The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: The Spiritual Classic & International Bestseller: 30th Anniversary Edition

I think I must read this book many many times in my life, I receive these teaching with so much gratitude and I’m so humbled by his generosity.

This book is something I need to read multiple times to absorb. Everytime I read it I find something profound yet so simple that it would escape notice if not for this book.The author is not there anymore but I do hope that someone publishes a condensed version of this book. It’s a gem.

My mother was dying. It was inevitable that the process couldn’t be reversed. She was suffering, she was frightened and it was clear that she needed emotional and physical help during her dying process.I was confused, helpless and full of fear. That time I started to read The Book of Living and Dying. This book clearly explains what a dying person needs, how to help him or her to make the process as easy as possible. I started to make some simple meditation exercises that are recommended in the book.3 weeks later I sat at her death bed, holding her hand. None of us was frightened. We felt peace, calm and love. She passed away in peace. In her last hours she told: “I am going home now.”The most important revelation I have gained from this book was how to see life and death as one whole unit. This means we can start preparing for dying while we are living our everyday life. We can understand from this book that living and dying are parts of the same natural process.The book describes buddhist teachings but it was written for the western world. It can be understood and accepted by non-buddhists and even for non-religious persons (like my mother and I).I recommand this book for those who are facing to help somebody in their dying processes and for those who are ready to prepare themselves for their own dying. This means to make a 20-30 minutes meditation exercise every day. The book is especially recommended for those healers who regularly deal with dying persons.It is clear from this book that handling death as a taboo like in the western societies, is harmful for the individuals and for the society as well. We have to speak about death as a normal process, as a natural part of our lives!

I credit this book with so much - I've gained a different and more beautiful perspective on life and death than I ever thought possible. When my close friend was dying of cancer, I had a year to read this and prepare for what was going to happen, and it sounds crazy, but by the time his passing came, I was ready. I had such a healthy, beautiful mindset about it that I could truly celebrate his life instead of feeling grief-stricken. It was amazing. What a gift.I have loaned it to others when going through the death & dying process with their loved ones, and while some have described it as "intense" (which I did not feel it to be personally), they have ended up purchasing their own copies and passing it to their friends and loved ones as well.A few recommendations:- this book would likely not be helpful for those who are in denial about the death of a loved one or still feeling as though if they just fight harder or get more medicine their loved one could be saved. This book addresses death as a fact of life that we all must accept and understand, and thus those who aren't quite there yet, or who feel that death is a 'failure' of some kind (medicine, willpower, etc.), or haven't accepted it as an inevitable conclusion probably won't be in the right mindset to be able to use its guidance.- It helps to be an open-minded person who can see the connections between faiths and belief systems - I imagine it wouldn't be as helpful for someone who devoutly follows one specific non-Buddhist dogma and believes all others are 100% wrong, since this links multiple faiths/beliefs/spirituality together (beautifully!). It is ultimately based in Buddhism (albeit a Western interpretation), so anyone who would automatically reject it based on its eastern roots would probably not benefit from it.If you don't fit into either of the two above categories, it's amazing. I have friends who have read it even when not facing the death of a loved one, just to gain a healthier perspective on life. It's a beautiful book that contains beautiful words, no matter what you're facing in life.

