The Tibetan Blog Of Living And Dying

Of Life, Laughter and Death

Here is the opening of a Sky News (UK) feature on Sogyal Rinpoche following the publication of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying in 1992.

What will happen to me when I die?

Karin Behrendt, student and German translator for Sogyal Rinpoche writes: “For many people, including myself, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying is not just “a book” but the long awaited answer to many very personal questions about life and death.

I had the great privilege to come in contact with Sogyal Rinpoche before “The Book” was written, and I was able to witness, first hand, Rinpoche’s meticulous process of essentializing and translating into our modern society the teachings that had been handed down to him by the great masters of the past.

Sogyal Rinpoche’s teachings, and later his book, answered the two most important questions that I had been carrying with me before I met the buddhist teachings: “What will happen to me when I die?”, and “Who will teach me about myself?” (Don’t ask me where these came from, I guess that would be a whole long story in itself).

What better answer could I have asked for than to actually meet someone who not only introduced me to my true nature but taught me so clearly and precisely about the process of  death and dying. As Rinpoche wrote in his book: “Realization of the nature of mind, which you could call our innermost essence, that truth we all search for, is the key to understanding life and death.”

For many months and years after I met him, Rinpoche taught about the process of dying, about how to prepare for the moment of death and about how to accompany someone else through this process. It was such a relief to find someone who not only openly adressed death, but also showed how to deal with it. Twenty years later I can say with confidence, that Rinpoche’s book has fulfilled his wish “to inspire a quiet revolution” on a personal level and in the wider world.

This became vividly clear to me a few years ago when one of my aunts was dying . Throughout the process of her death, I noticed a marked difference in the attitude of both my family and the hospital staff to caring for someone dying, from what they would have had 20 years earlier. Rather than prolonging her suffering by trying to continue to treat her very advanced and incurable cancer, they suggested finding a hospice where my aunt could spend the last period of her life in a more dignified, peaceful and human way. Just two decades earlier this would not have happened. It is wonderful to see how hospice care has become an acknowledged part of our society. This is, of course, due to many people’s efforts, but I am sure Sogyal Rinpoche’s teachings have contributed to this change tremendously.

If I had to choose one book to take with me to a deserted island, my choice would still be The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. I’ve read it so many times, and the more teachings I receive and the more I practice, the more I discover the depth of what it contains. As you might know, the teachings on Death & Dying are just one aspect of the book. For you, it may turn out to be mainly a book on love and compassion… but whatever appeals to you the most, if you put it into practice, it really could help you to change your life for the better.”

What is your story about The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying? To share it, follow this link: Share your story.

A Book that Radiates Healing and Love

Suzanne Banay Santo wrote to us: “When my son Zoran was a tiny baby, he had a very serious cerebral hemorrhage. Read More

“The Book Loved Me Completely”

‘When you really realize the teachings in a profound way, you realize the teachings are all about love.”
Murnau, Germany, June 3, 2010.

Finding Fearlessness in the Face of Suffering

Dr. Ann Allegre, award-winning professor and physician in the field of Palliative Medicine writes:

“When I first encountered the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, I had already been working for several years as a hospice physician.  Although I loved the work and felt grateful to be able to help patients and families in such a meaningful way, the work was taking its toll on me.  I was becoming emotionally drained, on the verge of burnout.

In order to “save my life”, as I thought of it, or at least to save my career, I found my way to a course called Contemplative End-of-Life Care Certificate Course, offered by the Spiritual Care Program of Rigpa in collaboration with Naropa University.  This course was built on the teachings and practices presented in the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.  Although Sogyal Rinpoche did not take part in the course in person, his teachings were the inspiration and guidance, through the book, his teachings on video, and through his long-time student Christine Longaker who led the course.

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying has much practical advice for caring for the dying, which I was able to apply immediately.  I also learned much more about meditation, compassion, and guided practices for compassion and healing.  I felt that these tools gave me a way to offer help to those who were suffering in ways that I could not address medically.  Sometimes, the profound suffering of a family in conflict or the fears of someone dying tore at my heart.  With the help of the teachings, I could be more present with them, less afraid of being with their pain.  Even when my medical expertise and my presence could not relieve them, I could offer them spiritual support and remember them in my daily practice, asking that they find peace and happiness.

I have made it a practice to buy copies of the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying to make available at our inpatient hospice facility.  Several patients and families who found the copies on the shelves have told me that they found the wisdom in the book to be very helpful as they or their loved ones are facing the end of life.   Those who make a connection with the book are free to take a copy home with them; I replace them as needed.

As I learn more about the Buddhist teachings, I understand more that there is great depth and a wealth of information in this book.  I continue to explore it, understanding more and more the wisdom that it contains.  Anyone who will face death or loss (and that is all of us) can find much in it that applies directly to his or her own life.  For those of us who work with the dying, the invaluable wisdom in this book is especially inspirational and healing.”

Dr Ann Allegre MD, FACP is Director of Medical Programmes for Kansas City Hospice, USA. She also serves as Medical Director of the palliative Care Consult Service for Providence Health. She is Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine for the University of Kansas School of Medicine.  In 2007, she was awarded the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine “Project on Death in America Community Leadership in Palliative Care Award”  in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the advancement of the field of palliative medicine through the education and training of future leaders. In 2011, she was honored with the Hastings Center Cunniff-Dixon Physician Award. Many colleagues praise her remarkable communication skills, her holistic and spiritual approach to her patients and their families, and her finely honed clinical expertise. She attended the Spiritual Care Conference in Killarney, Ireland in 2009, together with Sogyal Rinpoche and many other prominent individuals in the field of care for the dying. She is currently faculty at the Contemplative End-of-Life Certificate Program offered by the Spiritual Care Program.

 

What is your story about The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying? To share it, follow this link: Share your story.