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