About this episode
Lama 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: Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living Letting Go of the Person You Used to Be: Lessons on Change, Loss, and Spiritual Transformation Awakening to the Sacred: Creating a Personal Spiritual Life Awakening the Buddha Within: Eight Steps to Enlightenment Awakening the Buddhist Heart: Integrating Love, Meaning, and Connection into Every Part of Your Life The Snow Lion's Turquoise Mane Natural Radiance: Awakening to Your Great Perfection Natural Meditation: A Tibetan Buddhist Practice for Clearing the Mind and Opening to Effortless Awarness The Big Questions: How to Find Your Own Answers to Life's Essential Mysteries Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 1/5/2013 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