Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book, if you are ready
Review: If you, like me, have spent a lot of time clinging to views based on pure logic, material desires, etc. or other Western-y views, then this book may be a difficult read. When I first read "Awakening the Buddha Within", my mind (and heart) were not ready for it. I got perhaps 100 pages into it and could not bring myself to read any further, because it felt like I was trying to make headway in the face of an ever-increasingly powerful headwind that eventually brought me to a halt.Don't get me wrong - this is a wonderfully written and very enjoyable book on Buddhism, especially Tibetan Buddhism. I only recently began my spiritual exploration, and this book has aided me much. However I absolutely do not recommend this to the average American who, perhaps like me, is not yet ready for the simple truths contained within. For those who have not yet uncovered their spiritual self, this is not the book to start with. You'll just end up piling conceptualizations onto it, and convince yourself that you've wasted your time reading it. My recommendation is that you read "Awakening to the Sacred" (also by Lama Surya Das) first. Buy it, or get it from the library. Read it, live it, and learn more about yourself and the spirit that dwells within you. "Awakening to the Sacred" will help you to discover your true self, and then you will be ready for this book. Only after your true self is revealed can true knowledge be accepted, and so it is with "Awakening the Buddha Within".
Rating: 
Summary: An old Freind revisited
Review: I first read this book 4 years ago when I started on my path into Buddhism, I just picked it up to re-read and it was like visiting an old friend. This is a great book for those beginning their path and for those on the path as well. After all, "the path is the goal". I am disturbed a little about some of the negative reviews of this book. "The first step to knowing anything is admitting you know nothing." Some of these reviewers seem to forget that. Furthermore, one of the reviewers complains about Surya das using his Tibetan name instead of his American name. This name was given to him by his teachers and it is his legal name. There is nothing misleading about it. As for learning from an American I'll quote my Sensei when I asked about studying Martial arts in Japan. "Just because the dirt under the dojo is in Japan, don't think what is being taught inside the dojo will be any better than what you have here." It is the quality of teaching that counts not the race or location of the teacher. Good luck to you on your journey. May all beings be free of suffering.
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Summary: tibetan buddhism made easy for americans
Review: if you have been, like me both attracted and confused by the complex, ornate world of tibetan buddhism, this is the book for you, funny, yet true to the teachings, as lama surya das spent yearsrs in a tibetan monastery.Surya das' practical how to is placed in the framework of the 8 fold noble path, so you learn how to meditate, and basic buddhism
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Summary: Seeking Spritiuality
Review: I first read this book when I was seeking enlightenment. I must say that I am glad that I chose it. Not knowing that much of Buddhism, I was concerned that I would not understand it's principals; the eightfold path and four noble truths, fortunately this book answered my questions and more. I learned more about awakening my spiritual side as well as how to meditate and how to become the master of my universe-Buddha style :). Namaste
Rating:
Summary: A great book to use as an introduction to Buddhism
Review: A lot of books on the Buddhist religion are intimadating , however this one starts simply with practices most people can do. I found it greatly beneficial to use, it helped me with my meditation and with everyday life.
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Summary: buddhism acessible for the west
Review: lama surya das is unique-did thre rigorous 3 year lama training program three times and yet remains very grounded in the west, and very humorous, as when he explains the noble truth on clinging in terms of velcro and non grasping in terms of teflon so as not to burn the mental frying pan. funny, yet kosher buddhism. a lama for the west today
Rating: 
Summary: Deeds, Not Words
Review: Surya Das is obviously a convincing teacher, and in this he does good. And unfortunately, as Gurdjieff noted, the cheif trait of human beings is their gullability. While Tibetan Buddhism is an extraordinary path of spiritual unfoldment, and there are scores of remarkable teachers and realized beings in this tradtion, Surya Das himself is anything but. He is a hypster, of whom most of his Tibetan teachers are ashamed. Though he capitalizes on their identities all over his web site, they are too polite (Tibetan style) to beg him to remove them from any association with him. He was a laughing stock among his peers in his training days, and now holds himself as a self-styled guru. While he may help begginers, he ultimately dissapontts as a hypocrite whose inner world really revolves around self-agrandisement. Read teachers like Tenzin Wangyal or so many other lamas who speak from experience, not cleverness.
Rating:
Summary: A crash course in Buddhism for the fickle Western mind
Review: Lama Surya Das has done a magnificent job of arranging the core teachings of Buddhism into an effective text that newcomers will find invaluable. I myself recieved it as a present, and absorbed it quite easily; the result was a new love for the profound yet simple teachings of Buddha and many others that gave me a great new outlook on life. Spiced throughout with tidbits that make one think and amusing stories, the author does the Eightfold Path justice while not overlooking the less obvious gems of wisdom. A warning though...I had to frequently pause mid-reading dumbfounded at some of the realizations I had; there was quite a bit of forehead-slapping. Since I'm new to Buddhism, I don't know if this is characteristic of Buddhist wisdom in general or Surya Das' particular style, but it's a very enjoyable read whatever the case.
Rating:
Summary: First time I ever enjoyed waking up!
Review: I'm not sure how eloquent my review will be, but I think what I have to say is important. The very best thing about this book is that it is not a downer! What I mean by that are these things: 1. It doesn't have a condescending "you are not living your life right" tone (being a "recovering catholic," that's very important to me). 2. It doesn't paint Buddhism as the pessimistic religion. 3. Everything is presented as attainable. Never once do you find yourself saying "Oh, this is ridiculous! I could NEVER do this." Quite on the contrary, it is very much life-affirming. Every time I pick it up and read a little more (it's slightly difficult for me to take in a lot at once ... it takes me a while to digest), I come away feeling very positively about my life and its directions. Nearly everything is put into real-life terms. I was afraid I'd get into it and it'd tell me to give away all my posessions, wrap myself in a sheet and walk the earth hoping for divine intervention. Of course, I'm exaggerating to make a point, but I figure if I thought about this, others must have, as well. Rest assured, for the average joe, this book is not a "breeze" to read, but it will leave you feeling very much positive about taking control of your own future.
Rating:
Summary: My words would fail to describe this books' depth
Review: I honestly did not expect very much when I began to read. Inspired in part by Jack Kerouac, I was looking for something that could help me to understand Buddhism on many levels. Intellectually, it seemed quite easy to find a textbook or similar material that could run me through all of the Sanskrit or Tibetan tradition. But, until this book, I never found anything in Buddhism that really resonated inside me on a much deeper plane. I really hesitate to say that this book touched me in an emotional way, because that would be understatement of the most significant fashion. It would not be understatement to say that Lama Surya Das could have been describing my very life with every line of this book. His examples, his stories, his metaphors, all seemed to strike me in a particularly personal way. While I can't promise the same experience to any other, I can honestly say that his message transcends the pages of the book and seem to find a way into your head and your heart. The most important thing that I can say about this book is that it helped me to be a better person -- it helped me to take principal from paper to reality. I have many other Buddhist texts on my bookshelf (including the wonderful sequels to this book), but I find myself thumbing through its pages over and over. This book is a special gem, one with a message that doesn't seem to grow stale.
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