Product Description

Drawing on Buddhist spirituality and wisdom, this is a view of the world written for Western seekers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #83004 in Books
• Published on: 1997-10-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 389 pages

From the Publisher
Lama Surya Das, the most highly trained American Lama in the Tibetan tradition, presents the first definitive book of Western Buddhism from the ground up, combining wisdom and practical teaching for the modern-day spiritual seeker.

From the Back Cover
Lama Surya Das, the most highly trained American Lama in the Tibetan tradition, presents the first definitive book of Western Buddhism from the ground up, combining wisdom and practical teaching for the modern-day spiritual seeker.

In this comprehensive book, Lama Surya Das provides a bridge between East and West, past, present and future, making sacred and profound Tibetan teachings clear and easily accessible for anyone who wants to lead a more enlightened and sane life. Utilizing the unique Buddhist guidelines embodied in the Noble Eight Fold Path and the traditional Three Enlightenment Trainings of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom, he elucidates the tried and true path of spiritual transformation - including key principles such as karma, rebirth and mind-training, as well as the highest, most secret teaching of Tibet, Dzogchen.

In this wonderful marriage of the practical and the profound, Lama Surya Das reveals how sacred wisdom can be integrated into our busy lives. He offers a unique approach to the comprehensive wisdom of ancient Tibetan teachings on conscious living and dying and shows that the power of the Buddha is resting within us all.

About the Author
A voice of clarity in difficult times, Surya Das offers timeless wisdom in a message of hope that is helpful for us today and tomorrow. A lama in the Dzogchen lineage of Tibet, Surya Das is a sought-after spiritual teacher and meditation master, poet and spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhist movement. Founder of the Dzogchen Center, he is also the author of several popular books, including AWAKENING THE BUDDHA WITHIN, AWAKENING TO THE SACRED, and AWAKENING THE BUDDHIST HEART, the first trilogy of Buddhism for the West. He is a regular contributor to a number of magazines and is a founder and board member of several Buddhist monasteries and charitable projects in refugee camps in Asia and the West.

Customer Reviews

A book for those who believe that there must be more
I have read this book several times till today and I think I will reread it, because it simply has offered to me a new perspective about the meaning of life and our daily issues. This perspective was at the beginning in some ways quite new to me, but I noticed that from the beginning on, it started to change my life,my behavior patterns and help me a great deal. This book does not only provide an insight to how we live our lives and what make us suffer here but also encourages and shows us how we can get in touch with our innate nature , purify our minds and improve our ways to live "our lives". This is exciting and worth to try.

A joy to read a clear and sympathetic guide
Although I have not ready widely concerning the topic of buddhism, I was pleased that this book was recommended to me by one of the staff at a bookshop in Central London. It is, in my view, a satisfying guide to the way in which buddhism can assist day to day with problems that I face. I would recommend this book to anyone with a skimpy knowledge of the subject and a yet an interest.

Tibetan Buddhism for Beginners
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 Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold. Excellent.