Buddha Standard Time: Awakening to the Infinite Possibilities of Now

by Surya Das

"A wealth of inspiration and practical tips for enjoying the Kingdom of God, the Pure Land of the Buddha, now." —Thich Nhat Hanh, bestselling author of Peace Is EveryStep

"For newcomers to Buddhism (and non-Buddhists interested in universal wisdom!) and‘old hands’ at practice . . . [Das] promises nothing less than a liberated life, freed from angst over the tyranny of time, though the practice of loving presence." —Sylvia Boorstein, author of Happiness Is An Inside Job

Internationally renowned meditation scholar Lama Surya Das delivers a penetrating and practical guide to discovering the power of living fully in the now. In the tradition of the Dalai Lama’s The Art of Happiness and Noah Levine’s Heart of the Revolution, Buddha Standard Time is a road map to discovering your own inner kingdom of awareness, patience, and love.

Genres: Buddhism, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Self Help, Audiobook, Religion

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 24, 2011

About the author

Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.”

His most recent book is Make Me One with Everything: Buddhist Meditations to Awaken from the Illusion of Separation. He is well known for his internationally bestselling Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World and the sequels in the “Awakening” trilogy, Awakening to the Sacred: Creating a Spiritual Life from Scratch and Awakening the Buddhist Heart: Integrating Love, Meaning and Connection into Every Part of Your Life. His other books include:

Buddha Standard Time: Awakening to the Infinite Possibilities of Now
The Mind Is Mightier Than the Sword: Enlightening the Mind, Opening the Heart
Natural Radiance: Awakening to Your Great Perfection
Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Transformative Practices of Enlightened Living
The Big Questions: How to Find Your Own Answers to Life’s Essential Mysteries
Letting Go of the Person You Used to Be
Awakening the Buddhist Heart: Integrating Love, Meaning,
Natural Great Perfection: Dzogchen Teachings and Vajra Songs, with Nyoshul Khenpo
The Snow Lion’s Turquoise Mane: Wisdom Tales from Tibet

Lama Surya Das has spent over forty years studying Zen, Vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia, including the Dalai Lama’s own teachers. He is an authorized lama and lineage holder in the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, and a personal disciple of the leading grand lamas of that tradition. He is the founder of the Dzogchen Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts and its branch centers around the United States. Surya has brought many Tibetan lamas to this country to teach and start centers and retreats over the years. As founder of the Western Buddhist Teachers Network with the Dalai Lama, he regularly helps organize its international Buddhist Teachers Conferences. He is also active in interfaith dialogue and charitable projects in the Third World, and has recently turned his efforts towards youth and contemplative education initiatives, what he calls “True higher education and wisdom for life training.”

As a sought after speaker, Lama Surya Das teaches and lectures around the world, conducting meditation retreats and workshops. He is also a published poet, translator, and chant master. His blog, “Ask the Lama,” can be found at www.askthelama.com and his lecture and retreat schedule are listed on his website www.surya.org. Follow him on Facebook--Lama Surya Das--and Twitter--@LamaSuryaDas.

Reviews

[Michele Harrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in Buddha Standard Time that's for sure - it has taken a while, but it has felt like dipping into a quiet meditation session with each chapter. This is really beautifully written. I simply get to the end of these sorts of books, and I despair - because I can't understand why we don't teach children a lot of these practices and principles at school.

Don't get me wrong - I'm a nerd. I enjoyed trigonometry and calculus, but neither have served me one dot in my adult life. I left school as insecure, ill equipped, and as painfully lost as I'm sure the rest of you did. It took friends being brutally murdered, a heart attack (my own) and pretty much seeing my own life begin to implode before my eyes at the age of 36, that finally had me reaching for understanding of a world I could no longer make any sense of. And thank goodness there were books like this one. In the depths of these very simple Buddhist ideas, I find a very deep and abiding peace. So I often return to Buddhist writings when I feel the world is getting too noisy for me again. When the chaos and madness is becoming too potent around me. And I am reminded to return to my meditation practices. A place of hope opens up again, that makes sense of things in my world that are just completely nonsensical.

