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LETTING GO OF THE PERSON YOU USED TO BE
Lessons on Change, Loss, and Spiritual Transformation
By Lama Surya Das
On Sale: August 12, 2003
Published by Broadway Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

We are reminded that hiding from our wounds is futile, but embracing them leads to a better understanding of ourselves, and our divine light. Buddhism has a great deal to say about change, impermanence, loss, and grief. According to Surya Das, crisis, fear, and suffering can prove to be the greatest precipitants and catalysts for spiritual change, as well as conscious evolution and genuine transformation. Every obstacle can provide us with an opportunity and a stepping stone beyond our habitual limitations. As Surya Das says, "It is not what happens to us, but what we make of it that makes all the difference; this is the secret to spiritual mastery, freedom, and liberation." Weaving meditative practices with wise stories, LETTING GO OF THE PERSON YOU USED TO BE discusses:

• Making Sense of the Madness — Loss is the great equalizer that reminds us that we are not omnipotent; it helps us crack open our defensive shell of invulnerability and denial.
• Loss and Change — It is not what happens to us that determines our character, our experience, our karma, and our destiny — but how we relate to what happens.
• Naming Our Losses — Repressing difficult experiences and feelings can make us ill. Acknowledging our pain is a necessary part of our healing.
• Letting Go of the Person You Used to Be — If we are focused on our attachments, we fail to pay attention to the truth of the present moment.
• Letting Go of Holding On — Rather than thinking of liberation at some future time, we can find it through the practice of letting go of little things, one at a time, here and now.
• Healing the World, Healing Ourselves — Human life is a unique and precious opportunity that should be cherished and not squandered. Devoting it to spiritual evolution and a cause that is larger than oneself and beneficial to others is the best use of time on this planet. Buddhist psychology and the psychology of enlightenment explores the nature of mind, consciousness, authenticity, and spirit, and the connection between physical and mental healing and well-being.
• Being Heroic in the Face of Loss — Often the greatest heroes are the quiet men and women who are simply and bravely facing up to the many unexpected losses and difficulties that life dishes up.
• Mindful and Wise — Mindfulness, which leads to wisdom, can help us stay centered no matter how many distracting or disturbing highs and lows come our way. The practice of mindfulness is unique in both its simplicity and its practicality.
• "Though Lovers Be Lost, Love Shall Not" — Getting beyond the roller coaster of human emotions and tapping into that larger love is what we are all striving for as we travel on the spiritual path.
• Spiritual Renewal — Healing Our Wounded Hearts — It is possible to find peace with our wounded hearts and move beyond negative memories and hurt.

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