Living Is Dying: How to Prepare for Death, Dying and Beyond
- Downloads：6681
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-15 14:55:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse
- ISBN：1611808073
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
No matter who we are – pop star， nurse， teacher， real estate magnate， gardener， atheist， CEO， secretary， road sweeper， agnostic， film critic， Buddhist， home maker – each and every one of us will die。 We have no choice， no alternative option， no wiggle room。 Death is inevitable。 So why do so few of us even think about death， let alone make any effort to prepare ourselves for it？
In his new book， 'Living is Dying'， Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche offers a broad spectrum of advice about how to prepare for dying， death and beyond no matter who you are。 Inspired by nearly one hundred questions that were put to him by friends and students， Rinpoche describes how to:
prepare for our own death
help， comfort and guide a dying friend or loved one
approach the moment of death
navigate the bardos （intermediate states）
guide the dead
help loved ones who have died
“These teachings about death and the bardos have been passed down through a long lineage of brilliant Buddhist thinkers， each of whom went to great lengths in order to examine the process in minute detail and from every angle。 Their advice may well be especially useful for Buddhists， or those attracted to the Buddha’s teachings。 Even those of you who know nothing about the teachings of the Buddha but who are open-minded， curious， and perhaps contemplating your own death or that of a loved one， may well find something in these pages that will be of help。”
- Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
In his new book， 'Living is Dying'， Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche offers a broad spectrum of advice about how to prepare for dying， death and beyond no matter who you are。 Inspired by nearly one hundred questions that were put to him by friends and students， Rinpoche describes how to:
prepare for our own death
help， comfort and guide a dying friend or loved one
approach the moment of death
navigate the bardos （intermediate states）
guide the dead
help loved ones who have died
“These teachings about death and the bardos have been passed down through a long lineage of brilliant Buddhist thinkers， each of whom went to great lengths in order to examine the process in minute detail and from every angle。 Their advice may well be especially useful for Buddhists， or those attracted to the Buddha’s teachings。 Even those of you who know nothing about the teachings of the Buddha but who are open-minded， curious， and perhaps contemplating your own death or that of a loved one， may well find something in these pages that will be of help。”
- Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Reviews
Richard
，
"As soon as you're born you're old enough to die，" Dylan。 Probably before， if there's a "you" in utero - beyond my paygrade。By the subtitle， "preparing for death， dying。。。" was an interesting Buddhist doctrine read。 Nothing really new， but then - what is？ It was the "beyond" part that threw me。 Like all good hippies on a "spiritual path，" I had a copy of The Tibetan Book of the Dead， and like most of us I never read it。 Kind of like "A Short History of Time，" eh？ So， I've been aware of the after "As soon as you're born you're old enough to die，" Dylan。 Probably before， if there's a "you" in utero - beyond my paygrade。By the subtitle， "preparing for death， dying。。。" was an interesting Buddhist doctrine read。 Nothing really new， but then - what is？ It was the "beyond" part that threw me。 Like all good hippies on a "spiritual path，" I had a copy of The Tibetan Book of the Dead， and like most of us I never read it。 Kind of like "A Short History of Time，" eh？ So， I've been aware of the after-breath rituals， and readings， and the idea of bardos。 It all seemed like a good idea， but not one that the book made any more comprehensible。 "Lincoln in the Bardo，" by George Saunders is a pretty good guide， though。 So， when Living is Dying hit the bardos I was intrigued， but what I discovered was that not even Lama Khyentse really knows what happens as the breath travels on， and the body dies。 He believes that consciousness continues， and cites Raymond Moody's "Life after Life" study as a good source， but also admits that it's all inconclusive。 That admittal was a bit of a jolt， and shook me out of the idea that the Buddhists had a handle on the after-life。I also got to thinking that all religion is a response to our fear of death/dying。 I've always believed that a Buddhist sort of surrender to the inevitable was the way to go， but it never completely dawned on me that the whole system of after-life was as much a fabrication as whatever the Christians， or Hindus， or anyone else has come up with。 I've always thought that we went off into the void， but held on to the idea that maybe， just maybe consciousness continues， and we might even remember "self" on the next go-around。 Well， the good Lama disabused me of that magical thinking。My aunties， and uncles were believing Catholics， and they saw their deaths as the entrance to the dining room of departed souls， where the family would gather and bask in divine love， and good food。 My Auntie T。 even reached out to grasp her dead brother's hand before she "gave up the ghost。" I decided that whatever gets you through the passage was just fine， though I felt most deeply that there's nothing on the other side。 "Living is Dying，" unintentionally reaffirmed that belief。So， all in all， another good text about living well， preparing for the end， and passing with some surrender; but another fantasy about what happens next。 。。。more
