The Art Of Dying

Sometimes the end of life comes as peacefully as the passing of the day. Death, the inevitable ending of life, is feared by nearly all. It is often mired in pain and suffering, of both body and mind. Yet the Buddha taught that death is a pivotal moment on the path to freedom from suffering. Woven together from many sources, the art of dying provides a context for understanding death — whether our own or that of our loved ones— and experiencing it with awareness and equanimity. This book features passages from the Pali texts, poetic stories of monks and nuns from the time of the Buddha and other theories related to better understanding death. It also holds a question-and-answer section, writings of S. N. Goenka and compelling essays by or about meditators confronting the end of life. With humility, tenderness, and often a smile, meditators of VI pass an a learn to accept their own impermanence, suffering, and non-self. This book, written by S.N. Goenka and others, has been edited by Virginia Hamilton, who is a former editor of the international VI pass an a newsletter.