A Buddhist Guide to Death, Dying and Suffering.

Rev Sandra Yarlott - 10/2006 - 49 min - MP3 - 11.4 MB // Rev. Kusala's interview with Rev. Sandra Yarlott, Director of the UCLA Medical Center Spiritual Care Dept... Rev. Yarlott speaks on the challenges of running a Spiritual Care Dept. in Los Angeles... The importance of training new hospital chaplains and some of the religious issues patients face in getting well or dying. For more information on the UCLA Medical Center - Spiritual Care Dept

Free Download / Podcast/MP3 - 11.4 MB

Kusala Bhikshu / Podcast - Q & A - Spirituality and Healing in Medicine - 12/2005 - 43min - MP3 - 9.7 MB // Questions and answers from a workshop at the Spirituality and Healing in Medicine Conference - Boston, December 2005. A variety of topics were covered... Sex, death and dying, karma, heaven, the problem with oneness, etc. This conference was sponsored by the Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education and George Washington University. A complete list of conference presentations can be found at: (Conference Recordings)

Free Download / Podcast/ MP3 - 9.7 MB

BUDDHIST SPIRITUAL CARE AND PASTORAL COUNCILING SYMPOSIUM / MP3
Insight Meditation Center with Steve Stuckey, Jaku Kinst, Gayle Madison
Saturday, October 7, 2006. Buddhist chaplains, both volunteer
and professional, share their understanding, experience
and practce. - Four MP3 Files -- Free Download

Pt 1 - 7.8 MB /// Pt 2 - 6.7 MB /// Pt 3 - 12.6 /// Pt 4 - 16 MB

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e-Books from Urban Dharma / Free Download

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A Buddhist Approach to HIV Prevention and AIDS Care
96 Pages - (1.63 MB) - Free

A BUDDHIST APPROACH TO HIV PREVENTION AND AIDS CARE / A TRAINING MANUAL FOR MONKS, NUNS AND OTHER BUDDHIST LEADERS / © Copyright: UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, June 2006

Just as Prince Siddattha was unaware of the existence of suffering prior to his visit outside the palace walls, most people are unaware of the suffering brought about by HIV and AIDS. They see HIV and AIDS as a problem affecting only the person who has been infected with the virus and they continue to lead their lives blinded by worldly delights and pleasures.

By using the Buddhist approach and putting HIV and AIDS into the framework of the Four Noble Truths, we can understand the suffering related to HIV and AIDS. We can see that there is a cause for the suffering of HIV and AIDS and that there is a path that leads to the cessation of this suffering.

Sutra of the Medicine Buddha
70 Pages - (895 KB)

Sutra of the Medicine Buddha — Dharma Master Hsuan Jung.

In the Mahayana tradition of East Asia, particularly China, Japan, Vietnam and Tibet. The Medicine Buddha occupies a special place in the hearts of Mahayana Buddhists. Specialising in curing diseases, both physical and mental - of which delusion is the root cause. His healing acts are but the prelude to Supreme Enlightenment for those seekers who have the good fortune to learn of his vows or merely to hear his name! - (Free Download)

Guide to a Buddhist Funeral
46 Pages - (1,084 KB)

A Guide to a Proper Buddhist Funeral — Koperasi Buddhisme Malaysia Berhad.

This is a hand book on Buddhist Funerals, with sections on practical advice as to what is to be done when a family member is critically ill; the final moments; when death takes place; preparing for the funeral; paying last respects; the final rites; verses for contemplation; the burial / cremation ceremony and the memorial service. - (Free Download)

A Theravadin Buddhist Funeral
58 Pages - (1,542 KB)

A Theravadin Buddhist Funeral — Ven. Suvanno.

Generally, a Chinese funeral is a mixture of Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist rites. How then should a Theravadin Buddhist funeral be conducted? Venerable Suvanno, a respected and senior Theravadin Buddhist monk of Chinese descent explains how a Theravadin Buddhist funeral may be conducted. - (Free Download)

Dying to Live
120 Pages - (2.7 MB)

Dying to Live - The Role of Karma in Dying and Rebirth — Aggacitta Bhikkhu

The purpose of this work is to present a comprehensive picture of kamma and the often unpredictable role it plays in the process of dying and rebirth according to orthodox Theravada doctrine.

With the aid of colour diagrams, basic concepts of Abhidhamma are first introduced in order to facilitate a thorough understanding of what happens, on a microscopic level, to the body and mind of a person dying to live again. Since kamma is inextricably linked with Abhidhamma principles, and our main subject of discussion is one of its specific roles, the whole of Chapter 2 is devoted to an exposition of the nature of kamma and its various aspects, classified according to four different ways of analysis.

Chapter 3 begins by surveying the causes of death and the possible manifestations of the kamma that is about to produce rebirth in the dying person, and concludes by presenting a microscopic description, accompanied by a colour diagram, of the actual process of dying and rebirth, based on the basic principles of Abhidhamma introduced in Chapter 1.

In Chapter 4, the order in which specific types of kamma generate rebirth is discussed with the help of many interesting storie's mostly extracted from the commentaries, but including a few modern one's and accompanied by pencil drawings.

Finally, Chapter 5 summarises and concludes this booklet with some proposals for skilful dying, and a dramatic personal account of a young monk's own observations and masterly manipulation of the changing visions experienced by a dying Buddhist devotee. - (Free Download)

Preparing for Death & Helping the Dying
66 Pages - (199 KB)

Preparing for Death & Helping the Dying — Sangye Khadro.

