Being with Dying : Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death

The Buddhist approach to death can be of greatbenefit to people of all backgrounds—as has been demonstrated time and again inJoan Halifax's decades of work with the dying and their caregivers. Inspired bytraditional Buddhist teachings, her work is a source of wisdom for all thosewho are charged with a dying person's care, facing their own death, or wishingto explore and contemplate the transformative power of the dying process. Herteachings affirm that we can open and contact our inner strength, and that wecan help others who are suffering to do the same. Zen Teacher Joan Halifax Has Been Helping Both The Dying And Their Caregivers To Face Death With Courage And Compassion For Three Decades. Here, Joan Offers The Fruits Of Her Work, Providing Comfort, Inspiration, And Practical Skills For All Those Who Are In The Process Of Dying Or Who Are Charged With A Dying Person's Care. Her Teaching, Based On Buddhist Principles, Emphasizes That We Have The Ability To Open Up To And Rely On Our Inner Strength, And We Can Help Others Who Are Suffering To Do The Same. Joan Offers Stories From Her Personal Experience As Well As Guided Exercises And Contemplations To Help Readers Meditate On Death Without Fear, Develop A Commitment To Helping Others, And Transform Suffering And Resistance Into Courage.--from Publisher Description. Pt. 1. Uncharted Territory. A Path Of Discovery : The Lucky Dark -- The Heart Of Meditation : Language And Silence -- Overcoming The Porcupine Effect : Moving Past Fear Into Tenderness -- The Wooden Puppet And Iron Man : Selfless Compassion, Radical Optimism -- At Home In The Infinite : Dwelling In The Boundless Abodes -- You Are Already Dying : Realizing Impermanence, Selflessness, And Freedom. Pt. 2. Giving No Fear. Fiction That Hinder And Heal : Facing Truth And Finding Meaning -- The Two Arrows : I Am In Pain And I Am Not Suffering -- Giving No Fear : Transforming Poison Into Medicine -- Take Care Of Your Life, Take Care Of The World : Seeing My Own Limits With Compassion -- The Jeweled Net : Communities Of Care -- Wounded Healers : The Shadow Side Of Caregiving. Pt. 3. Making A Whole Cloth. Doorways To Truth : From Fear To Liberation -- Embracing The Road : How We Remember, Assess, Express, And Find Meaning -- Between Life, Between People : How We Forgive, Reconcile, Express Gratitude, And Love -- The Great Matter : There Is No One Right Way -- The Broken Pine Branch : Deaths Of Acceptance And Liberation -- Gratitude For The Vessel : Care Of The Body After Death -- River Of Loss : The Plunge Of Sorrow. Afterword : Being One With Dying. Joan Halifax ; Foreward By Ira Byock. A Buddhist teacher draws from her years of experience in caring for the dying to provide inspiring lessons on how to face death with courage and compassion #160; The Buddhist approach to death can be of great benefit to people of all backgroundsas has been demonstrated by Joan Halifaxs decades of work with the dying and their caregivers. A Zen priest and a world-renowned pioneer in care of the dying, Halifax has helped countless people face death with courage and trained caregivers in compassioante end-of-life care. In this book, Halifax offers lessons from dying people and caregivers, as well as guided meditations to help readers contemplate death without fear, develop a commitment to helping others, and transform suffering and resistance into courage. Her teachings affirm that we can open and contact our inner strengthand that we can help others who are suffering to do the same.#160; Being with Dying #160;is a source of wisdom for anyone who is facing their own death, caring for someone who is dying, or wishing to explore the transformative power of the dying process In this long-awaited book of inspiring and practical teachings, Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax offers the fruits of her many years of work with dying people. Inspired by traditional Buddhist teachings, her work is a source of wisdom for all those who are charged with a dying person's care, who are facing their own death, or who are wishing to explore and contemplate the transformative power of the dying process. Halifax offers lessons from dying people and caregivers, as well as guided meditations to help readers contemplate death without fear, develop a commitment to helping others, and transform suffering and resistance into courage. She says, "Why wait until we are actualy dying to explore what it may mean to die with awareness?" A world-renowned pioneer in care of the dying, Joan Halifax founded the Project on Being with Dying, which helps dying people to face death with courage and trains professional and family caregivers in compassionate and ethical end-of-life care.