Lama Surya Das is the most highly trained American lama in the Tibetan tradition, and has spent close to 25 years in Tibetan monasteries around Asia. Born into a New York Jewish family, he has become a leading spokesperson for Western Buddhism and regularly organises Buddhist teachers' conferences with the Dalai Lama, lectures at a range of US institutions, and conducts retreats and workshops in ten different countries each year. He is the internationally bestselling author of AWAKENING THE BUDDHA WITHIN, AWAKENING TO THE SACRED and AWAKENING THE BUDDHIST HEART.