Lama Surya Das - Awakening Now - Ep. 89 - Enlightenment and Subjectivity

In this episode of Awakening Now, Lama Surya Das gives a dharma talk about the relationship between Sunyata and subjectivity, and how there are no prerequisites for enlightenment.

Enlightenment and Subjectivity

Lama Surya Das explores sudden enlightenment as a way of thinking, and how we’re not who or what we think we are. We are all Buddhas by nature, some of us are just sleepier than others. He talks about the relationship between Sunyata and subjectivity, and why a table is never really just a table.

“Sunyata also means subjectivity, in my way of thinking. It’s generally translated as emptiness, which is a little nihilistic.” – Lama Surya Das

Ethan Nichtern explores enlightenment in action in The Road Home Ep. 33

Kill the Buddha? (14:38)

Lama Surya Das talks about how the nature of identity plays into the very intimate matter of spirituality. There are no prerequisites for enlightenment, because we are all Buddhas by nature. Which is why, it has been suggested, that if you meet the Buddha on the road you should probably kill him. Lama Surya Das explores some Dzogchen meditation techniques.

“We are bursting the bubble of separate selfness in the sea of which we’re always part of.” – Lama Surya Das

Swooping from Above (27:41)

Lama Surya Das takes questions from the audience about how the Dzogchen concept of the View relates to enlightenment, meditation and breathing techniques, and how Dzogchen differs from Insight Meditation. He talks about how Dzogchen is about swooping down from above, rather than building things up step by step.