Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65000 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05
• Released on: 2000-05-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Amazon.com Review
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

From Publishers Weekly
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.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Lama Surya Das (Awakening the Buddha Within, LJ 8/97) was once a Jew named Jeffry Miller, and though his central perspective as a monk is Tibetan Buddhist, he speaks well to the spiritual concerns of Americans and ably brings the views of several religious traditions to his topic. In his understanding, humans are essentially good, and the sacred is our own deeply spiritual nature. He breaks down his discussion to cover "Matters of the Spirit" and "Approaches to Spiritual Practice," respectively, introducing Tibetan Buddhism and helping the reader understand its fundamental spiritual concerns and then offering simple yet profound and practical suggestions on how to practice it. In the final part, he explains Innate Great Perfection and how seemingly nonspiritual activities (gardening, writing haiku) can be deeply spiritual. Surya Das's ability to meet readers where they are while explaining how Tibetan Buddhist or spiritual practice can meet their needs is highly effective. Recommended as a gem among the plethora of books on spirituality.ADavid Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Discover your spirituality, and yourself
In this book, Lama Surya Das acts as your guide to discovering spirituality and what it means for you. "Awakening to the Sacred" is like a guided tour through the world of spirit and soul, with Surya pointing out the sights along the way. "On your left, you see the mechanics of Karma..."

While this book draws heavily on Buddhist views and beliefs, it is refreshing to see that Surya Das does not ever try to force any views upon you. He merely describes the beliefs, techniques, and background, and allows you to decide for yourself. Even if you don't buy into the idea of reincarnation, for example, at the very least Surya will get you thinking about the possibilities.

This book is essentially a guide for those who wish to custom craft their own spiritual life. It allows you to decide how best to discover truth, and to discover yourself. Don't think this is a Buddhist book, because it is not. The lessons you take away from "Awakening to the Sacred" can be integrated into any lifestyle. You may not find yourself meditating at dawn and chanting while you shower, but you will certainly learn something about yourself as you journey through this book.

Definitely a must-read for those seeking truth and happiness.

Highly Recommended Insightful and Inspiring Journey
I couldn't put this book down. Its artful combination of wit and wisdom are a pure joy. Surya Das offers a taste of spiritual-real life through amusing and powerful anecdotes, traditional Tibetan Buddhist (and also less traditional-bound) fundamentals and practices to use each day. How do we lead the right kind of life now, today? Awakening to the Sacred shines a very bright laser-like light in my direction...and maybe yours, too. A very special book.

A wonderful guide for developing a personal spirituality...
Lama Surya Das has written a wonderful sequel to his last book, "Awakening the Buddha Within." This effort connects buddhist and eastern practices with daily western life. It will help us in the West develop our own spiritual life and practices without the baggage of eastern cultural traditions. Humerous and very personal stories of his own spiritual development sets a wonderful example of western spiritual awakening. Numerous meditations, chants, practices, etc. present many meaningful contributions to a daily practice. I know my personal spiritual practice will bloom as a result of reading this book.