Frank Ostaseski & Joan Halifax: Love and Death: Opening the Great Gifts (2 of 8)

“Love and death are the great gifts that are given to us; mostly,

they are passed on unopened”

-Rainer Maria Rilke

This whole life is a place where we make real our dedication to awakening, in living and dying, in caring and being cared for, in loving and receiving love. Being completely and vividly present for the rich details of our lives and the lives of others is the means that we use to discover truth and come home to who we really are. Love and death then are experiences of discovery. This program, led by Roshi Joan Halifax and Frank Ostaseski, two pioneers in the end-of-life care field and long-time Buddhist practitioners, is an exploration of how we bring depth and dedication into our whole life and the life of the world. Through teachings, exchanges, and unique practices and processes, we explored the profound relationship between love and death, engaged practice and the role of love and compassion in how we serve others, different forms of love, how art reveals the connection between love and death, and practices that related to the power of impermanence and surrender.

Episode Description: Roshi Joan Halifax and Frank Ostaseski introduce themselves and their program on the intimate relationship between love and death. You’ll learn about their experiences in end of life care, zen practice, and some of what inspires and sustains them day to day in their own lives.

(This program began with a Dharma talk from Frank, Love is My Mentor, which we recommend listening to first.)

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For Program/Series description and to access the entire series, please click on the link below:

Upaya Podcast Series: Love and Death 2022: Opening the Great Gifts