More to Dying than Death - self-paced study

                                             To die will be an awfully big adventure  J M Barrie (Peter Pan)

This is a self-study course but we recommend contacting Dawa if you are considering working through these materials - [email protected]ku.gro.sha@troppus

The training is aimed at members of the Awakened Heart Sangha who have completed Discovering the Heart of Buddhism (DHB).

Overview:

In Lama Shenpen Hookham’s book ‘There’s more to Dying than Death’, Lama invites us to radically transform our relationship with death. In doing so, she points to a deeper experience of being alive.

Drawing upon the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of positively preparing for death throughout life, she offers a way of living with greater ease and contentment, and to ultimately face our own death with confidence.

In this book, Lama Shenpen consolidates the Discovering the Heart of Buddhism (DHB) study themes within the context of living and dying. She shows how students can practice relating to whatever experience unfolds in life or death, by resting not in thoughts, but in the larger embrace of our indestructible heart essence.

Writing with openness, clarity and sensitivity, she specifically considers issues surrounding death and caring for the dying. For example - how meditation helps us to understand death; the stages of death and rebirth; how the living can help the dead or dying; practical planning for one’s own death and bereavement.

Bob Dylan said, “If you’re not busy being born, you’re busy dying” and we’re all busy dying.  The question is not, “Is there life after death?” but “Is there life before death?”  A lot of the time, we live life relatively mindlessly, getting better and better at being unaware.  Observing the dream-like quality of life can sow the seeds of great compassion for those who cling to it as though it would never end. Most importantly, awareness of death leads to an awakened appreciation of every precious moment of life. This is a great gift.