That drunk-on-his-sons-and-cattle man,
all tangled up in the mind:
death sweeps him away—
as a great flood,
a village asleep.
There are         no sons
to give shelter,
no father,
no family
for one seized by [Death],
no shelter among kin.
Realizing
this force of reasoning,
the wise man, restrained by virtue,
should make the path pure
—right away—
that goes all the way to Unbinding.

—Dhammapada, 287–289
(trans. Thanissaro Bhikkhu)

Dying & Death Special Section

“How Buddhists Can Prepare to Die” by Mary Talbot

“Buddhist Death Rites“ by Tricycle

“The Last Gift” by Ajahn Chah

“What to Think About at Death” by Thich Thanh Tu

“Caring for Our Own” by Mary Talbot

“The Longest Hospice Patient” by Cheryl Wilfong

“Molly’s Death” by Jake Lorfing

“Remembering Ed Softky“ by Lawrence Williams

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