An accessible and empowering guide to Buddhist philosophy and practices on death and dying.
This manual explores Tibetan Buddhist teachings on how to prepare for a peaceful and positive death.
Aimed at a general audience, this brief guide addresses the question, “Is it possible that death can be a celebratory empowering event?” Rinpoche and Levine answer a resounding yes, drawing on their expertise in Vajrayana Buddhism as director and president of the Jigme Lingpa Center in San Diego, California. Their perspective is engaging and approachable whether or not readers consider themselves practicing Buddhists. In the preface, they discuss differences between Western and Eastern cultural attitudes about death and dying and how the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that far too many people died alone and unprepared. The first two chapters focus on how to live a joyful life that leads to a peaceful death, presenting basic concepts such as karma, the self, and the nature of consciousness that will be familiar to many who have an interest in or practice meditation. Bardo Thodol, the Tibetan name of the centuries-old Buddhist guide to death and rebirth known in the West as the Tibetan Book of the Dead, can be translated as “liberation through hearing in the intermediate state.” Chapters 3 and 4 explain the bardo—consciousness that continues to exist between one life and the next—and how a person’s life and surviving loved ones can influence it through meditation and prayer. The next two chapters provide specific mindfulness and meditation practices for attaining compassion and wisdom, the keys to a good life, and rebirth. The text also covers supporting the dying, exploring the Buddhist death practice of phowa, helping distant loved ones, and preparing for a good death, ending with a brief discussion of rebirth as a natural phenomenon. The writing style is simple, succinct, and straightforward, packing a wealth of information into just under 80 pages. An appendix provides seven pages of helpful instructions for loving/kindness meditations and practices to develop wisdom about the self, the “no solid self,” and the interconnectedness of all things. Another appendix offers a handy three-page summary of the contents of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Overall, this manual offers plenty of helpful insights, whatever one’s religious beliefs.
An accessible and empowering guide to Buddhist philosophy and practices on death and dying.Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-578-30911-8
Page Count: 80
Publisher: North American Resellers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
The heartbreaking story of an emotionally battered child delivered with captivating candor and grace.
The former iCarly star reflects on her difficult childhood.
In her debut memoir, titled after her 2020 one-woman show, singer and actor McCurdy (b. 1992) reveals the raw details of what she describes as years of emotional abuse at the hands of her demanding, emotionally unstable stage mom, Debra. Born in Los Angeles, the author, along with three older brothers, grew up in a home controlled by her mother. When McCurdy was 3, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Though she initially survived, the disease’s recurrence would ultimately take her life when the author was 21. McCurdy candidly reconstructs those in-between years, showing how “my mom emotionally, mentally, and physically abused me in ways that will forever impact me.” Insistent on molding her only daughter into “Mommy’s little actress,” Debra shuffled her to auditions beginning at age 6. As she matured and starting booking acting gigs, McCurdy remained “desperate to impress Mom,” while Debra became increasingly obsessive about her daughter’s physical appearance. She tinted her daughter’s eyelashes, whitened her teeth, enforced a tightly monitored regimen of “calorie restriction,” and performed regular genital exams on her as a teenager. Eventually, the author grew understandably resentful and tried to distance herself from her mother. As a young celebrity, however, McCurdy became vulnerable to eating disorders, alcohol addiction, self-loathing, and unstable relationships. Throughout the book, she honestly portrays Debra’s cruel perfectionist personality and abusive behavior patterns, showing a woman who could get enraged by everything from crooked eyeliner to spilled milk. At the same time, McCurdy exhibits compassion for her deeply flawed mother. Late in the book, she shares a crushing secret her father revealed to her as an adult. While McCurdy didn’t emerge from her childhood unscathed, she’s managed to spin her harrowing experience into a sold-out stage act and achieve a form of catharsis that puts her mind, body, and acting career at peace.
The heartbreaking story of an emotionally battered child delivered with captivating candor and grace.Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-982185-82-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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