Awakening the Buddha Within : Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World (Hardcover)

by Lama Surya Das (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
If you dropped the Buddha into a modern metropolis, would he come off sounding like a 16th-century morality play or more like a drive-time disc jockey? Lama Surya Das doesn't spin platters for a living, but he does have a hip delivery that belies his years of sheltered training in Buddhist monasteries. In Awakening the Buddha Within, he borrows a time-tested bestseller format for a 2,500-year-old tradition that comes off as anything but ancient. With the "Five T's of Concentration," the question of "need or greed," and the story of the monk who bears his backside to prove a point, Surya Das invokes a path of wisdom that is as accessible and down-to-earth as a worn pair of loafers. It's not an easy path--it demands thought, effort, and discipline. But Surya Das is there for you, lighting the way to wisdom training, coaxing you into ethics training, and laying out step by step the path of meditation training. And if that's not enough to get you to live in the now, consider these words of the enlightened lama: "You must be present to win." --Brian Bruya

Review
"A warm, accessible, deep, brilliantly written exploration and adventure along the Buddhist path." --Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D.

"[T]his is a great achievement and I feel deeply grateful for it."
--Thich Nhat Hanh, author of Living Buddha, Living Christ

"This open-hearted offering of the Buddha's teachings ranges from fundamentals to magic. It is a wonderful gift."
--Sharon Salzberg, author of Loving Kindness

"Wise and wonderful, gentle and profound. . . . This is surely one of the finest spiritual manuals meant for a larger public and it succeeds brilliantly."
--Ken Wilbur, author of A Brief History of Everything


From the Trade Paperback edition. -- Review

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1 edition (June 16, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553066951
• ISBN-13: 978-0553066951
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (104 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #375,617 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

128 of 129 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Handbook to Living, February 4, 2001

By	Timothy Ryan (Santa Fe, NM) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World (Paperback)

Lama Surya Das has masterfully written an enlightening introduction to Buddhism, which should prove to be an enduring classic on the subject for years to come. He takes the ancient teachings of Buddhist traditions and wisdom and delivers them succinctly and wholeheartedly to the Western mind.

His astounding work is a source of inspiration and awareness that serves as a "handbook for living" that should be carried with us at all times and used often on our spiritual path. Regardless of the reader's religious or spiritual affiliation, these simple golden rules could change your life.

His introduction to the classic Buddhist teachings of The Four Noble Truths and The Eight-Fold Path are the most comprehensible and understandable that I have yet read. Finally, we are presented with a rich compilation that makes absolute sense and many readers will understand, for the first time, how to integrate this ancient Tibetan wisdom into everyday life.

Often, those of us curious about Buddhist philosophy and practice, find it hard to get beyond the dogma of the many teachings. Lama Surya Das succeeds in bringing the reader the most simple and fundamental ideas and lessons of Buddhism. Throughout the book, he reminds us to be responsible for our own thoughts and actions and to find the kindness, compassion and grace that are inherent in all of us.

For those challenged by meditation, Lama Surya Das strips away all the confusion and mystery around the practice of meditation and brings to the reader a profound understanding and "how to" guide to meditation -- the importance of which must be realized and embraced.

Toward the end of the book, he further reminds us that "We are modern mystics - living in monasteries without walls. The entire planet is our heaven on earth. Instead of being overly dependent on anyone else, we must be leaders and seers." This book teaches us how to lead by example. You do not have to have an interest or belief in Buddhism to enjoy, understand and be moved by this book. It is a book to be read, read and read again.

79 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A TRUE AND SIMPLE UNDERSTANDING OF BUDDHISM, April 17, 2001

By	Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World (Paperback)

Lama Surya Das is a Dzogchen lineage holder and founder of the Dzogchen Foundation. I found this to be one of the most complete and easily understood books written on Buddhism, which is often a complex philosophy to understood by the lay reader.

"Awakening the Buddha Within" is similar in nature to the book, "The World of Tibetan Buddhism" a series of essays based on a three-day lecture given in London, England by the Dalai Lama and translated into English. However, if you are a novice to Buddhism, I would strongly recommend you first read, "Awakening the Budda Within". This book is much easier to understand, and the author simplifies the concepts of Buddhism in everyday terms for the western world. Lama Surya Das explains The Three Jewels of Buddhism - the commitment of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha or spiritual community, the Eight-Fold Path to Enlightenment, the Four Noble Truths and the importance of meditation in our lives. If you are searching for a better understanding of Buddhism in the contemporary world, or simply a more peaceful way of life, I highly recommend purchasing the "Awakening the Buddha Within." It is spiritually uplifting, refreshing and inspirational, and definitely one you will want to use as a reference, time and time again.

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tibetan Buddhism for Beginners, September 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World (Paperback)

Lama Surya Das does a good job of introducing the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism to the West. Many people see Buddhism as an exotic Eastern tradition without any relevance to our lives here and now. However, one need not embrace Buddhism to gain much from Buddhist concepts. This book is a little soft on certain concepts (like reincarnation). However, this book is meant for one not already deeply involved in the practice of Buddhism, so maybe it's better that way. I also highly recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Little Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold. Excellent.