Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living

Love reading all his books. All so well written and easy to follow. A must read for all wanting to be more spiritual. Or just simply have more compassion and kindness for all. This world needs more compassion and kindness!

This is the first of Lama Surya Das's books that I have read and it will not be the last. Buddha Is as Buddha Does is the most practical and useful book I have read yet on Buddhism for the modern American mind. The wisdom within its pages can be appreciated and applied by Buddhists and non-Buddhists (such as myself) alike. Lama Surya Das guides his readers along a ten-step path towards spiritual enlightenment utilizing the original six paramitas (perfections) of the Buddha: generosity, ethical behvaior, patience, heroic effort, mindfullness through meditation, and wisdom, and appends the four additional practices of Mahayana Buddhism: skillful means, spiritual aspirations, higher accomplishments, and awakened awareness. It is as if this book has two parts, the first encompassing the original six practices on how to live a life of selfless compassion. The second part outlining the latter four practices borders on the mystical or miraculous, but enlightnment itself is a miracle in our modern world. For those like myself who wish to live a better, more fullfilled life while still adhering to the mundane necessities of contemporary life, such as meeting sales quotas to pay the mortgage, etc., this is a useful book. What I appreciate the most is that although Lama Surya Das is a lama trained in Tibetan Buddhism, he demonstrates a knowledge of all religions, including in this book inspirational passages from the Christian bible, Sufi mystics, and his own Jewish roots, as well as other schools of Buddhism such as Zen. It is this inclusiveness that has attracted me to Buddhist literature. Furthermore, Lama Surya Das is a rarity in that he is a Buddhist who openly seems to believe in God, although he describes the word "God" as a placeholder for an abstract higher consciousness or reality. The title of my review is an actual quote from the book. He also includes such messages as "Thank God for the Dharma," and "When you learn to give yourself, it may claim all of your energy, body, and soul, but you will receive in return God's heart, Buddha's mind." He even ruminates on the possibility of reuiniting with deceased relatives in Heaven. On the surface, these may seem like contradictions to the Buddhist faith, but on further investigation, it is not hard to see the value of such wisdom as a means of transcending this world of pain and suffering into an existence that is truly enlightened through compassionate living.

I saw the title and thought to myself, "Is Lama Surya Das, beloved author of Awakening the Buddha Within" writing a Recipe Card style personal development book cloaked in the Buddhist tradition? Argh!" Well - this is a book about personal development. It is a book that has a touch of that "recipe style" that American authors "eat up" - but in this case what is delivered to "the table" is so much more than I could have ever hoped for or expected it is challenging to put it succinctly into words. Right from the beginning I knew there was something happening. In the preface, Surya Das is teaching about the term "Bodhisattva" - as "an awakened being" or"helpful spiritual altruist, activist, service-oriented leader, seeker of wisdom, truth, unconditional love, deathless peace and ultimate enlightener." Wow. And that is what the book then goes to teach its readers. How to be a Boddhisvatta - using wisdom not only from ancient Buddhist teachers but also the likes of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dr. Seuss, Mother Teresa and lets not forget "backyard Bodhisattva" known to the reader as "Exxon Ken"... an owner of a service station who once helped out the young Surya Das through generosity and caring.... The entire book is filled with stories, lessons and examples and ends, quite fittingly, with a Spiritual Revolutin and Enlightenment Prayer. This is a phenomenal title that needs to be experienced, not simply read.

Author, meditation teacher, and poet, Lama Surya Das is the founder of the Dzogchen Medition Center and one of the most learned and highly trained American-born lamas in the Tibetan tradition. In "Buddha Is As Buddha Does", he addresses just how to cultivate 'bodhicitta', the spirit-engine of enlightenment that allows human beings to embody and actively practice the Buddha's teaching while engaged in the real world. Lama Surya Das shows how to actively practice the ten 'paramitas' which are the transcendental virtues of daily life: Generosity, Ethics, Patience, Energetic Effort, meditation, Wisdom, Skillful Means, Higher Aspiration, Powers, and Pristine Awareness. An important and strongly recommended addition to personal and community library Buddhist Studies collections, this superbly recorded, five hour, 4 CD audiobook edition of "Buddha Is As Buddha Does" also provides contemporary examples of enlightened action based on the realization of the fundamental Buddhist tenet regarding the oneness of life.

BUDDHA IS AS BUDDHA DOES is a wonderful and practical book for anyone, regardless of background or experience! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and am benefitting from bringing these practices into my daily life and interractions with others. Lama Surya Das reveals a fresh and relevant view of these timeless practices through engaging, real life stories and experiences we can all relate to, while remaining uncompromising to their ever-rich traditional meanings. I am sincerely grateful for Lama Surya Das' ability to present these indispensible enlightening practices in a way so applicable and useful in our modern and challenging world. I am sure all will benfit from his vast experience and wisdom shared through this book!

BUDDHA IS AS BUDDHA DOES may prove to be the most important spiritual book I've read in my ten years as a meditator and practitioner. While most Buddhist and spiritual authors effectively express much-needed wisdom and perspective to apply to our hectic, and often frightening, world today, Lama Surya Das shows us how to put that wisdom into practice to make a real and lasting difference in our lives. The book outlines the Bodhisattva Code, an ancient, time-tested guide to enlightened living, which we can live by immediately for our own and others' benefit through the recommendations and practices offered within. It clearly spells out how to improve and strengthen all our relationships, including with ourselves. For the beginner stepping on the Buddhist path for the first time, BUDDHA IS AS BUDDHA DOES describes that path in all its richness. For the activist, spritual or otherwise, it is a true resource that will guide its readers with wit, wisdom and a wealth of practical knowledge. Add to all that the fact that the book was a thoroughly enjoyable read.