Awakening to the Sacred: Creating a Personal Spiritual Life

by Doubleday

$16.95
buy from amazon.com
Average Rating: * * * * half star
Sales Rank:183295 (lower is better)
Price Used:$3.01
Shipping:Free Shipping on most orders over $25*
Availability:Usually ships in 24 hours
Release Date:2000-05-09
Label:Doubleday
Pages:400
Binding:Paperback
Publication Date:2000-05
Published By:Doubleday
ASIN:0767902750
Category:Book

Authors

Editorial Reviews and Product Descriptions

Product Description

Lama Surya Das, author of the bestselling Awakening the Buddha Within, is the most highly trained American lama in the Tibetan tradition. In this elegant, inspiring book, he integrates essential Buddhist practices with a variety of other spiritual philosophies and wisdom traditions, to show you how to create a personalized spiritual practice based on your own individual beliefs, aspirations, and needs. Through reflections on his own life quest, thoughtful essays, and entertaining stories, Surya Das examines the common themes at the heart of any spiritual path, including faith, doubt, love, compassion, creativity, self-inquiry, and transformation. He then explores prayer, yoga, chanting, guided meditations, breathing exercises, and myriad other rituals, providing practical examples of each that we can use day-to-day to nurture our inner spirit.
Amazon.com Review

Surya Das is like a Buddhist Johnny Appleseed, galavanting across the countryside, planting seeds of spirituality in bare patches of ground. He believes that we are all fertile soil for cultivating the sacred in everyday life. "We all have spiritual DNA," he says. In Awakening to the Sacred, Surya Das heightens his efforts to increase the planet's spirituality quotient by teaching people how to take advantage of their own spiritual resources. Whether Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, or atheist, we can all enhance our spiritual side. Certainly meditating is a good way, and there's no one better to teach us than this limpid lama. But even more familiar activities can help, like praying, creating a spiritual notebook, or reading spiritual books--even gardening and walking count. Surya Das excels at demystifying the mystical and urges the reader to capitalize on resources closest at hand. No need to look too far when we can draw inspiration and practices from our own traditions. So take that apple seed, thumb through Awakening to the Sacred, and nourish those precious roots of spirituality. --Brian Bruya

Customer Reviews

Excellent Book!! - Reviewed on 2008-10-09
* * * * *

I have read several of Lama Surya Das' book and they are always very good and easy to read. This book didn't seem like 400 pages, it was such a delight to read. I think any spiritual seeker would appreciate this book and consider it helpful and encouraging. It cover a lot of topics from simplicity, mystical experience, views on God, meditations, etc. It would be a great addition to anyone's library.
Inspiring! - Reviewed on 2008-09-15
* * * * *

I love this book. It stirs my soul. Lama Surya Das speaks to the heart with warmth and clarity. Bunny Hull
Practical Spirituality At Its Best - Reviewed on 2007-03-19
* * * * *
13 customers found this review helpful.

The American-born author of this fine book is a Lama in the Dzogchen lineage of Tibet. He was raised in the Jewish faith, and his unique background makes him an especially lucid exponent of the principles of Tibetan Buddhism for Westerners steeped in Judeo-Christian beliefs and principles.

Lama Surya Das has been engaged in spiritual studies for over thirty years and sat at the feet of a number of teachers in Asia. He has written several books, and this one is a particularly good introduction to the spiritual life. Though the emphasis is on the philosophy and practices of Buddhism, some of the descriptions of the spiritual path and the problems that many of us encounter, can be applied for people working in other traditions. The strongest points of the book and of Lama Surya Das' teachings in general, are his suggestions for incorporating a sense of the sacred while living an active Western lifestyle. So often we see writers and teachers extolling the virtues of a spiritual path that is not compatible with a family life and career. I once knew an excellent teacher who had some extraordinary insights. He insisted that anyone who came to learn from him should give up his or her home, family and career. He did not have that many takers.

This book is far more realistic. The chapters are short, pithy and deal with many of the more common problems that we might run into as we walk the spiritual path. They include the practicalities of the establishing a regular practice as well as issues like the emergence of the dark side of our nature as we meditate.

There are numerous suggestions for meditation, prayer and chanting. Many can be found elsewhere, but what sets this book apart is that all the practices are grounded in daily life.

The book is very engagingly written: clear, insightful, and even some humor. This is one of my top ten favorite books on practical spirituality. Highly recommended.
Excellent - Reviewed on 2007-02-02
* * * * *
4 customers found this review helpful.

This book is not to be missed by those seeking insight into the nature of reality and life. It's not often that spiritual leaders communicate in plain, intelligent, and profound ways that incorporate common sense and mystical insight. This author is one of very few that radiates sincerity, insight, and humility.
Awakening to the Sacred: Creating a Personal Spiritual Life - Reviewed on 2007-01-05
* * * * *
3 customers found this review helpful.

Lama Surya Das expains the Tibetan Buddhist outlook in a way that is meaningful to Western culture regardless of what kind of faith one may have. He also has a wonderful sense of humor and is a very good writer.
Read More Customer Reviews »
Go To Amazon Product Page

* - See Amazon Product Page for shipping and pricing details.


Book Subjects