FRANK OSTASESKI BIOGRAPHY

In 1987, Frank Ostaseski helped form the Zen Hospice Project, the first Buddhist hospice in America. In 2004, he created Metta Institute to broaden this work and seed the culture with innovative approaches to end-of-life care that reaffirm the spiritual dimensions of dying. A primary project of Metta Institute is the End-of-Life Care Practitioner Program that Frank leads with faculty members Ram Dass, Rachel Naomi Remen MD, and many others.

Frank is a dynamic, original, and visionary workshop leader. His public programs throughout the United States and Europe have introduced thousands to the practices of mindful and compassionate care of the dying

"The reflection on death is life-affirming. When we come into contact with the precariousness of life, we also begin to appreciate how precious it is, and then we want to live more fully."

His groundbreaking work has been widely featured in the media, including the Bill Moyers television series On Our Own Terms, the PBS series With Eyes Open, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and in numerous print publications. In addition to being a Buddhist teacher, Frank is a consultant to several healthcare organizations, and he co-chaired the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Last Acts Spirituality Committee. Frank is also the author of the Being A Compassionate Companion audio series.

In 2001, Frank was honored by the Dalai Lama for his years of compassionate service to the dying and their families. In 2003, he was named one of America's 50 most innovative people by the AARP magazine.

Frank and the Dalai Lama share a laugh

Frank has been a featured speaker at hundreds of programs. A few are highlighted below.

• Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA
  
• University of California, Berkeley, CA
  
• Project on Death in America, New York, NY
  
• Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA
  
• Sloan Kettering Medical Center, New York, NY
  
• RIGPA International, Germany, England, France, Switzerland
  
• National Hospice & Palliative Care Association, VA.
  
• Rete di Indra, Rome Italy
  
• Naropa Institute, Boulder, CO.
  
• University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg Germany
  
• Buddhism in America Conference, San Diego CA.
  
• National Hospice Association, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  
• Association of Hospice & Palliative Care Physicians, New Orleans LU.
  
• Unicorn Association & College of Medicine Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
  
• Numerous State and Local Hospice organizations

Click here to download a high-resolution copy of Frank's photo for publicity purposes. (1.2 MB, Jpeg file)

copyright © 2007 Frank Ostaseski

FRANK'S TEACHINGS | CONTACT FRANK

BIOGRAPHY | EVENTS | WORKSHOPS | CONSULTING SERVICES