Customer Reviews

Advice On Dying: And Living A Better Life

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Did you know that Tibetan Buddhism is tantric? That is just one of the revelations of this book. It is obvious that, through the ages, the meditation masters have been observing the physical symptons of death and dying. This book explains the physical symptoms one experiences at each stage of the process of dying, described in a thick context of a metaphor of energies and levels of mind. (If you are a spiritual mystic, you'll love this! I must admit, I have had to read it a couple of times to get my Western mind to surrender -- but the journey is worth the concentration.) When I get to my death bead, instead of allowing the people around me to mourn, I have written instructions for my family to have someone read this book to me (over and over if I last that long) -- whether I'm apparently conscious or not (and I will invite the others to read Hesse's Siddhartha and go home and forgive someone they hate). Along with physical symptons of dying, this book details the journey of the mind and consciousness as the traveler experiences the only event we are all born to experience. Many thanks to the Dalai Lama and his teachers.

After having received this book along with another book by The Dalai Lama, How to Practice:The Way to a Meaningful Life, I read the other one first since based on the titles alone I thought that it would have more application to little ol secular me than a very narrow book about death. After having read both of them though I am shocked to see that I was wrong - despite what I had initially though I got more out of this book as a non-Buddhist that I got out of the first one.

While I have long been familiar with the idea that the specter of death can give one their driving force in life - when tomorrow isn't promised to you today is all that you have - I have never heard it more eloquently expressed than here.

Certainly there were parts of this book that I did not find applicable except from an academic standpoint since I myself am not Buddhist but on the whole I was surprised by just how much of this book could be seen as important for the Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike. And as with the earlier book I had read by him one of the main treats of this one was to get to experience what a remarkable man The Dalai Lama comes across as through his writings - not only as a sincerely religious man but also a truly modern man embracing science as another way to probe the divine rather than shunning it.

The only thing that really stands out in my mind as something that I didn't like in this book was the translator, Jeffrey Hopkins. I don't remember his forward in the previous book I read as being notable but his one in this book seems to serve no other purpose than to express his deep contempt for the Chinese government - naturally there is a reason for this but it can't help but put a bad taste in your mouth when you read something like that before starting a book about Buddhism. The forward did contain interesting information about how the Panchen Lama and Dalai Lama are selected but I still think the reading experience would be better off without it.

All in all though I must say that The Dalai Lama, as an author and as a person, has greatly exceeded any initial expectations that I came to his books with. No doubt his other works would prove as enjoyable and I am sure I will make my way to them before too long.

This particular text contains very hard to find information on the inner structure,
presented in a clear, straightforward, concise and comprehensive manner:
included are descriptions of the symbols for, and the actions of, the various
levels of consciousness, chakras, channels and winds and the results of prana movement through the body.
This information is just not easily findable or accessible elsewhere in any one place.
You could even use this information to accurately decipher ancient teaching thankas.
His Holiness has written many books and there is, of necessity I think, a great deal of similar information overlap
amongst them, however he always manages to insert into each work some truly unique gem of information
not readily found elsewhere. It's rather like the old children's visual game of
Find The Precious Objects Hidden Somewhere In This Picture.
These unique additions in the midst of familiar territory are tiny hints
at the profound depth of wisdom inherent in this great teacher. Don't fret over this book's details.
Read it once through whether or not you like it, then just be patient and go back,
and read it again, and yet again, and eventually, you will find it easy.

The Buddhist preoccupation with death almost borders on the morbid. In fact the awareness of your impermanence and the inevitability of your own death is the cornerstone of the whole religion. There is almost no concept of an omipotent, omnipresent God and the focus is really on attaining an ever present, compassionate and wisdom filled state of mind. This is what draws me to Buddhism.

This book by Jeffrey Hopkins is a translation of the Dalai Lama's interpretation of a poem by the first Panchen Lama. The poem is quite cryptic by itself but the Dalai Lama's interpretation and Hopkins's skillful translation draw out the many gems of knowledge embedded in its seventeen stanzas. Iam convinced after reading this book that the Tibetans knew more about death and rebirth than anyone else.

In an age of self help books to fix every problem of your life in isolation, this book addresses the fundamental source of all our anxieties, fears and unhappiness. The Dalai Lama states boldly and simply that the only good way to live life to its fullest is to meditate on our own impermanence and impending mortality until we can accept it fully and be prepared to utilize our deaths to propel us and other sentient beings in the path of enlightenment.

