Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living [Hardcover]

Lama Surya Das (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2007

In 2006 His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who calls Lama Surya Das the American Lama, said to an American audience, "It is not enough just to meditate and pray, which are always good things to do, but we also must take positive action in this world."

In the process of awakening, the Buddha realized that all of us, deep within, are inherently perfect and whole, with the capacity to overcome suffering and transform ourselves into forces for good. In this book national bestselling author Lama Surya Das, one of the foremost American Buddhist teachers, offers a thorough, tried-and-true map to the richest treasure a human being can find—Buddha's advice for living to your true potential. By following these guidelines, you will enter into a life of greater joy, clarity, peace, and wisdom than you ever thought possible.

Whether you consider yourself a Buddhist, Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, or agnostic, Buddha Is as Buddha Does enables you to reflect more deeply upon how you think, speak, and behave in each moment and to explore more intently your relationships with others. Appropriate for new seekers as well as experienced practitioners, and accompanied by lively anecdotes and practical exercises, this is one of the most accessible books to date on the ancient and timeless wisdom of the Buddha. Buddha Is as Buddha Does is for everyone who seeks to become a better person and share in the bounty of true Buddha nature.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The much-published author and respected Tibetan Buddhist teacher offers a guide for spiritual development based on the paramitas, traditional Buddhist teachings. The Sanskrit term is usually translated as "perfections," but the practices are best understood as a set of virtuous actions. An accomplished Western interpreter of the Tibetan branch of Buddhism, which has its arcane aspects, Surya Das explains each of the 10 virtues, offering numerous exercises and tips to apply his teaching. This is all firmly grounded in traditional stories and the examples of historical figures in Buddhism. Surya Das also offers examples of Westerners who embody these virtues, from the Catholic saint Damien, who worked with lepers on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, to Oprah Winfrey, a model of shrewd and skillful action. While the material is helpful, the exposition rambles and is often hard to follow. Some individual chapters read as though they were pasted together. Quotes from famous non-Buddhist figures are thrown in like salt ("Mark Twain, one of my favorite American authors, said..."). Other authors, particularly Sylvia Boorstein, have done more engaging and readable treatments on the 10 virtues. This underedited volume requires patience to absorb.
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Review

“A wonderful book for the soul.” (Caroline Myss, author of Entering the Castle and Anatomy of the Spirit )

“The immense potential of a life rooted in wisdom and compassion is made beautifully clear in this new offering.” (Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness )

“A book that will truly make a difference in your life.” (Cheryl Richardson, author of Take Time for Your Life and The Unmistakable Touch of Grace )

“a solid and substantive work on the compassionate way. ” (Spirituality and Health magazine )

“Anybody interested in Buddhism has much to learn here. Das is wise, intelligent, clear, humorous and an excellent teacher.” (Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now )

“A joy to read. Rich, nuanced, and above all, practical, as it illuminates the path of enlightend living.” (Joseph Goldstein, author of One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism )

“An easy-to-read guide for anyone looking to reach new heights of compassion and understanding.” (Sulak Sivaraksa, author of Conflict, Culture, Change: Engaged Buddhism in a Globalized World )

“People of any faith will appreciate this contemporary reflection on ancient wisdom.” (Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, author of The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep )

“Enough wit and wisdom to keep you entertained for a lifetime. Read it. Enjoy it. Practice it.” (Sam Keen, author of Fire in the Belly )

“This book will guide and help readers to ease their suffering.” (Gehlek Rimpoche, author of Good Life, Good Death )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco; 1st edition (April 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060747293
• ISBN-13: 978-0060747299
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #764,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him "the Western Lama."

Surya has spent nearly forty years studying Zen, vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia. He is an authorized lama (priest and spiritual master teacher) in the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the founder of the Dzogchen Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and its affiliated branches. He is the founder of the Western Buddhist Teachers Network annual conferences with the Dalai Lama.

As a best selling author, sought after speaker, teacher, and lecturer, he conducts retreats and workshops around the world. Surya is also a published poet, translator, and chant master. He has been featured in numerous publications and major media, including ABC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, New York Post, Long Island Newsday, Long Island Business Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, The Jewish Free Press, New Age Journal, Tricycle Magazine, Yoga Journal, and The Oregonian.

