End of Life Resources

End of Life Resources: 

In order to provide additional support for those connected to the Durham Shambhala Center and their families, we are offering the following end of life resources:

Death and Dying: A Guide

Death and Dying: A Guide was written to provide guidance and support to dharma practitioners and their loved ones. The Guide is designed to enable us to prepare in practical ways for the inevitable time when we and those we love will die. This resource addresses the experience of dying and death, how that experience might present, and what preparations one can make to ease stress and enhance the experience, both for the one who is dying and for those who have the honor and responsibility of attending a dying loved one. It is written to be used (1) by Shambhala, other Buddhist lineages, and meditation practitioners in general to prepare for dying and death, and (2) by both Buddhist and non-Buddhist family members and friends who have the responsibility of caring for a meditation practitioner through the dying, death, and post-death experiences.

Maitri Bhavana

Maitri Bhavana is a monthly group meditation practice for those who are seriously ill. It takes place on the first Sunday of every month during the morning public sitting. Maitri Bhavana is a meditation on loving-kindness that is practiced for those who are seriously ill, either physically or mentally. It cultivates our compassion through taking on the sense of the suffering of others, provides an opportunity to share our health with them, and acknowledges our deep interconnectedness. To explicitly include a relative or friend who is seriously ill in this practice, please email the name of the person who is ill, the illness, and your name to: Kelly McCall <[email protected]>