Awakening Now With Lama Surya Das

Surya Das describes the natural and awe-inspiring state of Dzogchen, before we begin to think and conceptualize the world around us. This initial moment of wonder is what we hope to connect with and reside in through our spiritual practice. Chains of discursive thinking tie us down to states of perceptual judgment and negative thought patterns. But a thought can’t distract you if there is no you to judge it. If we can cut the chain, we cut the Karma.

Surya Das gives a lucid discourse on some of the habits and thought patterns that lead us away from the clear vision of the View. He explains that there is no waiting or hoping, no comparing or competing within Dzogchen meditation. The practice is more about non-doing as we learn to leave it as it is. Question and answer topics include the nature of the mind, working with arising thoughts, and striving within meditation.

When we understand that all being is merely emptiness cloaked in material phenomenon then we begin to see for the first time.  Seeing through is the essence of true understanding that allows us to welcome and appreciate all that comes to us. This perspective is not merely passive, but rather requires a quality of intelligence and perseverance for its cultivation and maturation. Question and answer topics include relative versus absolute practice, incorporating visual imagery, discomfort in practice, and awareness within dualism.

“Leave it as it is and rest the weary mind”   A timeless reminder to avoid attachment to things we can’t hold on to. We practice to promote perspective, to see through everything, be through everything and remain at home, unhindered. Nothing is to be left out, in that the more awareness we cultivate the greater liberation we experience.  Question and answer topics include working with the overwhelming nature and current exposure of suffering, distraction in meditation, and finding peace, balance, and hope in modern times

“It is the unenlightened life that is dissatisfying.” Lama Surya Das provides a timeless reminder of the broad and all-encompassing nature of the true Buddha. All beings are endowed with this innate spiritual potential. Sky gazing is described and encouraged as a means for disabling resistance and moving into union with the vast space in which we exist. Question and answer topics include karmic purification, the role of biology in free will, and the subjective nature of existence.

Surya Das describes the direct access we have to the Great Perfection that embodies all that is, just as it is. This innate wakefulness is a practice of refining our inner gold by looking deeper to discover the light within everything and everyone. Question and answer topics include discriminating between resting in the moment and laziness, and working with fear and anxiety.

Surya Das explains that the mind is not the right tool for moving through the narrow pass in getting from here to ‘totally here’. He encourages us to step out and go beyond the here and now in an effort to actualize the inherent freedom of being. “Naked awareness, pure presence, that is the way”.

Surya Das outlines the three main forms of practice within Dzogchen, which includes Ru Shan(subtle discernment), Trekcho (cutting through), and Togal (being there). He explains the more immediate implications of this particular path in its attempt to bring enlightenment that is congruent with the reality we are experiencing now. Also discussed are the distinctions between the ‘swooping down’ method of Dzogchen in relation to the more ‘bottom up’ approach of traditional Buddhism. A question and answer session provokes discussions of merit, karma, separation and illusion.

Raghu Markus joins his longtime spiritual friend for an intimate look into Surya Das’ new book, “Make Me One with Everything”. The Guru brothers dive deep into the true meaning of ‘Inter Meditation’, as well as the attitudinal transformations promoted through the Lojong method. Surya Das shares some of his early encounters with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Raghu inquires about the crucial differences between self-compassion and self-cherishing. Our local Lama leads a beautiful meditation to close out this insightful exchange.

Further Dzogchen teachings from our favorite Lama, who offers incentive for a more natural approach to practice. For now, we can learn to see through the spectacle of our lives, using the natural rhythms of the body and mind. Free of judgment, with clear vision, we come to rely on being rather than doing. Subsequent action moves freely, in the absence of suppression.

How much energy do we offer to the distractions in our lives, the temptations and endless stimuli that never cease to arise? Can we learn to simply experience, recognize, and release all of the different thoughts and emotions we encounter? Only through increased awareness can we begin to allow these events to occur without giving way to their gravity. In gaining ground on our immediate reactions we discover the possibility to detach, with objective clarity, and move forward with creative control.

Integration is the name of the game for those of us living amongst the chaos of the modern world. How can we take the wisdom of the past and actually apply it to our day-to-day existence? Lama Surya Das details the interactive process for cultivating an appropriate balance between contemplation and action, explaining that we are learning ‘to make a life, not just a living.’

Lama Surya Das breaks down the 3 ‘naturals’ of basic Dzogchen meditation, explaining that our energy moves from effort to effortless and back again, as we turn meditation into action. Questions from the audience reflect a variety of topics including the nature of awareness, fear and anxiety around death, and the stressors surrounding meditation

Seeing through the illusion and simply enjoying the view is the work we have set out to do. In practice we assume our Buddha seat, allowing awareness to proceed unhindered, in observance of our pure and natural state. We are the flow, and can come to rest in the clear vision of what is.

For the inaugural episode of "Awakening Now," Lama Surya Das is joined by MindPod Networkers Raghu Markus and Noah Lampert. Surya Das answers Noah's questions about dreams, the state of the world today, non-duality and shares a bonus story about how Surya Das got his name. Raghu also shares a quote about faith from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche which allows Surya Das the opportunity to compare blind, intuitive and experiential faith.