Living, Knowing We Are Dying

With Lama Pema and  Lama Yeshe

Tuesdays, 4:00 – 6:00 pm, April 9 – May 7

Registration is now closed

The subject of death and dying occupies a central place in the interior life of every human being. From the Buddhist perspective, awareness of impermanence is the single characteristic that sets humans apart from all other observable beings. Knowing we will die, allows us to prepare for that inevitable crossing.

During this class, we will explore the process of the body's dying sequence, as well as the Tibetan Buddhist view of what occurs following death. We will consider how to prepare ourselves and our families for a loving, brave and peaceful death. We will also consider how to prepare ourselves and our families for a dying process that may be unfolding in circumstances which are not of our own choosing. As a basis for our exploration, we will utilize the book How We Live Is How We Die by Pema Chodron.

For Buddhists, death and life are not viewed as opposed realities, but as part of a continuum. On this continuum, how we think and how we act in everyday life will become the basis of our dying experience. The advice of the Buddha — to benefit all, to harm no one, and to train the mind — will be the basis of expanding our innate kindness and courage, for a fearless passage at the end of life.