Why don't we teach children to still the mind, long enough to hear the voice within that guides us best. To where 'God' or whomever your religion dictates is your guide, sends his greatest advice and most potent truths? Instead, we fill their heads with noise and chatter, and let their inner voice of fear and doubt erode their self worth until medication seems their only hope of survival? Something is inherently wrong that we aren't teaching children some Buddhist practices to carry them forward into the world, and to provide them a place of calm and solace that is with them wherever they may roam. I come away from these books calmer and more centred. In a world of madness, I can find a place where redemption is possible, and where love is the only thing that ever matters. Self love, and compassionate love for each other. Find me children in our Western world who understand these concepts? In fact, find me 100 adults??

There were some real highlights in this book for me. I spent so many years trying to 'find myself' only to discover, I was right here all along. This book reminded me of that, and it was a joy to come back home again. We live in a time of war and ecological destruction, corporate greed, and overpopulation - where the 99% have so little and the 1% couldn't give a damn. And as I am now involved in Animal Welfare, I often struggle with coming to terms with an even new army of 'enemies' who seem to be out there, doing harm. I sometimes think, to engage in the world is to risk drowning in bitterness and rage.

I have been reminded, reading this book, that I cannot ever bring peace to the world unless I can find peace within. Therefore, in a time where I see so little to forgive, I have to dig as deep as I can, and find forgiveness for all. I think this piece. quoted in the book is one of the most humbling, and beautiful I have ever read : this prayer was found in 1945 beside the body of a Jewish child in the Ravensbruck concentration camp, where 92,000 women and children died :

O Lord,
remember not only the men and women of goodwill,
but also those of ill will.
But do not only remember the suffering they have inflicted on us,
remember the fruits we bore thanks to this suffering,
our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility,
the courage, the generosity,
the greatness of heart which has grown out of all of this.
And when they come to judgement
let all of the fruits which we have borne
be their forgiveness. Amen.

Wow, that is a forgiving heart for me to aspire to.
And I am reminded that this moment, right now, is perfect. The golden eternity. All there is.
I can highly recommend that you spend this now doing the following :
Breathe, smile, relax and settle down with a good Buddhist teaching!! Lama Surya Das offers a very beautiful one with this book.

[Viv JM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a little disappointing really. There are some nice meditative practices explained, and some interesting scientific theory about the benefits of meditation. Other than that, I didn't feel it offered anything very astounding and was a little too lacking in the Buddha aspect of "Buddha Standard Time" for me personally. It had a self-help-for-stressed-out-executives vibe about it, which wasn't really what I was looking for! Not a bad book, but not exactly life changing either. I think if you want to read about living mindfully in the moment, you would be better with any of Thich Nhat Han's books.

[Arminzerella · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve ever felt stressed out, overworked, under pressure, underslept, and as though there are not enough hours in the day, this book is for you. Lama Surya Das understands where you’re coming from and can provide you with the tools you need to live in the now, slow down your crazy fast-paced life, and find time in unexpected places. Not only will you slow down, you’ll also become more efficient, more productive and happier if you take time for meditation, reflection, and yourself. Practice exercises are included in each chapter.

This makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be very good at sticking to the Lama’s advice (and meditating), unless I’m constantly reinforcing the behaviors. At least meditation is something that can be done in motion – that’s how/when I do my best thinking (while I’m walking around). Still, while I was listening to this, I took some time off away from the insisting pressures (and temptations) of my computer and job, as well as other distractions I didn’t need to focus on. Quiet, reflective time did indeed clear out some of the noisy clutter in my brain – I slept better, worked better, and accomplished a lot. This will bear re-readings/re-listenings. Just listening to it made me feel calmer and more at peace. That's something.