This booklet is based on material used during a seminar that Sangye Khadro taught in Singapore and elsewhere, entitled “Preparing for Death and Helping the Dying.” This seminar answers a genuine need in today’s world, as expressed by one participant: “I am interested to know more about death and how to help dying people, but it’s very difficult to find anyone willing to talk about these things.” The material for the seminar is taken mainly from two sources: traditional Buddhist teachings, and contemporary writings in the field of caring for the dying. This booklet is meant as a brief introduction to the subject rather than a detailed explanation. - (Free Download)

The Many Faces of Death
56 Pages - (485 KB)

The Many Faces of Death — Jacqui James

Imagine a life partner, a family member or a close friend of yours is dying. How might she or he be feeling? Facing death, being in pain maybe. What are her or his intimate needs and wishes? What happens to us when staying with a dying person? How can we deal with the sorrow, the confusing thoughts and the trying situation? How should we communicate with her or him and with the family members and friends? When a beloved person is dying we are touched to our deepest core. Difficult, painful emotions may rush up, stirring in our hearts. Dying and death becomes a great challenger, breaking into our lives – which we try so hard to keep smooth and under control. - (Free Download)

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Daily Readings -- Buddha's Words of Wisdom
284 Pages - (1.8 MB)

Daily Readings -- Buddha's Words of Wisdom — by Ven. S. Dhammika.

For over two thousand years the discourses of the Buddha have nourished the spiritual lives of countless millions of people. This book contains extracts of the early Buddhist discourses from the Pali Tipitaka, and also from some post-canonical writings. Presented so that one reading can be reflected upon each day of the year. This book is an indispensable companion for anyone trying to apply the Buddha's gentle message to their daily life. - (Free Download)

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Books of Interest - from Amazon.com

The Grace in Dying : How We Are Transformed Spiritually as We Die ...by Kathleen D. Singh

Right from the start Kathleen Dowling Singh proclaims: "Dying is safe. You are safe. Your loved one is safe. That is the message of all the words here." True to her promise, Dowling Singh walks us through the final stages of death with complete honesty, yet she manages to quell the ultimate fear of dying. Speaking of the "Nearing Death Experience," Singh has discovered a sequence of phases or qualities that signals when a dying person is entering the final stages of spiritual and psychological transformation. She names them as relaxation, withdrawal, radiance, interiority (a time of going inward), silence, sacred, transcendence, knowing, intensity, and perfection--all of which she explains in great detail. A hospice worker and worldwide lecturer, Dowling Singh is being touted as the next Kubler-Ross. Time will tell. One thing is for certain: this is an astonishingly intelligent and engrossing book about consciously surrendering our bodies and our egos to death.

Coffinman: The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician ...by Shinmon Aoki

This story looks at one man's very personal struggle to engage his Shin Buddhist faith to make sense of his experiences with the dead and dying. Shinmon Aoki is forced by extreme financial circumstances into a job in one of the most despised professions in Japanese society, that of the nokanfu, one who washes and prepares dead bodies for burial. Shunned by family and friends and burdened by his own initial revulsion for his work, Aoki throws himself into the job with a fervor that attracts the attention of the townsfolk and earns him the title of Coffinman. In this spiritual autobiography, Aoki chronicles his progression from repulsion to a gradual realization of the tranquility that accompanies death. He assists the uninitiated in gaining an understanding of the basic principles of Shin Buddhism and its concepts of death and dying. Also included are definitions of key terms and phrases and a bibliography. (Available as a used book from Amazon.com)

The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade ...by Thomas Lynch

"...I had come to know that the undertaking that my father did have less to do with what was done to the dead and more to do with what the living did about the fact of life that people died," Thomas Lynch muses in his preface to The Undertaking. The same could be said for Lynch's book: ostensibly about death and its attendant rituals, The Undertaking is in the end about life. In each case, he writes, it is the one that gives meaning to the other. A funeral director in Milford, Michigan, Lynch is that strangest of hyphenates, a poet-undertaker, but according to Lynch, all poets share his occupation, "looking for meaning and voices in life and love and death."

Making Friends With Death: A Buddhist Guide to Encountering Mortality ...by Judith L. Lief

This is an excellent down to earth guide to the various issues surrounding death. The first section is entitled "Cultivating a personal awareness of death." Many analogies and examples that we can all relate to are given about our views of the subject. Simple exercises at the end of each chapter give the reader a chance to illuminate his or her views.

Living in the Light of Death: On the Art of Being Truly Alive ...by Larry Rosenberg, David Guy

This book stands out from the crowded genre of authors dealing with loss, pain, and death. Most of the books on this subject seem to focus on the struggle against death and against pain, but while Larry Rosenberg certainly supports the idea that you should embrace life, he takes an honest look at what happens to people who will lose the fight--a group that, in the final analysis, includes everyone. (Available as a used book from Amazon.com)

Graceful Exits: How Great Beings Die: Death Stories of Tibetan, Hindu & Zen Masters ...by Sushila Blackman

Graceful Exits offers guidance in the form of 108 stories recounting the ways in which Hindu, Tibetan, and Zen Buddhist masters, both ancient and modern, have confronted their own deaths. By directly presenting the grace, clarity, and even humor with which great spiritual teachers have met the end of their days. (Available as a used book from Amazon.com)

Grace and Grit: Spirituality and Healing in the Life and Death of Treya Killam Wilber ...by Ken Wilber

The compelling story of the five-year journey of Ken Wilber (author of The Spectrum of Consciousness) and his wife Treya through marriage, illness, and, finally, Treya's death. Ken's brilliant and wide-ranging commentary is combined with Treya's journals to create an inspiring portrait of healing, suffering, wholeness and harmony.

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