212. Lama Surya Das

Lama Surya DasLama Surya Das, whom the Dalai Lama affectionately calls the “American lama”, has spent over forty years studying with the great spiritual masters of Asia. He is an authorized lama in the Tibetan Buddhist order and the founder of the Dzogchen Center. Surya Das is the author of the international bestseller Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World and twelve other books, including his latest release, Buddha Standard Time: Awakening to the Infinite Possibilities of Now. His blog “Ask the Lama” can be found at askthelama.com. To see Surya’s lecture and retreat schedule please visit surya.org.

Other Books:

Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded 1/5/2013

Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Lama Surya Das on Buddha at the Gas Pump
  • 00:02:41 – From Drugs to Meditation, A Journey of Transformation
  • 00:05:33 – Importance of Enlightenment
  • 00:07:52 – The Meaning of Enlightenment
  • 00:11:04 – Being There While Getting There: The Path to Enlightenment
  • 00:14:25 – The Four Steps on the Path to Enlightenment
  • 00:17:50 – The Powers of Enlightenment
  • 00:20:57 – The Importance of Clear Understanding in Spiritual Engagement
  • 00:24:08 – The Names of God and the Spectrum of Wisdom
  • 00:27:26 – Swooping Down and Climbing Up
  • 00:30:46 – The Inner Light and Ultimate Reality
  • 00:34:07 – Swoopers and Climbers
  • 00:37:04 – The Balancing Act of Life in Duality
  • 00:39:58 – Cultivating a Sane, Mindful, Unselfish Life
  • 00:43:25 – Cultivating Mindful and Ethical Relationships
  • 00:46:11 – Mindfulness and Meditation in Schools and Prisons
  • 00:49:28 – Integrating Eastern Thought Traditions into Daily Life
  • 00:53:31 – Building Blocks of a Spiritual Life
  • 00:57:04 – Enlightenment through Sweeping
  • 01:00:00 – Buddha’s Perspective on God
  • 01:02:22 – Buddha’s Enlightenment and the Concept of God
  • 01:04:17 – Hinduism and the Concept of God
  • 01:06:06 – The Presence of God in Buddhism
  • 01:08:25 – God’s Transparent Eyeball and Cosmic Consciousness
  • 01:10:04 – The Inner Power in Buddhism
  • 01:11:31 – The State of Consciousness
  • 01:13:04 – The Journey of Enlightenment
  • 01:14:25 – Finding Freedom in Imprisonment
  • 01:16:12 – Harmony in the Slum
  • 01:17:34 – Details about BatGap.com
  • 01:19:35 – Lamp of Enlightenment