A。B。 McFarland
，
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse has casual style of writing， which belies the gravity of the topic。 Appropriate for Buddhists， particularly Vajrayana practitioners， the book covers many topics including descriptions of the dying process， prayers to read to someone who is dying or who has died， instructions on water offerings， tadrol "liberation through wearing" and crafting tsa-tsas。 Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse has casual style of writing， which belies the gravity of the topic。 Appropriate for Buddhists， particularly Vajrayana practitioners， the book covers many topics including descriptions of the dying process， prayers to read to someone who is dying or who has died， instructions on water offerings， tadrol "liberation through wearing" and crafting tsa-tsas。 。。。more
Rubi Valentin-Jaranson
，
This book was beautifully written and is very helpful to see how Tibetan Biddhists understand life and death。 It includes prayers and practices to help the dying。
Mark
，
A Buddhist teacher discusses how to prepare for death in the Buddhist tradition。 Though not a practicing Tibetan Buddhist， I picked this book up because I am interested in ideas of dying and the afterlife of varied cultural traditions。 The author， who is not a particularly good writer， cops to to writing the book on his phone， assumes a good deal of Buddhist knowledge， and is contradictory in places （die in the presence of someone who can introduce you to Buddha Nature / die solitarily）， and see A Buddhist teacher discusses how to prepare for death in the Buddhist tradition。 Though not a practicing Tibetan Buddhist， I picked this book up because I am interested in ideas of dying and the afterlife of varied cultural traditions。 The author， who is not a particularly good writer， cops to to writing the book on his phone， assumes a good deal of Buddhist knowledge， and is contradictory in places （die in the presence of someone who can introduce you to Buddha Nature / die solitarily）， and seems ill-equipped to explain essential concepts at times。 One example is in this illustration of "the ground of liberation" via this metaphor:It's a bit like this: Imagine you are sitting on a sofa in a very small living room。 Suddeenly， all you want to do is dance， so you move the sofa into the dining room。 You can move the sofa because， no matter how heavy and bulky it is， the sofa is movable， and the space you move it into is inherently available。No more is said about the sofa。 。。。more
Jigme
，
I would like to buy and read this book very soon。
Yonten Jamtsho
，
I am really happy to know that this book is releasing very soon and very thankful to Our Rinpochoe for writing this book la。 As a buddhist， I belive in birth and after life and I feel that this book will give us the right direction to prepare for our present and next life。 Thank you Rinpochoe La。
Caidyn （he/him/his）
，
I received an ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review！Eh， it was okay。 I think this book is definitely more for practicing Buddhists， no matter the tradition。 Khyentse gives a lot of different practices for someone to do who is either facing death or knows someone who is。 It wasn't for me， but it'd be more appreciated by a Buddhist who practices。 I read it to get a bit more knowledge on Buddhist views of death， but， the way it was framed in here， I already knew most of it。 I received an ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review！Eh， it was okay。 I think this book is definitely more for practicing Buddhists， no matter the tradition。 Khyentse gives a lot of different practices for someone to do who is either facing death or knows someone who is。 It wasn't for me， but it'd be more appreciated by a Buddhist who practices。 I read it to get a bit more knowledge on Buddhist views of death， but， the way it was framed in here， I already knew most of it。 。。。more
Tashi Lhamo
，
This book is recommended for people who faces death and wish to know more。 It is especially written for Western and eastern who have no clue about what to do， how to do and when to do。 Really good guide
George K。 Ilsley
，
Straightforward yet complex， this book begins with the startling assumption that we are all going to die， and then gives some advice and practices to help make it all go a little easier。 "Living is Dying" is not only the title — it is the theme of the whole book。 Or perhaps the theme of life itself。 So how we live is how we die， and all of life is preparation for our transition into the next phase， whatever it may be。This book is free to download through Siddharta's Intent。 May it be of benefit。 Straightforward yet complex， this book begins with the startling assumption that we are all going to die， and then gives some advice and practices to help make it all go a little easier。 "Living is Dying" is not only the title — it is the theme of the whole book。 Or perhaps the theme of life itself。 So how we live is how we die， and all of life is preparation for our transition into the next phase， whatever it may be。This book is free to download through Siddharta's Intent。 May it be of benefit。 May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering。 。。。more
Nikko
，
Incredibly good。 This is also really practical， giving tools to the dying and those taking care of them。 Very empowering and clear。Note: I am associated with Shambhala Publications， but this is an objective review！
Max Nemtsov
，
Очень полезная краткая инструкция。 Хотя не отменяет необходимости чтения источников， конечно。
Betty
，