Great book

Having a stone Buddha in your garden does not make one a Buddhist anymore than wearing orange or refusing to step on spiders does. Having been raised in a mainstream religion, certain aspects of other faiths and belief systems have nonetheless always been fascinating. I was academically introduced to Buddhist philosophy while taking a graduate course on death and dying, and while this book was not assigned, I found it when looking for additional resource material. This book is not to be confused with the more ancient Tibetan Book of the Dead, which I must confess was the book I thought I was buying. I am glad I made the mistake.Besides chanting and displaying compassionate regard for all sentient beings, Buddhists primarily think and spend a lot of time preparing to die. Not in a morbid or neurotic way, mind you, but through meditation and calm preparation, they experience a rehearsal of the dying process and lose their fear of it. Dying becomes an integral part of living - an idea that most people choose to push back into their subconscious.Sogyal Rinpoche offers an accessible narrative and is explicit that his goal is not to convert his readers to Buddhism. Instead his book, written explicitly for western readers, encourages us to consider the wisdom that others - mainly doctors, nurses, palliative and hospice care professionals have adopted and found so valuable inside the pages of this book: how to help people have peaceful deaths. Moreover, it is a life guide to building the confidence for those who feel helpless or scared around a dying person. Individual contact, quiet tenderness and preventing anxiety and panic and promoting laughter and positive thoughts are the greatest gifts we can give a dying person to help them die well. Whatever your belief system is or isn't, Sogyal's advice can be applied alongside any faith system. You don't have to believe in bardo, karma or reincarnation to see the common sense solutions he offers as a way to wipe away the terror of death. His lessons are unthreatening. He speaks to wisdom without borders of territory or tenet. This is a beautiful book in every sense of the word and a thoughtful gift and guide for anyone who is going through a difficult time will personal illness or facing the impending death of a loved one.

Amazing look into ones self.A new way to see the world awaits you and a peace and calm when you internalize the concepts.A book for anyone of any religion, as he calls upon experiences with the Dali Lama, Hospice workers, and many others. He is constantly referring to other masters and modern authors to help explain some of the aspects of the older version of this book (Tibetan Book of the Dead), in a modern more easily digestible fashion. Modern science, religions, philosophies all intertwine here to paint a picture how this book can help anyone understand the fact of our coming end, and its importance in part of a process we must all venture through. It not only helps ones self come to this realization, to live a fuller life, but also to understand what others are going through. To understand what they think, and fear, and how to help others through a most difficult time.It would be nice to consider it an instant classic, and mandatory reading for all colleges. It gives us more value to every day to understand these concepts and can enrich-en lives and love ones around each of us.The book combines old verse, well translated, and then applied to more current situations. How to balance a job and still grow spiritually. The old and new seem combined here seamlessly in poetic prose at some moments.I found myself thinking often, that I wish I had read this book earlier in life, to start the processes to understand more about life, and enjoyment of everyday.Read this book, then share it with others, it can and will change many many lives.

I was told about this book by a dear friend who suggested that I read it to help me with the puzzle of helping another beloved friend who was, at that time, dying. I was baffled by her death and afraid that I would not have the ability or wisdom to support her through her death. I had told her that I would be with her every step of the way and yet I, as a Westerner, had no skills and at the crucial moment when she told me she was afraid, very few and seemingly weak words of comfort and that made me very sad and useless as a friend. To be in a trusted and caring position for someone who is dying is an honor and a privilege and I did not feel that I was up to the task. I felt ashamed even of this lack of preparedness. This beautiful, gentle and enthralling book gave me everything that I needed to be with my friend in a way that I felt was useful to both of us. Her death was quite beautiful and extraordinarily peaceful, surrounded by the sweet love of her parents, children and friends. I am transformed, as were many of our group by her passing. She was a spiritual force, a luminous dancing spirit and her release from her body and her physical suffering caused a profound change in many of us in her circle of friends. But this book has given me more than that wonderful experience. It has confirmed and verbalized feelings of the divine and sacred that until now, I had been unable to express. It has given me courage and a firm sense of commitment to the spiritual path that I am on and the happy knowledge that every small kind act,every decision to have compassion instead of separateness and cruelty is important, not just to me and those immediately close, but also the whole of humanity and this beautiful planet. Thank you Sogyal Rinpoche and God or whatever it may be :) Bless you!

Possibly the best most accessible version contains a wealth of information on vajrayana supplementary to the book of living and dying also .Another great version,

Best book for myself. One must read it once.

Book in perfect conditions

its convenient to bring withcharacters are clear

Apesar das controvérsias que envolvem o autor, achei o livro excelente para leigos e ocidentais.