  Thanks for that, max.

[silver]

Oct 30, 2014 8:41:31 GMT -5 zendancer said:

Oct 30, 2014 3:03:50 GMT -5 silver said:

Well, I think because this particular section of the book is referring to growing up - from small self (child) to Self, it has to demonstrate that 'you' business.  This isn't my go-to book to explain the important parts of the Buddhist philosophy - that would be Stephen Batchelor's two books mentioned on my thread about his teachings through those books. 

While reading these books and others, I've awakened more to this whole non-duality business, but there are still things about some of it that remain mysterious to me - too mysterious to adopt them into my own philosophy for now.  If you are so adamant about this losing of the self biz, then doesn't it seem really strange that it should take literally forever for some forum members to come clear about all these philosophical notions and periphery?  There's no way I would trust those conversations to bring any sort of clarity to those tenets of non-duality and what-have-you.  To me, it just seems like some are leading others down the proverbial primrose path.  If quiet is supposed to be the thing, why all the noise?  It's probably just me, ha ha!

You're a businessman, and so you have to fill out YOUR tax returns and make sure YOUR accountant/bookkeeper does HIS job, so I'm thinking if the original Buddha were standing here with US now, would he or could he ascribe to a kind of philosophy that has the power to get an individual off track with what goes on in THEIR lives?  From what I read in one of Batchelor's books (or maybe it was another one) that the Buddha had to compromise his own beliefs to save his own skin because he had to deal with politicians up close and personal, so there's that to consider, as well. 

Just thinking out loud.

As long as there is any attempt to maintain, adapt, or create a philosophy of life, it is movement in the wrong direction. This has nothing to do with ideas or beliefs ABOUT life; it has to do with becoming free of the mind's dominance, and realizing that who we are is NOT who we THINK we are.

Well, maybe this is a technicality, but I don't think that I am attempting to maintain, adapt or create a philosophy of life about Buddhism.*  I do observe that I am studying the topic.  I'm sorry, ZD, but from ALL I've read here by almost everybody, there is no such thing as 'movement in the wrong direction', ha ha.  [as in, all is allowed?]


*because, all that I have learned whether regards the Buddhist thing or some other thing, if it rezzes, then it instantaneously becomes a part of how I am.....that's my take on it, anyway.
 

[Deleted]

Oct 30, 2014 10:21:19 GMT -5 silver said:

Oct 30, 2014 8:24:41 GMT -5 maxdprophet said:

Silver, you should check out Pema Chodron. Like LSD, she's in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She's very down to earth, good for looking at feelings/emotions/fear. Should be able to find her at the library too.

Huh?!  What's lsd got to do wit' it?  I have one of her books and it's gonna get read, I just have a stack I'm working on....and more awaiting me at the library.  Thanks for that, max.

Lama Surya Das silly

[silver]

Oct 30, 2014 10:31:03 GMT -5 maxdprophet said:

Oct 30, 2014 10:21:19 GMT -5 silver said:

Huh?!  What's lsd got to do wit' it?  I have one of her books and it's gonna get read, I just have a stack I'm working on....and more awaiting me at the library.  Thanks for that, max.

Lama Surya Das silly

I'm a real dunce, maxie!  I had no idea about him and his lsd usage....I only know about him through the book I'm reading, and he sounds more like Suzie Homemaker in it than Andy Warhol.

[Deleted]

Oct 30, 2014 10:34:14 GMT -5 silver said:

Oct 30, 2014 10:31:03 GMT -5 maxdprophet said:

Lama Surya Das silly

I'm a real dunce, maxie!  I had no idea about him and his lsd usage....I only know about him through the book I'm reading, and he sounds more like Suzie Homemaker in it than Andy Warhol.

did I just get punk'd?

[silver]

Oct 30, 2014 10:36:19 GMT -5 maxdprophet said:

Oct 30, 2014 10:34:14 GMT -5 silver said:

I'm a real dunce, maxie!  I had no idea about him and his lsd usage....I only know about him through the book I'm reading, and he sounds more like Suzie Homemaker in it than Andy Warhol.

did I just get punk'd?

   I duno what that means, so like...I dunno. 

**stunned silver shug**

[Deleted]

Oct 30, 2014 10:38:20 GMT -5 silver said:

Oct 30, 2014 10:36:19 GMT -5 maxdprophet said:

did I just get punk'd?

   I duno what that means, so like...I dunno. 

**stunned silver shug**

Was your LSD thing just a joke?