“Frank is a very dear friend. I have worked in the field of death and dying close to Frank and this book represents the distillation of many years of his efforts. He shows us that if you are to die consciously, there’s no time like the present to prepare. This book is a loving, compassionate reminder that the best preparation for death is a life fully lived.”
– Ram Dass
Frank Ostaseski knows death. Not in a metaphorical or figurative way, but through concrete presence. Frank has held hands, laughed with, cried with and learned from those who were welcomed in the doors of the Zen Hospice Project during their final days on the planet. As you will soon find out, he honors them through magnanimous storytelling and wisdom from the depths of experience. Frank is a sought-after Buddhist teacher who co-founded the Zen Hospice Project in 1987 and founder of the Metta Institute in 2005 to train countless healthcare clinicians and caregivers and building a national network of educators, advocates and guides for those facing life-threatening illness. If that weren’t enough, he’s been highlighted by Oprah Winfrey, Bill Moyers and H.H. the Dalai Lama. And Frank was gracious enough to share his teachings and presence with us on Contemplify. Using his life-altering book, The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully, as a launchpad we delve into Frank’s story, his mentor Stephen Levine, the power of the five invitations themselves, how those facing death became his greatest teachers, what he learned from the monsters in his son’s closest and so much more. Buy the book, read this book (if you’re in a book club, consider delving into it and using these discussion questions).
You can learn more about Frank at fiveinvitations.com or follow him on Twitter (@fostaseski) or Facebook (@frankostaseski).
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EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Books by Frank Ostaseski
Resources Mentioned
- Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Suzuki Roshi
- Any book by Steven Levine
- Star Mother’s Youngest Child by Louise Moeri
People
- Stephen Levine
- Joseph Goldstein
- Jack Kornfield
- Ram Dass
- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
- Insight Meditation
Highlights
- When you hear the word “contemplative”, how does that moniker relate to you?
- What’s the relationship between courageous presence and vulnerability?
- If someone were going to teach a class on the formation of Frank Ostaseski, what would be the 3 mandatory readings or works that formed you that would definitely be on that syllabus?
- Knowing that we don’t walk in this world alone or with just book, who have been important mentors that have shaped your life?
- How are you taking on the role of elder or mentor to others?
- You’ve written remarkable book, The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully. For the listeners, the five invitations are as follows; 1) Don’t Wait 2) Welcome Everything, Push Away Nothing 3) Bring Your Whole Self to the Experience 4) Find a Place of Rest in the Middle of Things 5) Cultivate Don’t Know Mind.
- First Invitation: How does ‘don’t wait’ correlate to the fragility of life for you?
- Second Invitation: What is the relationship between love and welcoming everything?
- The story of son’s fear as a child
- Third Invitation: What is your embodied experience of bringing your whole self?
- Was your heart attack and the healing period after a turnkey moment for you?
- Fourth Invitation: Why does it matter to find a still point or rest in the chaos of activity circling around us?
- Fifth Invitation: How has ‘Don’t Know Mind” been a valuable asset to living a deep and full life?
- What drink would you pair with our conversation?
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