Dying & Death - What did the Buddha Have to Say About It? [Online]

In this session, we will explore the Buddha’s sermons on Dying and Death. The instructors will guide students into a deeper understanding of the Buddha’s life, his experience and encounters with death. The session will encourage practitioners to consider old age, sickness and death as a path to deep realization and spiritual awakening.  

“The concepts of beginning and end are only mental constructs created by the mind. In truth, there is no beginning or end. We only think about beginnings and endings when we are trapped in ignorance. It is because of ignorance that people are caught in an endless round of birth and death.” – The Buddha

This Session Offers:

• Stories of the Buddha’s life
• The Buddha’s 5 Remembrances
• A community conversation about dying and death
• An opportunity to engage in compassionate dialogue and meditation practice from the comforts of your own home or practice space
• Meditation instruction and Q&A with a death-care Chaplain and Death Doula, Meli-Tashi

What to bring to this session:

• Mala beads (optional)
• Journal
• An open heart & mind

Recommended Reading [not required]:

Old Path: White Clouds, The Life Story of the Buddha by Venerable Thich Nhat Hahn

9 Contemplations of Atisha by Joan Halifax Roshi, [online] https://www.upaya.org/dox/Contemplations.pdf

Please consider donating to support end-of-life programming. Donate here using the 'Other' category. In the notes option put EOL or the program name. 

This session will not be recorded

No prerequisites. Open to all levels of experience.

About the Teachers

Meli-Tashi Happy is the End-of-Life Coordinator for Seattle Shambhala Center, a death doula, and somatic educator. Her Buddhist path began in 1997 in the Zen tradition, and in 2007 she found the Shambhala teachings. She’s taken Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows, and is a vajrayana student. She helps foster ‘community death care’ education and connections. [email protected]

Chaplain Alley Smith (she/her) is a Zen Buddhist Chaplain, Fire Chaplain, and Firefighter in training. Alley is a US military war veteran. During her career, Alley served with the military funeral honors teams in the US Marine Corps and Navy Reserve. She specializes in spiritual care, mortuary affairs and as a funeral clergy/celebrant.  Alley currently hosts "Making Friends with Death and Dying: Support Group" on Shambhala Online. [email protected]