One segment of the ABC-TV sitcom Dharma & Greg was based on his life ("Leonard's Return"). Surya has appeared on Politically Correct with Bill Maher and on The Colbert Report.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buddhism in Action, April 13, 2007

By 

C James (Northborough, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living (Hardcover)

BUDDHA IS AS BUDDHA DOES may prove to be the most important spiritual book I've read in my ten years as a meditator and practitioner. While most Buddhist and spiritual authors effectively express much-needed wisdom and perspective to apply to our hectic, and often frightening, world today, Lama Surya Das shows us how to put that wisdom into practice to make a real and lasting difference in our lives. The book outlines the Bodhisattva Code, an ancient, time-tested guide to enlightened living, which we can live by immediately for our own and others' benefit through the recommendations and practices offered within. It clearly spells out how to improve and strengthen all our relationships, including with ourselves.

For the beginner stepping on the Buddhist path for the first time, BUDDHA IS AS BUDDHA DOES describes that path in all its richness. For the activist, spritual or otherwise, it is a true resource that will guide its readers with wit, wisdom and a wealth of practical knowledge. Add to all that the fact that the book was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible - Don't Let the Title Discourage You, July 18, 2007

By 

Julie Jordan Scott "Writer, Life Coach - Owne... (Bakersfield, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living (Hardcover)

I saw the title and thought to myself, "Is Lama Surya Das, beloved author of Awakening the Buddha Within" writing a Recipe Card style personal development book cloaked in the Buddhist tradition? Argh!"

Well - this is a book about personal development. It is a book that has a touch of that "recipe style" that American authors "eat up" - but in this case what is delivered to "the table" is so much more than I could have ever hoped for or expected it is challenging to put it succinctly into words.

Right from the beginning I knew there was something happening.

In the preface, Surya Das is teaching about the term "Bodhisattva" - as "an awakened being" or"helpful spiritual altruist, activist, service-oriented leader, seeker of wisdom, truth, unconditional love, deathless peace and ultimate enlightener."

Wow.

And that is what the book then goes to teach its readers.

How to be a Boddhisvatta - using wisdom not only from ancient Buddhist teachers but also the likes of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dr. Seuss, Mother Teresa and lets not forget "backyard Bodhisattva" known to the reader as "Exxon Ken"... an owner of a service station who once helped out the young Surya Das through generosity and caring....

The entire book is filled with stories, lessons and examples and ends, quite fittingly, with a Spiritual Revolutin and Enlightenment Prayer.

This is a phenomenal title that needs to be experienced, not simply read.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buddhism is truly a miraculous tradition--thank God for it, October 9, 2007

By 

J. Kianese (Irwin, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living (Hardcover)

This is the first of Lama Surya Das's books that I have read and it will not be the last. Buddha Is as Buddha Does is the most practical and useful book I have read yet on Buddhism for the modern American mind. The wisdom within its pages can be appreciated and applied by Buddhists and non-Buddhists (such as myself) alike.

Lama Surya Das guides his readers along a ten-step path towards spiritual enlightenment utilizing the original six paramitas (perfections) of the Buddha: generosity, ethical behvaior, patience, heroic effort, mindfullness through meditation, and wisdom, and appends the four additional practices of Mahayana Buddhism: skillful means, spiritual aspirations, higher accomplishments, and awakened awareness. It is as if this book has two parts, the first encompassing the original six practices on how to live a life of selfless compassion. The second part outlining the latter four practices borders on the mystical or miraculous, but enlightnment itself is a miracle in our modern world.

For those like myself who wish to live a better, more fullfilled life while still adhering to the mundane necessities of contemporary life, such as meeting sales quotas to pay the mortgage, etc., this is a useful book. What I appreciate the most is that although Lama Surya Das is a lama trained in Tibetan Buddhism, he demonstrates a knowledge of all religions, including in this book inspirational passages from the Christian bible, Sufi mystics, and his own Jewish roots, as well as other schools of Buddhism such as Zen. It is this inclusiveness that has attracted me to Buddhist literature. Furthermore, Lama Surya Das is a rarity in that he is a Buddhist who openly seems to believe in God, although he describes the word "God" as a placeholder for an abstract higher consciousness or reality. The title of my review is an actual quote from the book. He also includes such messages as "Thank God for the Dharma," and "When you learn to give yourself, it may claim all of your energy, body, and soul, but you will receive in return God's heart, Buddha's mind." He even ruminates on the possibility of reuiniting with deceased relatives in Heaven. On the surface, these may seem like contradictions to the Buddhist faith, but on further investigation, it is not hard to see the value of such wisdom as a means of transcending this world of pain and suffering into an existence that is truly enlightened through compassionate living.