Living Is Dying

January 20, 2020
In this perceptive collection of meditations on the departure from life, Khyentse (What Makes You Not a Buddhist), Tibetan lama and leader of the Buddhist advocacy organization Siddhartha’s Intent, responds to some of the most common queries about death and dying. Khyentse’s stance is clear: life is an illusion and death is inevitable. He asks readers to get ready for death every day, to train their minds for the opportunity that death provides—what he calls “the ground for enlightenment.” Khyentse provides practical advice and actions that both Buddhists and non-Buddhists can take as they prepare for their own death or confront the death of loved ones—such as making arrangements for material possessions and preparing for the “bardo” period where “awareness and perception will continue to function for anything from a few hours to several days after death.” Taking the form of a question-and-answer session, Khyentse’s interpretations will inform readers about Buddhist takes on abortion, suicide, and the death of children, and practices such as homemade tagdrol (Tibetan amulets), and the prayers that form Buddhist last rites. Welcoming death as a universal milestone, Khyentse’s words will strike a chord with Buddhist readers.