Interview
Lama Surya Das – The Essence of Awakening: Who Are We Really—and How Can We Find Out?
Roger Walsh and John Dupuy interview Lama Surya Das about self-knowledge, his years in silent retreat and what he calls the path of awakefulness.
About the teacher
Lama Surya Das
Born Jeffrey Miller in New York (1950), Lama Surya Das spent over two decades studying in Asia under masters including Dudjom Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and his root teacher Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche, completing the traditional three-year Dzogchen retreat twice; he was authorized to teach in the Nyingma lineage in 1993. In 1991 he founded the Dzogchen Foundation and Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, becoming one of the first Western-born lamas recognized within Tibetan Buddhism. He is the author of 14 books, including the Awakening trilogy and Buddha Standard Time.
Based in the Cambridge/Lexington, Massachusetts area, he continues to teach through the Dzogchen Center, offering retreats, workshops, private teaching sessions and online programs.
“Finding something reliable. In Buddhism we call it 'taking refuge', finding a port in the storm of samsara, of confusion and delusion.”Lama Surya Das
Upcoming events
Meet Lama Surya Das in person.
Talks, day programmes and retreats currently listed in the Paths Are Many calendar.
Talks & videos
Watch before you attend.
Short introductions and longer conversations, to hear this teacher in their own words.
Talk
Webinar: Lama Surya Das: Deepening Your Meditation Practice: Pithy Instructions Dzogchen Tradition
A Garrison Institute webinar in which Lama Surya Das presents short pointing-out instructions from the Dzogchen tradition for deepening meditation.
Interview
Lama Surya Das - Buddha at the Gas Pump Interview
A long-form interview in which Lama Surya Das describes his years of study in the Tibetan tradition and his teaching work in the West.
Talk
Dzogchen Center 2024 Fall Residential Retreat with Lama Surya Das
Footage from the Dzogchen Center's 2024 autumn residential retreat led by Lama Surya Das, posted on his own channel.
Listen
Recordings from Lama Surya Das.
Talks, guided meditations and podcast conversations, playing from the platform this teacher publishes them on.
Lama Surya DasNyingma
↗ beherenownetwork.com
Awakening Now with Lama Surya Das – Ep. 95 – Mahamudra and Dzogchen
Lama Surya Das compares the Mahamudra and Dzogchen approaches to recognising the nature of mind in this episode of his own podcast.
From the podcast Awakening Now with Lama Surya Das
Listen on beherenownetwork.comLama Surya DasNyingma
↗ beherenownetwork.com
Awakening Now with Lama Surya Das – Ep. 94 – Sky Mind
A dharma talk on the Dzogchen image of sky-like awareness and how it is worked with in practice.
From the podcast Awakening Now with Lama Surya Das
Listen on beherenownetwork.comLama Surya DasNyingma
↗ beherenownetwork.com
Awakening Now with Lama Surya Das – Ep. 91 – The Golden Eternity
Lama Surya Das links the three main practices of Dzogchen to what Jack Kerouac called the Golden Eternity.
From the podcast Awakening Now with Lama Surya Das
Listen on beherenownetwork.comLama Surya DasNyingma
↗ beherenownetwork.com
Awakening Now with Lama Surya Das – Ep. 74 – The Way of Awakening with Ken Wilber
Lama Surya Das and Ken Wilber talk together about the evolution of spiritual practice and about emptiness.
From the podcast Awakening Now with Lama Surya Das
Listen on beherenownetwork.comPath
The wider context.
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Dzogchen & treasure
Nyingma
Oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism; strongly associated with Dzogchen and numerous treasure lineages.
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