Customer Reviews

Awakening the Buddha Within: Eight Steps to Enlightenment

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I recommend Lama Surya Das' three books to anyone interested in Buddhism, spirituality, or the search for happiness. His background as a Jewish kid growing up in NY allows him an understanding of the Western world that even the Dalai Lama doesn't have.

His books are written in a plain-talk style instead of a textbook style.

But, most importantly, he explains how you can incorporate Buddhist practices and beliefs into your daily life without abandoning your native religion and/or converting to Buddhism.

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.

What an amazing book! In this hefty volume Lama Surya Das explains, in great detail, the Buddha's teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eight-Fold Path. I've read similar teachings from other books, but what sets Awakening the Buddha Within apart is Lama Surya Das' Western view. Four hundred pages full of fabulous wisdom for the Westerner wanting to start a secular spiritual life using the ancient teachings of the Buddha.

Lama Surya Das writes very well, and is highly engaging, making this book an absolute pleasure to read, especially with all his colourful tales from his experiences in India learning from Tibetan monks.

Aside from the historical Buddha teachings, the Tibetan teachings, and his own experiences, Lama Surya Das also provides many suggestions on how to incorporate these practices into our own lives, with lots of marvelous guided meditations, each one building on the previous meditation, plus providing many, mainly Tibetan, fulfilling mantras. So, if just starting out, this one book will build your practice for several years without needing any other book.

One thing to note though: Lama Surya Das writes about how enlightening the practice and teaching of Lojong (compassionate living) can be, but he doesn't go into much detail, only providing several of his favourite "slogans", so if you are interested in learning more (or obtaining) all of the 59 Tibetan "slogans" you will need to find them in another book. Start Where You Are by Pema Chodron goes through the "slogans" in detail. Lama Surya Das does provide a lovely Tonglen meditation though.

This book is so great! It provides such a wealth of inspiration and practical information, I could write so much more about Awakening the Buddha Within...but I will write just one more thing: I have read several Buddhist books now, mainly on Zen, and so, this is my first book on Tibetan Buddhism, and while I like the clean, simple teachings of Zen, I'd have to say I find Tibetan Buddhism to be delightful, full of such vibrant compassionate living. Just lovely!

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It is the first book I've read on Buddhism. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for something to tap into in order to assist them in starting to answer the questions they thought were unanswerable. I would also recommend to to anyone who is in search of guidance that is warm, compassionate and simple. Lama Surya Das has a very warm sweet approach to his writing/story telling. As I read the book I feel like his is talking to me. I get a nice warm cozy feeling each time I pick up the book. I will most definately be buying more of his books.

Surya Das simplifies the concepts of Buddhism in everyday terms for the western world. He clearly and simply explains the basics of Buddhism, including the Three Jewels of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, the Four Noble Truths, the Eight-Fold Path to Enlightenment, and the importance of meditation in our lives.

I find Surya Das's writing nicely easy to read and not too scholarly. Awakening is a very good introduction to Buddhism, providing a clear and uncluttered approach to the core elements of Buddhism.

Like many other reviewers I have found Lama Surya Das' book a wonderful introduction to Buddhism. It gave me the inspiration, motivation and the means to bring a theoretical interest in Buddhist philosophy into my daily life. It showed me how I could give meaning to my desire for growth. In particular how I could integrate spiritual practice into my busy Western lifestyle.

The main thing in reading this book is to understand its role and purpose. It is an introduction, a stepping stone from which those interested in Buddhism can move forward. It demystifies, on a basic level, the complex concepts and ancient language that are inherent in Buddhism. It is not a substitute for more detailed scriptures and analyses, nor is it meant to be. It is certainly not a substitute for direct teachings of a qualified spiritual master, nor would Lama Das claim it to be. As a fully qualified master himself, he knows the difference.

To fully engage with Buddhism you will need instruction and guidance. You will need to develop practice as part of your life. You will need teachings and initiation from a qualified teacher. This book will not give you these things. It will however give you a thirst for these things and will provide a solid foundation for your growing understanding and practice.

It is also a wonderful source of ideas and "informal" practices for those who want to grow spiritually without necessarily taking refuge in the Three Jewels.

No-one expects to become enlightened from reading a single book, and anyone who expects this book to provide that is missing the point. If the book leads to even one person committing themselves to becoming a better person for the sake of all others, then it has done its job. The fact that it has done this for many, many people is good news for all of us.

I bought both this and "Natural Perfection", a newer 4 tape series by the same author. This was more pleasant and well done. The other one was very redundant, basically the same info spread out. I highly recommend the book "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche to be a much more genuine, beautiful, easy to read look at the Tibetan Buddhist world than this author can seem to provide. It all seems very "watered down" to me, way too much for Americans to grasp the beauty of the Tibetan concepts. you might as well buy any current self help guide, which was not what I was looking for.

If you, like me, have spent a lot of time clinging to views based on pure logic, material desires, etc. or other Western-y views, then this book may be a difficult read. When I first read "Awakening the Buddha Within", my mind (and heart) were not ready for it. I got perhaps 100 pages into it and could not bring myself to read any further, because it felt like I was trying to make headway in the face of an ever-increasingly powerful headwind that eventually brought me to a halt.

Don't get me wrong - this is a wonderfully written and very enjoyable book on Buddhism, especially Tibetan Buddhism. I only recently began my spiritual exploration, and this book has aided me much. However I absolutely do not recommend this to the average American who, perhaps like me, is not yet ready for the simple truths contained within. For those who have not yet uncovered their spiritual self, this is not the book to start with. You'll just end up piling conceptualizations onto it, and convince yourself that you've wasted your time reading it.

My recommendation is that you read "Awakening to the Sacred" (also by Lama Surya Das) first. Buy it, or get it from the library. Read it, live it, and learn more about yourself and the spirit that dwells within you. "Awakening to the Sacred" will help you to discover your true self, and then you will be ready for this book. Only after your true self is revealed can true knowledge be accepted, and so it is with "Awakening the Buddha Within".

one of the best books on buddhist philosophy. Not necessarily a religious book though. Read it three times, it's that good.

A basic, clear and uncluttered approach to the core elements of Buddhism, without venturing into a lot of the dogma. Nicely written, easy to read, without being too scholarly or dictatorial. Not preachy or pushy, rather a practical approach.

You can progress to deeper commitments in Buddhism through other sources. Here you get a taste of it to whet your appetite.

Buddhism, particularly Tibetan Buddhism, is undergoing an evolution as it spreads through the West. Buddhism went through similar changes as it spread through India and Asia. Now it has come here and merging with western thought, ideas and practices. Western Buddhism will be different, perhaps shorn of a lot of its older mythologies and practices, but still contain the core teachings. Even the Dalai Lama has written similar elementary, practical works for the western reader that bypass the denser theology of Tibetan belief.

This is one of many books riding that change: trying to introduce readers to the concepts in a way that makes it easier for westerners to accept, understand, approach and practice. It's a good first step for people unfamiliar with the path, and a pleasant reminder of the stepping stones for those who are.

The underlying theme here is simple: you choose how your life proceeds on its path; so here is a roadmap if you choose to take a compassionate, meaningful route.