By Janae Jean and Spencer Schluter

For this interview, we had the honor to speak with Lama Surya Das, affectionately called “The Western Lama” by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Surya Das is the author of 15 books, including his most recent book, his first children’s book, The Yeti and The Jolly Lama: A Tale of Friendship. His other books include the best-selling Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Modern World and The Snow Lion’s Turquoise Mane: Wisdom Tales From Tibet. He is also the host of Awakening Now on the Be Here Now network.
Surya is a highly sought after teacher, mentor, speaker and lecturer, translator and writer and has spent over 45 years studying Zen, meditation, yoga and Tibetan Buddhism. He is the founder of the Dzogchen Center and Foundation. As founder of the Western Buddhist Teachers Network with the Dalai Lama, he helps organize its international Buddhist Teachers Conferences. Connect with him online on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube @LamaSuryaDas. Visit AskTheLama.com, Surya.org and Dzogchen.org for more information.
Janae: You’ve written over 15 books, but this is your first children’s book. This is really a book for children of all ages with themes like lovingkindness, reaching out and turning a monster into a friend. What brought you to write a children’s book?
Surya Das: I’ve published in different genres, but mainly I’m known for my non-fiction work, especially Awakening the Buddha Within. I’m also a translator and collector of Himalayan folktales. I have a book of them called The Snow Lion’s Turquoise Mane: Wisdom Tales From Tibet. I didn’t write that for children, but some of them have been adapted into children’s stories.
I’ve noticed that the younger generation today is not as exposed to Biblical parables, moral stories, Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Aesop’s Fables—instructional, edifying and amusing stories like those. I wanted to put forth some of these universal principles and Buddhist principles like lovingkindness and friendship across species. There’s a lot more children in my life now that I have grandchildren, grandnieces and nephews and that my godchildren have children. I’m really enjoying telling stories to children.
Spencer: What drew you to Tibetan Buddhism and led you to become a Lama?
SD: Health is a big part of the spiritual life in any tradition, some emphasize it more than others. Buddha said his teaching was like medicine. He was like a doctor and the students were like patients, and it’s up to the patient to take it or not. Nobody can do it for you. This is my life, the Buddhist path, which I met in college in the 60s and then pursued in the Himalayas in the 70s, 80s and 90s. I learned Tibetan and studied these things as I translated Tibetan teaching tales. I’ve been studying this my whole adult life and been helping to bring mindfulness and yoga to the Western countries, as well as translating for the Dalai Lama and other people of Tibet. I teach and write full-time. I have the Dzogchen Center for retreats, and I offer personal spiritual guidance.
I got into this when I was young, and it healed me of my afflictions. I was a seeker and became a finder. I’m just here testifying that these ancient and timeless—yet very timely—traditional practices, spiritual self-inquiry, mindfulness, healthy living, balanced eating, yoga and exercise all conspire together to make one a better person, and for spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational health. It can help with societal health too.
SS: We’ve been getting the house ready for the winter. It’s going to be cold here in Illinois, and we want to make it as cheerful, warm and pleasant as possible. It’s very hard to gather data on how that affects quality of life, but I feel like that’s the elephant in the room when there’s so much anxiety and depressio...