Students seeking to

American-Born Lama
Will
Hold
overcome
stress
and
improve
their overall
Talk for Students
at UCIrvine
academic and
personal well-being
have an opportunity
to learn about
meditation, yoga and
other contemplative
methods during an
on-campus talk by
Western Buddhist
meditation teacher
and author
Lama Surya Das
scheduled on Jan. 29.

We know that university students are

hungry and thirsty as they seek to
discover more about the inner meaning
and purpose of their lives, their studies,
the current relational experiences in their
lives and to their future careers, said
Manuel Gomez, Vice Chancellor-Emeritus
of Student Affairs.
Lama Das will be speaking to the campus
community about improving ones
relational awareness, or the association
between the awareness of oneself and
others, through relationship yoga, Pilates
and meditation.
UCI Professor of Psychiatry Roger Walsh,

For me [Lama Das] has been a repository

and transmitter of deep, hard won wisdom
and I have learned a great deal about
meditation, the mind, how to train and heal it,
its (and our) potentials, and the possibility of
growing beyond conventional levels to
awaken to our deeper, truer nature, said
Walsh. Although Im a trained psychiatrist,
Ive still learned much from Lama Surya about
the mind and psychological well-being, which
is not yet part of western mental health
knowledge.
For Lama Das, meditation is a great tool which
helps a person attend to his mind, body, soul
and spirit. It helps individuals develop selfknowledge and self-awareness through

After completing college, he went to India to

further pursue his search. Lama Das attended
meditation retreats, practiced yoga and studied
the writings of Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus and the
Dalai Lama. He embraced Tibetan Buddhism in
the 1970s.
A vital component of Buddhism is to be
mindful, compassionate, wise and loving, rather
than being unhappy, depressed, anxious and
alienated, which many people are falling into in
these violent, volatile and insecure times, said
Lama Das during a telephone interview on Jan.
9. We can learn not to just blindly react but
respond mindfully as needed, and to use
mindfulness and anger management to find
inner peace, harmonious relations and

Many people assume Buddhism is simply about

world denial or introspection, but Lama Das
stressed that very important components of the
faith include altruism, compassion,
volunteering and community service.
Moreover,
Lama Surya Das insisted that meditation is not
about stopping thoughts as many tend to
believe, but rather about thought awareness.
The meditator should be relaxed and breathing,
but also aware of his immediate thoughts and
sensations.
Lama Das also discussed other practical benefits
of meditation, including lowered blood pressure,
increased creativity, sharpened focus and an

Getting clear truth, being unselfish, objective,

discerning, patient, compassionate and
empathizing with others goes a long way in
transforming all our relationships and the
world.
Lama Das mentioned that the families and
friends of students who began meditation
have described the students as becoming
more patient, peaceful, focused and less
reactive.
Lama Das emphasized that, although students
may struggle with meditation at first, they
should keep practicing it until it becomes
habitual, as one of his first teachers in India
taught him: continuity is the secret of

The best research, much of it here at UCI, is

re-confirming the ancient understanding of
the body and the mind, and Lama Surya Das
is an important teacher who has helped many
individuals to become more aware of
materials and methods to achieve inner
peace, said Gomez.
Lama Surya Das will speak and hold a book
signing at the UCI Student Center on Jan. 29
from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. A full day workshop of
meditation techniques will be held on Jan. 30
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Neighborhood
Congregational Church in Laguna Beach.
Article Source
https://lamasuryadasmarried.wordpress.com/20