To awaken to your own true nature is to lay claim to your birthright. It’s why you are here, suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous incarnation. This is not an invitation, nor is it an obligation—it’s who you already are, right now. All that’s left to do is to wake up. But first, you need to know that you can wake up in this lifetime, that enlightenment is a real possibility for you and for your loved ones. Second, you need to give yourself permission to pursue your own enlightenment. You deserve to be awake—because in a certain sense, you already are.
As you listen to this meditation, excerpted from Lama Surya Das’s Why Be a Buddhist, When You Can Be the Buddha presentation, pay particular attention to his advise around daily meditation practice. Surya draws from a rich legacy of Dzogchen Buddhist teachings to develop some astonishingly simple ways to embody our own awakening in our daily lives, emphasizing how helpful it can be to break our meditation practice into many smaller meditations throughout the day. Return to this meditation whenever you can for a daily reminder of your own already-awakened nature.
Image: The Great Perfection Aa by Tashi Mannox [+view gallery]
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About Lama Surya Das
Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars. Surya Das teaches and lectures around the world, conducting dozens of meditation retreats and workshops each year.