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PRODUCTS
Being a Compassionate Companion Audio Series
Teachings, stories and practical wisdom for those accompanying someone who is dying.
An intimate conversation with Frank Ostaseski.
Available On CD and Cassette.
Each individual's death is unlike any other. There are no formulas to give caregivers. Perhaps, though, there are some practices that can guide us in this territory of mystery and help us bear witness to this most extraordinary of human experiences.
To accompany a dying person, and to make the journey through grief, may be the greatest challenge we ever face in our life. We will surely feel great sorrow, but if we have been able to be a compassionate companion, there will also be great gratitude and the possibility of opening to a reservoir of joy and love that we may have never known before.
My hope is that these stories will support you in discovering that undying love.
Everything I share here has been given to me by others. The greatest of those teachers have been the individuals who have allowed me to sit by their bedsides. And so I now pass on their gift to you. Take what's useful and share it with others.
The audio series is divided into three parts: Preparing, Serving, and Grieving.
Preparing
It's important to understand that we already know how to do this; it's in our bones.
In this section we see why every spiritual tradition speaks to us of keeping death as our advisor to opening fully to life. We examine the impermanent nature of things and in recognizing the precarious nature of our life we also come to appreciate its preciousness.
Frank shares Five Precepts to develop presence at the bedside:
- Welcome everything. Push away nothing.
- Bring your whole self to the experience.
- Don't wait.
- Find a place of rest in the middle of things.
- Cultivate "don't know" mind.
This section ends with a guided meditation using the Five Precepts.
Serving
In serving others we are also caring for ourselves.
Frank examines the mutuality of service and the crucial difference between helping and serving. We see how the true definition of compassion—suffering with others—allows us to serve from our whole self and leaves us with a feeling of profound gratitude. He offers practical ways to serve, in developing the gifts of touch and listening, and attending to the spirit through the gift of awareness. He discusses ways that spiritual support can provide a return to wholeness and healing, even though there may be no cure. He advocates refection and life review as well as a powerful forgiveness meditation.
Grieving
There are no shortcuts through grief. The only way is right through the middle.
Frank navigates an intimate walk across the landscape of grieving, giving us the confidence to develop a relationship to it rather than "getting over it" or resisting it. By sharing stories and a Buddhist teaching parable, he shows how grief is the common ground of our humanity and encourages our acceptance of each stage of grief, giving practical advice for the process he characterizes as "loss, losing and loosening." In a guided meditation exploring the loss of a loved one, Frank accompanies us into the heart of grief. We see how healing can be possible by moving toward the suffering and how, in surrendering to grief, we learn to give ourselves to life.
Audio Clips Available
To listen to the clips you'll need the Quicktime Player, available as a free download from Apple or the RealPlayer available as a free download from Real.com.
Segment from Preparing [1.7MB QUICKTIME MOVIE]
Segment from Grieving [2.2MB QUICKTIME MOVIE]
Segment from Preparing [REAL AUDIO]
Segment from Grieving [REAL AUDIO]
