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From the Bestselling Author of Awakening the Buddha Within Comes A Realistic, Life-Transforming Guide for Our Troubled Times

LETTING GO of the PERSON
YOU USED TO BE
Lessons on Change, Loss, and Spiritual Transformation

Lama Surya Das

"The secret is this: Letting go means letting things come and go by just letting them be, which implies deepening harmony, acceptance, and trusting the natural order of things, and being willing and able to just flow." —Lama Surya Das

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Since the horror and staggering tragedy of 9/11, countless Americans have been overwhelmed with fear, anger, and a profound sense of loss. Why is the world filled with evil, suffering, and death? Why must we endure threats of terrorism and an epidemic of unemployment—on top of school violence, child abuse, cancer, AIDS, and myriad other curses? How should we deal with our rage and our grief? Is there any hope for ending so much pain? Every day, hurting people of all faiths grapple with questions like these.

Letting go has become a buzzword among Buddhists, yoga students, and New Agers. But what exactly does it mean? And how do we do it? How do we stop clinging? How do we let go of our compulsions and fixations? And what is the difference between letting go and merely throwing things away? "I believe that this is the time to become warriors for peace and dialogue, not warmongers or mere worriers," declares Lama Surya Das. A beloved spiritual teacher on the forefront of the burgeoning American Buddhist movement, Surya Das offers wisdom for looking inward for answers and practical guidance for taking healing action in LETTING GO OF THE PERSON YOU USED TO BE: Lessons on Change, Loss, and Spiritual Transformation Transformation (Broadway Books; August 12, 2003; $25.00).

Grounded in the teachings of Buddhist "wise guys" and revelations from his own past lives—beginning in the 1950s with his boyhood in the suburbs of Long Island—Surya Das opens a welcome and welcoming path to confronting life's misfortunes and turning negative emotions into positive energy for emotional recovery, spiritual renewal, personal growth and social activism. To ease and inspire the journey, he offers more insights and examples spanning an array of sage souls—from Philo to Einstein, from Saint Paul to Mark Twain, from Mother Teresa to Mother Jones. He also shares the heartfelt stories of ordinary people—parents and children, singles and couples, widowers and divorcees, teens and seniors—struggling with resentment, outrage and sorrow.

Weaving classic parables and telling anecdotes with targeted meditative practices, LETTING GO OF THE PERSON YOU USED TO BE guides and empowers people of all backgrounds, circumstances, and religious beliefs to face their difficulties head on, rather than withdrawing from them, and to reap vast riches. Throughout, Surya Das emphasizes the power of patience, self-awareness, compassion, attentiveness, courage, and laughter. "Lighten up and be en-lightened," he urges the overburdened and anxious.

Filled with creative ideas and concrete exercises, which readers can immediately apply and talk show producers can readily adapt for a segment, chapters discuss:

• Making Sense of the Madness by recognizing loss as "the great equalizer." Instead of personifying evil and blaming "the Devil," anyone reeling from a tragedy or the death of a loved one should strive to accept loss as a fact of life and focus on how they react to it. To begin, Surya Das asks readers to write down all of their losses, from their grandfather to their virginity, and reflect on how they felt when each loss occurred—and how they feel now. This will help them see loss in a more realistic and positive, transformative light.

• Letting Go of the Person You Used to Be by examining your attachments—to people, places, things, opinions, beliefs, and ideas. Surya Das challenges readers to make a list of everything they feel attached to, then seriously contemplate how much they identify with, cherish, and depend on each item on it. Through this exercise, readers will gain a clear definition of who they are and how they can change by consciously choosing detachment—which, as Surya Das stresses, is not the same as indifference.

• Being Heroic in the Face of Fears by refusing to be afraid of being afraid. As Surya Das notes, heroism does not require taking physical risks to help others. Often, the greatest heroes are those quiet men and women who stand firm and bravely face up to the many unexpected crises and losses life doles out, people who think of themselves as "survivors." To foster this steadfast heroism, Surya Das prompts readers to define their one absolute worst fear and then fully bring it to mind—to imagine it, visualize it, and experience it. When repeated regularly, this exercise promotes a new perspective on fear, and more energy and courage for facing it.

Other chapters delve into letting go of old hurts and anger, understanding the vital connection between healing ourselves and healing the world, the challenge of loving unconditionally, and the essential practice of mindfulness—remaining fully present in the moment and undistracted by life's many distractions, which leads to true wisdom.

"Personal change and renewal is more a practical than a mystical matter," Surya Das contends. In LETTING GO OF THE PERSON YOU USED TO BE, he speaks out as a voice of clarity in our turbulent times, with a much-needed message of hope.

About the Author
SURYA DAS is a lama in the Dzogchen lineage of Tibet, and is the founder of the Dzogchen Meditation Centers in America and abroad. He is a sought-after spiritual teacher, poet, and spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The author of several previous books, including the national bestseller Awakening the Buddha Within, he lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts.

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LETTING GO OF THE PERSON YOU USED TO BE
Lessons on Change, Loss, and Spiritual Transformation
By Lama Surya Das
Publication Date: August 12, 2003
$25.00 U.S. / $38.00 Canada; 288 pages
ISBN: 0-7679-0873-2

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