The Zen of Living and Dying A Practical and

To live life fully and die serenely-surely we all share these goals, so inextricably entwined. Yet a spiritual dimension is too often lacking in the attitudes, circumstances, and rites of death in modern society. Kapleau explores the subject of death and dying on a deeply personal level, interweaving the writings of Western religions with insights from his own Zen practice, and offers practical advice for the dying and their families.

Philip Kapleau's classic Three Pillars of Zen has sold an estimated five hundred thousand copies. He is the author of Awakening to Zen, Zen: Merging of East and West, The Wheel of Life and Death, and The Zen of Living and Dying. Kapleau was the first Westerner to be ordained a roshi. He established the Rochester Zen Center in 1966. He lives in Rochester, New York.

Editor's Note

xii

(1)

Acknowledgments

xiii

(2)

Introduction

xv

(8)

A Note on the Drawings

xxiii

PART ONE: DEATH

3

(60)

1. Existential Aspects of Death

3

(30)

What Is Life, What Is Death?

The Masters' Reactions to Death

What Is "Birth and Death"?

The Force of the Universe

Why Do We Fear Death?

Ego

Facing Death Fearlessly

2. Meditations on Death

33

(11)

Reflections on Death: Eight Points of View

Meditating on the Word Death

Meditation on a Death Koan

A Meditation on Death Using Beads

The Day of the Dead in Mexico

Matters of Worldly Anxieties

3. Facing Death

44

(19)

Socrates

Duncan Phyfe

Leah

Seng-chao

Sri Ramana Maharshi

Gautama the Buddha

PART TWO: DYING

63

(76)

4. The Dying Person and Death

63

(15)

The Process of Dying

Daily Dying

We Die as We Have Lived

Survival and the Inner Voice

Should One Struggle Against Death?

Dying Well

Two Different Ways of Dying

5. The Dilemma of Pain

78

(12)

Existential Pain

Physical Pain

6. Suicide and Euthanasia

90

(8)

Suicide

Euthanasia

7. To the Terminally Ill

98

(10)

The Value of Repentance

Keeping Your Mind Clear

Breathing to Dispel Anxiety

The Mind at the Moment of Death

Reflections on Death

Meditations for the Dying Person

8. To the Family and Friends of the Dying

108

(5)

Dying in the Hospital or at Home?

The Last Hours of the Dying

9. Cremation or Burial?

113

(9)

Six Options for Taking Care of the Body

Prepaying Your Funeral

Are Funeral Directors Necessary?

Wakes and Vigils

The Body's Presence at the Funeral

Waiting Until the Life Force Leaves the Body

Religious Aspects of Cremation

10. Creating the Funeral Service

122

(17)

The Service

The Value of Chanting

Funerals for Newborn Babies

PART THREE: KARMA

139

(36)

11. Understanding Karma

139

(7)

Life's Seeming Injustice

The Wheel of Life and Death

Why Believe in Karma?

Karma and Causation

Karma and Intention

Karma Is Not Fate

Primary and Secondary Causes

12. Changing Your Karma

146

(13)

Can "Bad" Karma Be Prevented?

Simultaneous and Progressive Cause and Effect

Variable and "Constant" Karma

Transcending Karma

Collective Karma

Lightening the Karmic Burden

When Others Are Wrong I Am Wrong

13. The Interconnectedness of All Life

159

(16)

We Are Our Brothers

Karma and Suicide

Karma and Abortion

Karma and Euthanasia

Karma and Retribution

Karma Realized Now and in the Future

Karma and the Intention to Learn

Karma and Compassion

Karma and Change

Creating Good Karma

PART FOUR: REBIRTH

175

(34)

14. The Case for Rebirth

175

(21)

What Lies Beyond?

Belief in Afterlife

The Intermediate Realm

Rebirth and the Aim of Life

Rebirth Distinguished from Reincarnation

What Passes Over?

The Power of Will

Can Fear Be Carried from Life to Life?

Remembering Past Lives

15. Further Implications of Rebirth

196

(13)

The Moral Effects

Heredity, Environment, or Karma?

Parents, Children, and Rebirth

Rebirth and Special Affinities and Aptitudes

Near-Death Experiences

APPENDIXES

209

(24)

Appendix A: Living Wills

209

(9)

Living with Technology

The Rise of Patient Autonomy

Advance Directives

Physician Assistance for the Dying

Appendix B: Hospice Care

218

(4)

Appendix C: What to Do upon Someone's Death: A Checklist

222

(3)

Appendix D: Consoling the Bereaved: Do's and Don'ts

225

(2)

Appendix E: Meditation

227

(6)

What Is Meditation?

Meditation at Rest and in Motion

Notes

233

(14)

Glossary

247

(6)

Bibliography

253

(12)

Index

265

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The Zen of Living and Dying A Practical and Spiritual Guide

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials