LSD Articles

With the The American Lama column, we are proud and delighted to offer bestselling author and Dzogchen meditation teacher Lama Surya Das as our spiritual elder and Lama-In-Residence at Elephant Journal. Here’s your opportunity to ask the Dudeha from Long Island, New York—whom the Dalai Lama affectionately calls “The American Lama”—whatever questions you may have about spirituality, the purpose of life, your own spiritual path or sexuality.

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Autumn leaves are turning red and gold here in New England, The High Holy Days are upon us, and the Day of Death (Halloween) is approaching– and my spiritual mind turns towards the poignancy of aging and death. Perhaps it’s because my Dad died in late august and my Mom in September. Or is my own later season approaching as well? Who knows? Life is tenuous. Lama says: Handle with prayer. This has always fascinated me. I love to take slow, solitary walks in the old cemeteries of New England, in every season: read their inscriptions, feel my feelings and intuitions, and contemplate the lives not unlike...

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By practicing inter-meditation we can delight in a state of true inter-being beyond words and concepts, named and forms, while realizing the very best in others and ourselves. The following is an excerpt from my latest book, "Make Me One with Everything: Buddhist Meditations To Awaken From The Illusion Of Separation". The Keys to Inter-Meditation: What Oneness Feels Like Authenticity—which arises from attention, honesty, and pure presence (of mind and heart) Selflessness—a Big-Self-interest that goes beyond selfish, with a little bit of healthy individuation so we can take care of and be responsible...

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Six Steps to Freedom and Intentional Responsiveness I have found that fear, anger and irritation are like an affliction, and a serious impediment to open communication and healthy relationships of all kinds.  Discovering methods to deal with these challenging emotions is essential in leading a healthy well-balanced, harmonious life. It is important to realize that anger has its own function, intelligence and logic and so we should not entirely try to eradicate it.  After much trial and error, I have come up with my own practice for regulating strong emotions and being patient and more authentically...

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I awoke and found it was a new year. Who new?  Every day can and even should be a highlyday, miraculous to be-hold--  if we are open, attentive and attuned. If I only open eyes to hear and ears to feel it, see the light shining as shadows, even thru my selfness, my inner divine heart unfurls wide as the universe; then all is well and all will be well in this agitated yet splendid world. Happy high holy days, friends and foes alike! May you be joyous and well. Put down the entire project for a moment, take a breath, and awaken fresh and renewed. I know now that there is no unequivocal good...

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I love summer here in buddhifull New England, with all its abundant greenery, outdoor sports, beaches and other getaways. Yet while I am trying my best to slow down the pace and enjoy the natural abundance surrounding me, I am also taking some time to reflect on the turbulence of our times. I’ve come to believe that good ole boy Winston Churchill wasn’t too far off when he said “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” We must seize this moment and Remember to Remember what’s important to our individual and collective hearts and minds, bodies and souls. Right now, during this pivotal learning...

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My First Encounter With the Sixteenth Karmapa Huffington Post April 7, 2014 After I graduated from college in 1971, I had the good fortune to travel overland from London to India. I had celebrated at Woodstock and marched on Washington, but that first Asian pilgrimage was the real turning point of my life. Over time, I would find and meet many -- if not most -- of the saints and enlightened masters (Hindu and Buddhist) of that era. One day in 1973, in the foothills of the Himalayas at a hillside monastery outside Darjeeling, one of my friends surprised me by asking, "Have you seen your picture...

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I was recently asked by The Huffington Post to contribute my perspective on their TED Weekend Series "Identifying the Extremist Brain" , featuring Diane Benscoter's remarkable story "I Used to Be in a Cult and Here's What It Did to My Brain".     Cults Come in All Kinds: The Head Is Not a great neighborhood to Live In                                               by Lama Surya Das Not unlike people, all cults may be created equal, but some are more equal -- or should I say, dangerous? -- than others. This is a simple fact agreed...

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This is the high holy day season where I came from. At-one-ment is an excellent way to turn the ship around and start afresh, every annum, every day and every moment. I invite you to acknowledge your transgressions, make amends where possible, and at-one as well. This is the antidote to guilt and denial. I have wronged people, and I am sorry. I have finally felt a drop of heartfelt compassion, now that I've crossed the sixty yard line of life. I myself aspire to be the Bodhisattva of Children, of all the weak and little ones, the  under-dog and the marginalized, the sick, the weak, the halt,...

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  Mindful Anger Management and the 6 Rs of Intentional Responsiveness  We live in a violent, strife-filled era. Even Buddhist monks are prey to intolerance, nationalism and violence.  Terror and fear surround us. This provokes all kinds of difficult feelings and emotions, especially anger and hatred. Yet it's not what happens to us but what we make of it that actually makes all the difference. Just because the wind is blowing doesn't mean we have to be blown away by it, or even driven helplessly in that direction; we can certainly learn how to understand the situation better and even...

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