[John Dolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having previously read and enjoyed Lama Surya Das’ ‘Awakening the Buddha Within’ and ‘Awakening the Buddhist Heart’, I was up for one of his other books. It is billed as being for both newcomers to Buddhism and for ‘old hands.’ I must say, however, that while the former category of readers will probably get something useful out of it, this ‘old hand’ didn’t find anything much new or insightful to chew on. The author develops his narrative with patience, and it is an easy enough read although his assertions in Chapter 8 about time speeding up are, IMHO, New Age BS. (For what it’s worth, I would say that the hectic life we currently experience is a product of technological and commercial development, not some acceleration of time itself).
If you’re a Buddhism newbie, though, by all means give ‘Buddha Standard Time’ a whirl. But you might want to skip Chapter 8.

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the same author as Awakening the Buddha Within, the first book I ever read on Buddhism.

Lama Surya Das presents the Dzoghen view of attaining an enlightened state. All you have to do is attend to the here and now. (LOL as if that's simple!)

This is a must-read for anyone interested in a Mindfulness Practice, meditation, or feeling a little less scattered.

[Aims · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first official audiobook! This had a lot of good tips and tricks for being more mindful and present, and the narrator's voice was very soothing. I find it very awesome that I finished an entire book while at work, it makes me feel very accomplished!

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book! You will find something interesting as well as helpful for your life!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surya Das is one of my favorite Buddhist teachers. I listened to the audiobook and was disappointed that he didn’t narrate. The narrator incorrectly pronounced many Buddhist terms, which was a bit off putting, but otherwise the book was excellent. I can never be reminded often enough about the benefits of living in the present.

[Djrmel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stop and smell the roses.

Repeat.

Choose your relationship with the universe from the menu of any religion or philosophy, leaving out the parts that dwell on the past of stress you about the future.

Now stop and smell the roses some more.

Snark aside, I actually thought this was a decent book for bits and bobs about how to dwell in the present.

ETA: Okay, that was a damn with faint praise sort of review, and this book deserves better than that. Case in point, this morning when I was mentally going over what I wanted to accomplish today, some of what Das pointed out about a balance between right and left brain came back to me. I'd never thought of there being a correlation between balanced hemispheres in a brain and The Middle Path, but it does make sense. Perhaps I need to give the book a second read to see what else I didn't pay enough attention to the first time.

[Daiyaan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the cross cultural and religious references in this book which really helped make it accesible to people who do not necessarily believe in Buddhism. I did however think that the author wasn't always qualified to use draw certain scientific conclusions from evidence that he had gathered, probably, in short articles or from newspapers.

The methods of meditating were useful and should help anyone who reads the book. Overall I think it is an enlightening experiance and would definately recommend it to anyone who is interested in meditation as a form of stress relief.

[Woodallen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lama Surya Das is an enlightened thinker, teacher and writer. Buddha Standard Time is a joy to read.I highly recommend this book to everyone who needs help de-stressing and enjoying the time in a day again.

[Craig Bergland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always Good to Spend Time with LSD

Lama Surya Das (LSD) is a teacher for whom I feel great affinity, and whose teachings and writings are spot on. This book is no exception. Down to earth and deep at the same time, I recommend it highly!

[Paula]

Awesome book. Reminded me of many things that I learned on my yoga retreat this summer. Minfulness and living in the present moment is the key to happiness.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved .. Its not that it was something so new, its just the type of thing I need to read when Im not feeling the zen...helps me remember ways to get centered.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

So here’s the thing. I learned a lot from this book. I enjoyed doing the breathing exercises as I read. I even chose yoga for my final credit of PE after reading about its mindful effects.
However. This book read a lot like a conversion propaganda, and there was a lot of stuff in here that I couldn’t relate to and didn’t find very interesting. I am not Buddhist, but I’ve been interested in the religion for a while now. I started this as a backup read because the actual Buddhist/mindfulness book I wanted wasn’t available at my library. I went in hoping for de-stressing methods, tips to mindfulness, and maybe some pacifistic strategies for keeping your chill. Instead what I got were a couple breathing activities, a lot of stories about meditation without any explanation to how I actually try for myself, and some traditional chants. These chants mean nothing to me because I don’t speak the language and am not part of the religion. But the author said “you don’t need to be a Buddhist for this.” So that confused me. Because obviously I get nothing out of saying something I don’t understand, and end up instead butchering the language and probably looking like a racist fool.
There were also times where I felt like the author was attacking me for not being a Buddhist. He would talk like everyone outside the religion was a sinner.

