Seven Keys To A Peaceful Passing

Buddhism teaches that death can be a springboard to enlightenment—yet for all but the most advanced meditators, it will be the gateway to countless future lives of suffering in samsara. Tulku Thondup wrote this guide to help us heal our fear and confusion about death and strengthen our practice in anticipation of this transition, and to help us realize the enlightened goal of ultimate peace and joy—not only for death and rebirth, but for this very lifetime. In simple language, he distills a vast range of sources, including scriptures, classic commentaries, oral teachings, and firsthand accounts. The book includes: • An overview of the dying process, the after-death bardo states, and teachings on why, where, and how we take rebirth • Accounts by Tibetan "near-death experiencers" (delogs), who returned from death with amazing reports of their visions • Ways to train our minds during life, so that at death, all the phenomena before us will arise as a world of peace, joy, and enlightenment • Simple meditations, prayers, and rituals to benefit the dead and dying • Advice for caregivers, helpers, and survivors of the dying This edition includes an audio program providing guided instructions by the author on how to visualize Amitabha Buddha in the Pure Realm; how to receive his blessings; how to visualize transforming your body into light and sound at the time of death; how to share the blessings with compassion for all sentient beings; and how to rest in oneness. By becoming intimate with this practice while we're alive, we can alleviate our fear of death, improve our appreciation of this life, and prepare for death in a very practical way, while planting the seeds for rebirth in the Pure Land.

"In collaboration with the Jodo Shu Research Institute (JSRI)."

Previous research has indicated that what constitutes a good death is heterogenic and complex although there are some recurrent themes and similarities regardless individual background factors. Studies on advance care planning (ACP), i.e. making proactive plans regarding content of care and treatment limitations, on nursing home (NH) patients are rare. Positive effects of ACPs are shown, but also that these often are lacking. The overall aim with this thesis was to explore the perceptions of a good death from the perspective of patients with severe illness and to investigate, from different perspectives, experiences of ACP in a NH context. In paper I, patients with cancer in a palliative phase were interviewed on their perceptions of a good death. Death was viewed as a process and previous experiences on the death of others influenced their own perceptions. A good death was associated with living with the prospect of imminent death, preparing oneself and others for one’s death and dying comfortably, e.g. without suffering, with independence and with social relations intact. Some were comforted by their belief that death is predetermined, and that after death, there is something else. Others felt uncomfortable when they viewed death as the end of the existence. In paper II, nurses and physicians were interviewed on their experiences of the factors that shape the ACP process in NHs. Exploration of the patient’s preferences regarding content of care and treatment limitations was important, as well as integration of the patient’s preferences and the views of the family members and staff concerning these questions. ACP documentation had to be clear, updated and available for staff and the implementation and reevaluation of ACP were also considered important, according to the participants. Significance of clinicians’ perceiving beneficence as well as fear of accusations of maleficence were shown to be essential factors to contemplate. In a retrospective chart review (paper III), medical records of 367 deceased NH patients were analysed. A high prevalence of ACP was shown, using two different definitions of ACP (ACP I and ACP II). Moreover, adherence to the ACP content was strong and positive associations were seen between ACP and variables of the three research aims, such as: diagnosis (dementia), physician attendance at NH and end-of-life (EOL) care. In paper IV, family members of deceased NH patients were interviewed on their experiences of ACP in NHs. EOL issues were challenging to talk about, although the family members appreciated staff raising these questions. The patient’s preferences were sometimes explicitly or implicitly communicated. However, in some cases, family members had a feeling of the patient’s preferences, although they had not been clearly communicated. Everyday details symbolised staff commitment. The family members viewed the nurse as central. The physician was described as absent and ACP meetings often went unnoticed. Both involvement and lack of involvement could cause the family members feelings of guilt. In conclusion, we found that what constitutes a good death is highly individual, although recurrent themes are seen. EOL conversations are important and challenging and need staff training and experience. It seems important to support healthcare staff not only to initiate ACP in NH patients, but also to involve the patient and family members in the ACP and planning EOL care. Making proactive plans regarding content of care including treatment limitations, could enable patient autonomy, optimise the chances for the patient to experience a good death and enhance for the family members during the dying trajectory and after the patient’s death.

What would you do if you could text all your questions, all your worries, all your doubts and fears to God? What if He was always online and would always answer you? Would you start typing right now? Someone once said that the single most important thing about you is your thoughts on God. Give that a minute to sink in. Why would that be? Because all your thoughts about humanity, love, suffering, and the like are shaped primarily by whether or not you think there is any meaning to it all, by whether or not you are on your own, and by whether or not God even cares about it all. Knowing who God is will give you answers to life’s big questions that you might not have even known you needed. The NET, TEXT Bible is like a conversation between you, a friend teaching you about the faith, and the God of the Universe. It gives you a method of Bible study that's easy to remember and use for any passage of scripture: Talk to God; Encounter God and humanity; eXamine your heart; Talk to others. Plus, there's so much more! Features include: Book introductions Texting the Text: use the 4-step process of Scripture engagement Big Q of the Text: big life questions with short answers "Who is God?": 100 short devotions on the person and character of God Praying the Text: learn how to start praying God's Word right back to Him Get to Know the Text: provides concise history of a major event or character Follow the Thread: navigate the Bible across topics Anatomy of the Text: describes parts of speech or important types of literature such as parables or apocalyptic books Terms of the Text: what you need to understand about some of the unique words in the Bible

A guide to seven essential elements that will illuminate your path to spiritual realization and wise elderhood. What Carl Jung called “the second half of life” has the potential to be a remarkable curriculum for insight and awakening. When wisely understood, the changes inherent in the aging process become stepping-stones to the actualization of our best human qualities: wisdom, lovingkindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Author David Chernikoff has spent decades pursuing spiritual study and practice with remarkable teachers, including Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Father Thomas Keating, and Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. In Life, Part Two, he distills lessons from across contemplative traditions to invite readers to embrace seven essential elements of conscious living: embracing the mystery, choosing a vision, cultivating intuitive wisdom, committing to inner work, suffering effectively, serving from the heart, and celebrating the journey. These elements culminate in wise elderhood--a state celebrated by indigenous cultures around the world, yet largely unacknowledged in contemporary Western society. For those of us who aspire to live fully and to love well as we age, Life, Part Two is a lucid guidebook that empowers us to personally thrive and to contribute with ever greater clarity and purpose.