We have no way of verifying the correctness of the descriptions of the several stages of death, the intermediate state and rebirth but this book is filled with so much compassion and wisdom that all that is said there can only be true.

Not an easy read. It's a course that should be studied, many times very very carefully
I'm trying to memorize it so that i'll remember during the major crisis that death is, for everyone. Truly a manual; a detailed description of each of the steps we must all go thru. Cannot reccomend it more; but don't expect to breeze thru. Definetely not a novel

I would recommend this book to everyone. The title is spot on, as it is rooted in the experience and wisdom of generations of human beings before us who have cultivated mindfullness and patience at the highest level.

Through understanding the processes and phenomenon involved in dying, we are thereby more equipped to face our own departure with equanimity, and grace, rather than clinging to "this life" or "this body"

Be assured that this body that you have lovingly cared for with food, clothing, shelter and other amenities of this life, will pass away, and abandon you at the time of death. It would be wise therefore to cultivate a sense of impermanence so that one might pass gracefully, without suffering or lamenting.

Through embracing death as an inevitable part of life, we cultivate compassion, empathy, and equanimity and thereby enable ourselves to live a better life.

Accepting death and meditating on impermanence are among the cornerstones of Buddhist teachings. The Tibetan Buddhist tradition especially has for centuries almost made a science of contemplating, observing, and describing the subtleties involved in the process of dying and the afterlife. Of equal importance to living well for Tibetan Buddhists is dying well. Although this is a brief text, it is helpful to have some prior knowledge or experience of Buddhism or meditative disciplines due to the very technical nature of the teachings and states of consciousness described.

One does not need to be a Buddhist to benefit from learning about the process of dying here but the material covering the afterlife requires a greater measure of faith to accept. The heart of the teachings are actually quite concrete and practical. The 8 stages of dying are mirrored in daily activities such as falling asleep, sneezing, and orgasm. In fact some of the 8 stages may be not unfamiliar to you prior to reading this book. Realizing this, cultivating higher awareness during these activities can be of great value to a practitioner in understanding death and consciousness.

The latter part of this book explains the movement of energy within the body during death, described as a system of winds (energy) and drops (energy centers). This is extremely technical information that may be difficult to grasp without experience in some form of energy work such as deep meditation, tantric, kundalini yoga, chi kung, or reiki. Some rather fantastic feats are described such as monks flying through the air, but the Dalai Lama does not quote them as truth and even discusses an example involving in-vitro birth of how the truths of sacred texts are not always infallible. For those wishing to deepen their meditative, spiritual practice, and understanding of death this is a powerful and invaluable book from a living master.

One would assume you have a special interest if you are reading this review. The assumptions may be split on the premises that a) you like the Dali Lama's literature or b) you are keen to read on the process of dying. If either of these are the case than it simply makes sense to read these, especially if the later is true as there are not heaps of book out there that touch the subject so well. Ponder no more.

If on the other hand you have stumbled across this book haphazardly one would assume you have a wide range of interests - so I can also imagine that you may be keen to pick this up and give it a go. Great specialized book we have here, indeed.

This book can be divided up into smaller parts. The first part is a forward by Jeffrey Hopkins which discusses in part the Panchen Lama and also the Dalai Lama. He talks about the identification of these figures and how the Chinese who supposedly have "liberated" Tibet have started their own identification processes. Hopkins is very critical of Chinese politics and their involvement in Tibet. The second part of the book deals with a 17 stanza poem written by the first Panchen Lama of Tibet. The present Dalai Lama goes on to break down this poem and comment on certain aspects of it.

I enjoyed the first half of this book because of its historical and practical information. The Dalai Lama gives practical advice on how we all need to practice daily and how it's best to have an awareness of death. When we are aware of reality we can conquer any fears we may have about life or the death process. He elaborates on the advantages and the disadvantages of being mindful during the time of death. However, the latter part of the book in my opinion got bogged down in mysticism and myth and was a lot less interesting. It seemed as if I was reading about blind ritual with no practical advice but instead endless comments about esoteric subjects. I found my eyes glossing over more than once. Therefore, the book was okay for some simple wisdom and inspirational advice but it's a chore to keep yourself motivated all the way thru.

His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama has done it again! He has given us a statement of simple spirituality, efficacious for both the practicing Buddhist and the non-Buddhist, alike. Although many of his concepts may seem mysterious, or even ineffable, to the non-Buddhist, his basic advice is sound. His Holiness calls upon all of us to meditate upon our inevitable deaths, and thereby to more fully appreciate this life, and facilitate our passage into the next. That's good counsel no matter what your religion!