I would have liked this book a lot better if it focused more on mindfulness and less on conversion talk. I also found it to be very repetitive, so I think the author could have cut a lot out.

I understand that I am probably not the target audience for this book. But I think that even if I were at the “correct life stage” for this I still would have found it dull.

[Alex Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in the mist of COVID-19 this book appears to give another perspective of time even as we are all forced to reconsider our relationship to time as our schedules are thrown into disarray.

Time and time again our relationship to time is one of emotionally charged (or suppressed) control, as our salience landscape is forged in terms of external requirements of career, money, relationships, status and appearance.

Das provides a few exercises as he dives deeper into the mechanics of this approach -- all with explicit benefits should we follow these practices. All in all it is a pretty standard text regarding time, one that is angled towards middle and upper middle class people seeking to optimize their daily experiences without actually giving up their daily striving.

[Diane Holcomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for an alternate way to view time management, and discovered this book. So glad I did! Instead of the usual tips on how to manage your time (as if we can...manage time), this book talks about how to change your relationship to time. Gone are the lists of things to do, goals to reach, and steps to reach them. Here, the advice is to slow down, be in the moment, sync to natural time, find space in the pace, and change our perspective to that ticking clock. Lama Surya Das also delves into reconnecting with your higher self, and living in what he calls "sacred time and space." What a breath of relief! I recommend this book to anyone who is drowning in overwhelm.

[Kristina Moses · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed all the tips for meditation and avoiding stress. I definitely don't feel rushed in traffic now, but instead I take time to look around me at the beautiful trees (it's very helpful that it's fall here, so easy to just sit and appreciate nature.) There was also a lot of help staying with the present and just enjoying the now, instead of worrying about the future or stressing the "what ifs" of the past. (I still need more work on this xD ). It's also nice that the author made an effort to discuss the teachings in terms of other religions and non-religions too. It really makes it accessible for everyone.

[Beth Borzone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve already read a lot of books about Buddhism so there wasn’t a lot new here for me, but I did really like the strategies on how to incorporate mindfulness into our everyday lives during this modern era. It was a nice refresher for me to remind me of practices I could do more often and also had some new suggestions.

[Ann Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially picked this up because a patient was reading it for ther self improvement. As a mental health therapist, I strive to understand where my patients are coming from and what they are working on. It turned out that it also fits the place I'm at, too, as a practitioner. I'm looking forward to integrating more mindfulness into my own life and those of my patients. It could help you too.

[Frieda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Das provides valuable insight for time management through Buddhist principles. This book is perfect for those who are constantly on the run, taking on too much and wondering why life moves so quickly.

[J. Maximilian Jarrett II · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make peace with time and you will find: Peace is every step. Knowledge. Truth. Power. Freedom. The Tao does nothing, yet leaves no thing undone. Water finds its own level. The middle way. Being there while getting there. The only way out is through. See clearly to clearly be. Enough said.

[Joshua Van Alstine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.....a little bit of advice...Anecdotal evidence...homeopathy and dogma...however lots of practical and also very useful meditation methods. This book is perfectly mediocre. With all respect to you Lama Surya Das absolutely no offense meant.

[Laine Coates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to help you think more about mindfulness in Buddhism. Definitely peaked my interest in learning more about meditation.

[Valerie Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - lots of good advice peppered in with some very new-agey stuff that I doubt has much scientific evidence to back it up. I find Surya soothing & I wish he’d narrated it.

[Forked Radish]

B.S. Time!

[Lisa Butterworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't spent much time (ha.) thinking about the affect of mindfulness on our sense of time, and I enjoyed that focus.

[Delenn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get all the way through this book. Found it very boring.

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reminders on the most important part of life... being in the moment.

[Marcella Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will definitely be adding some of these daily practices to my routine.