with Ven. Sangye Khadro

Tuesday, August 8, 2017
7:00pm – 9:00pm

In our busy lives, we may not give much thought to our deaths and, indeed, we may be uncomfortable even thinking about death. Perhaps we feel it is too depressing, or maybe we worry that thinking about death will take all the joy out of living. Yet in truth, when we actively think about death and prepare for our own deaths, the opposite actually happens: we connect more to the peace, fulfillment, and happiness available in our lives. What’s more, our fear of death starts to disappear.

The Buddha recommended that we accept, contemplate, and remain aware of impermanence and death, rather than denying or avoiding this reality. He said:

Initially, when we begin to think about death, we might feel uncomfortable, even fearful. That is not a bad thing! If used skillfully, such feelings can motivate us to learn how to manage our emotions and how to prepare ourselves for death, enabling us to die with peace and dignity, rather than with regret and fear.

In this talk, Kathleen McDonald (co-author with Lama Zopa Rinpoche of the Wisdom book, Wholesome Fear: Transforming Your Anxiety About Impermanence and Death) will lead us in exploring this important and meaningful topic.

Originally from California, Kathleen McDonald (Sangye Khadro) began studying Buddhism with Tibetan lamas in Dharamsala, India, in 1973. She became a nun in Nepal the following year, and received full (bhikshuni) ordination in 1988. At the request of her teachers, she began teaching in 1980, and since then has been teaching Buddhism and meditation in various countries around the world, occasionally taking time off for personal retreats. She served as resident teacher in Buddha House, Australia, for two years and in Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore for eleven years. From 2008–2015 she followed the Masters Program at Lama Tsong Khapa Institute in Italy. Her book, "How to Meditate", is a best selling book of Wisdom Publications.