The death of you A book for anyone who might not live forever

Miguel Chen

Book - 2019

"DEATH. Even the word itself probably makes you a little uncomfortable. Just look at it, sitting there, demanding to be acknowledged. It might even make you a lot uncomfortable. We spend so much time trying to deny death, going on about our lives as if we and our loved ones are immune to it. Then, one day, its truth becomes undeniable. The Death of You won't flinch in looking into this vital, urgent matter. Like Miguel's first book, I Wanna Be Well: How a Punk Found Peace and You Can Too, this is a plain-spoken, culturally savvy book. Going on this wild ride with Miguel, we get real about death--and even have a few laughs at its expense"--

Saved in:

2nd Floor Show me where

294.3423/Chen
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor 294.3423/Chen Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Meditations
Published
Somerville, MA : Wisdom Publications [2019]
Language
English
Main Author
Miguel Chen (author)
Other Authors
Rod Meade Sperry (author)
Physical Description
viii, 152 pages ; 21 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN
9781614295747
  • You wake up
  • Why me?
  • It happens to everyone
  • Practice: here's your meditation foundation
  • Heaven
  • Practice: a moment of heaven
  • Hell
  • Practice: what the hell?
  • The in-between
  • Rebirth
  • Nothing
  • Universal oneness
  • Practice: a lack of distraction, a moment of wholeness
  • The ones we see coming
  • The ones we don't see coming
  • Practice: prep work
  • By one's own hand
  • By another's hand
  • Practice: forgiveness meditation
  • Remains
  • Life goes on
  • Time to die
  • Practice: death meditation
  • Old, sick, and dead
  • The end
  • Epilogue: thank you.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Yoga instructor Chen (I Wanna Be Well) presents meditations for processing pain, suffering, and death in this conversational work. Chen argues that cultivating bravery in the face of death--at any age or state of health--can lead to fuller, happier living. He draws from his own life, baring the emotional wounds from deaths of loved ones to show how disconnection and separation only serve to create more suffering by prolonging one's recovery process. He explores different human conceptions of the universe and the afterlife (nirvana, heaven, hell, purgatory) and different circumstances of death (expected, unexpected, suicide). Mining various traditions, he shows how contemplation of death can teach readers the importance of claiming responsibility for attention and self-growth in every moment. He also guides readers through meditations, including traditional Buddhist death meditations. For Chen, striking a middle course between obsession with and avoidance of death offers means for re-establishing connection with loved ones and avoiding regrets. By exploring a difficult topic in a friendly, casual tone ("the power to move forward is actually ours. In a very real sense, we can be reborn without having to die"), Chen's insightful ruminations will appeal to readers who enjoyed Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen. (Sept.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved