Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition

Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition

  • Downloads:8011
  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2021-04-10 11:59:45
  • Update Date:2025-09-06
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Andrew Holecek
  • ISBN:1559394080
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

We all face death, but how many of us are actually ready for it? Whether our own death or that of a loved one comes first, how prepared are we, spiritually or practically? In Preparing to Die, Andrew Holecek presents a wide array of resources to help the reader address this unfinished business。

Part One shows how to prepare one's mind and how to help others, before, during, and after death。 The author explains how spiritual preparation for death can completely transform our relationship to the end of life, dissolving our fear and helping us to feel open and receptive to letting go in the dying process。 Daily meditation practices, the stages of dying and how to work with them, and after-death experiences are all detailed in ways that will be particularly helpful for those with an interest in Tibetan Buddhism and in Tibetan approaches to conscious dying。

Part Two addresses the practical issues that surround death。 Experts in grief, hospice, the funeral business, and the medical and legal issues of death contribute chapters to prepare the reader for every practical concern, including advance directives, green funerals, the signs of death, warnings about the funeral industry, the stages of grief, and practical care for the dying。

Part Three contains heart-advice from twenty of the best-known Tibetan Buddhist masters now teaching in the West。 These brief interviews provide words of solace and wisdom to guide the dying and their caregivers during this challenging time。 Preparing to Die is for anyone interested in learning how to prepare for death from a Buddhist perspective, both spiritually and practically。 It is also for those who want to learn how to help someone else who is dying, both during the time of illness and death as well as after death。

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Reviews

B

Attended a course also of Andrew's。 Some useful I guess but Andrew is not a mystic/ highly realized type, and so the approach and info is more that from a left brained american intellectual male。 I was honestly turned off by the many references to his teachers/ 'Rinpoches' who are well known to have abused women and others terribly for decades (he has stated and joked that he does not understand why this is a problem)。 I saw this happen and most current authors/ teachers were there (and did noth Attended a course also of Andrew's。 Some useful I guess but Andrew is not a mystic/ highly realized type, and so the approach and info is more that from a left brained american intellectual male。 I was honestly turned off by the many references to his teachers/ 'Rinpoches' who are well known to have abused women and others terribly for decades (he has stated and joked that he does not understand why this is a problem)。 I saw this happen and most current authors/ teachers were there (and did nothing and usually enabled it), only a handful started speaking out in the past 3 years when it became cool/ acceptable to do so。 So one has to ask if that is dharma? Who is a dharma teacher? It's a shame that so much of the death and dying courses and books at the moment coming from tibetan buddhism are coming from people directly or indirectly involved in these terrible crimes。 Sad for the situation of american dharma, painful for women。 Yet these men have held the knowledge。 If you are a higher level/ more realized practitioner, please be aware that some info/ answers here might not be what you would be given if you approached a true Master yourself。。 you could even be given the exact opposite advice。 If you want to help/ save the dharma right now on this planet, support the amazing nuns。 。。。more

Juan Rivera

One of the issues that, although we are all going to live them, we never want to discuss is the issue of death。 I believe that one of the richest traditions regarding the subject of death is Tibetan Buddhism。 The book “Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition” by Andrew Holecek talks about three fundamental themes: What to do before death, how to prepare for it? What to do during death? What to do after death? And all from two points of view: th One of the issues that, although we are all going to live them, we never want to discuss is the issue of death。 I believe that one of the richest traditions regarding the subject of death is Tibetan Buddhism。 The book “Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition” by Andrew Holecek talks about three fundamental themes: What to do before death, how to prepare for it? What to do during death? What to do after death? And all from two points of view: the one who is dying and the one who accompanies him。 The book covers not only these topics, but many practical topics for dealing with death in our day。 Maybe it is not a literary work but it is a book that changed my perspective of how to live from today and be better prepared for my death tomorrow。 。。。more

Trish Perdue

3。5A very odd mix of esoteric and extremely practical

Jodell

I liked this book because it explained to you that you do not have to do things they way your told。 Since funerals are used as a way of extorting money from people who usually are not prepared afford it。 The book explains how you don't have to buy a casket from a funeral home who doubles the price。 You can even transport a body on your own and bury your loved one where you want。 I like that the book tells you what to say and not say to a loved one who is passing and also lets you know that you d I liked this book because it explained to you that you do not have to do things they way your told。 Since funerals are used as a way of extorting money from people who usually are not prepared afford it。 The book explains how you don't have to buy a casket from a funeral home who doubles the price。 You can even transport a body on your own and bury your loved one where you want。 I like that the book tells you what to say and not say to a loved one who is passing and also lets you know that you don't have to say anyting just be present。 。。。more

Mary Fahrenfort

For more than 30 years I have pursued books about death and dying with great interest - my shelf is full of them。 This one is by far the best I have ever read, especially because it combines the deep insights Buddhism has to offer, with a lot of simple, practical and concise advice。 This makes it almost a must-read and must-study for everyone - aren't we all going to die? Sögyal Rinpoche's world-famous bestseller is mainly about the Buddhist view - but this book is of use to everyone who has to For more than 30 years I have pursued books about death and dying with great interest - my shelf is full of them。 This one is by far the best I have ever read, especially because it combines the deep insights Buddhism has to offer, with a lot of simple, practical and concise advice。 This makes it almost a must-read and must-study for everyone - aren't we all going to die? Sögyal Rinpoche's world-famous bestseller is mainly about the Buddhist view - but this book is of use to everyone who has to look death in the face - whether their own, or of a loved one, and whatever their religion。 。。。more

Carole

This is a very valuable reference book, but I found it difficult to read consistently。 This may have been that I am very familiar with many of the topics and authors that are quoted in sections of the book, and perhaps because I have been recently saturated in death and dying material。 For a Buddhist, this book offers both practical advice and spiritual advice, and deals nicely with issues that are often really not dealt with in other books。 Andrew is an excellent writer and teacher and unbeliev This is a very valuable reference book, but I found it difficult to read consistently。 This may have been that I am very familiar with many of the topics and authors that are quoted in sections of the book, and perhaps because I have been recently saturated in death and dying material。 For a Buddhist, this book offers both practical advice and spiritual advice, and deals nicely with issues that are often really not dealt with in other books。 Andrew is an excellent writer and teacher and unbelievably knowledgeable。 It is necessary to pick and choose what you take from this book, but the resource is fabulous。 。。。more