Meditating on Death (Episode #26)

Welcome to episode 26 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives.

In this episode, the presenters, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and lay Buddhist practitioner and journalist Jo Confino, talk about death – from the deep Buddhist teaching of ‘no birth and no death’ and the Five Remembrances, to dealing with death by looking differently at life and practising acceptance. 

They also delve into attachment; separation and individualism; inherited fear; life goals for a good death; karma; reincarnation; and how to relax, take it easy, soothe the fear, and celebrate life. 

Brother Phap Huu helps us understand essential Buddhist teachings on death and non-existence, and digs deeper into the Five Remembrances; the source of our fear of death; different perceptions of death; living life with the insight of impermanence; death as part of life; practising impermanence; removing the wrong view from our lives; living free from regret; moderation; and the importance of meditating on our own death.

He also offers insights into Thay’s last days before his passing, and reads the teacher’s poem, ‘Contemplation on No-Coming and No-Going’.

Jo muses on the fear of separation; flowing with life and joining the universe in flux; continuation as a way to release our fear around death; legacy; dying well as an aspiration; and why our thoughts matter as much as our physical actions. 

And: what do you think it means to have a good death?

The episode ends with a meditation on impermanence and continuation, guided by Brother Phap Huu.

Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/

And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ 

With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ 

List of resourcesDharma Talks: ‘The Five Remembrances’https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-five-remembrances-sr-thuan-nghiem-spring-retreat-2018-05-17/ 

What Happens When We Die?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xLbZZAjjY8&t=28s 

‘Contemplation on No-Coming and No-Going’ https://plumvillage.org/contemplation-on-no-coming-and-no-going/

Songs: ‘No Coming, No Going’https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/no-coming-no-going-song/ ‘Dharma Talk: Karma, Continuation, and the Noble Eightfold Path’https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell//archive/2015/04/dharma-talk-karma-continuation-and-the-noble-eightfold-pathSister Chan Khong https://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/

‘51 Mental Formations’https://plumvillage.org/transcriptions/51-mental-formation/ 

Dharma Talks: ‘Manas Consciousness, Teachings on Buddhist Psychology Retreat, 1997’https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/manas-consciousness-thich-nhat-hanh-teachings-on-buddhist-psychology-retreat-1997/ 

Dharma Talks: ‘Store Consciousness, Teachings on Buddhist Psychology Retreat, 1997’https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/store-consciousness-teachings-on-buddhist-psychology-retreat-thich-nhat-hanh-1997/

‘Dharma Body, Sangha Body’https://plumvillage.app/dharma-body-sangha-body/

Sister Chân Đứchttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-chan-duc/

Quotes

“Death is a contemplation because life is there, death is there also.” 

“The teaching of Buddhism is to be free, to be liberated, to transcend our suffering. And suffering needs a name, so here we can say that the fear of death is the name of suffering.”

“The past is gone, the future is not yet there. There is only one moment that you can be alive, and that is the present moment.”

“We are of the nature to grow old. We cannot escape it. I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way that I can escape it. I am of the nature to die. Th