Thirty years ago, at the height of the American AIDS epidemic, Frank Ostaseski cofounded America’s first Buddhist hospice–the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco. Since then he’s taught compassionate, contemplative caregiving across the[...]
Thirty years ago, at the height of the American AIDS epidemic, Frank Ostaseski cofounded America’s first Buddhist hospice–the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco. Since then he’s taught compassionate, contemplative caregiving across the[...]
“Apprentice yourself to the curve of your own disappearance.” — David WhyteTim Gouw Over the past thirty years, I have sat on the precipice of death with a few thousand people. Some came to their deaths full of disappointment. Others[...]
Life and death are a package deal. You cannot pull them apart. In Japanese Zen, the term shoji translates as “birth-death.” There is no separation between life and death other than a small hyphen, a thin line that connects the two. We cannot[...]
One day, in the middle of writing a foundation grant report, I got a call from a man I didn’t know. He explained that he was the father of a 7-year-old boy who had been very ill with cancer. Some people had told him that I might be able to help[...]
Friends, I am excited to share that my new book The Five Invitations is being released today. In it, I have done my best to share the collective wisdom of my teachers, loved ones, and above all, the people I have sat with at the time of death. It[...]
When people are dying, it is easy for them to recognize that every minute, every breath counts. But the truth is, death is always with us, integral to life itself. Everything is constantly changing. Nothing is permanent. This idea can both frighten[...]