Devaduta is pali for “divine messengers.” It is said that the Buddha embarked on his quest for enlightenment after encountering three devadutas: a sick person, an old man, and a corpse.
The Heart Breaks
The Buddha saw an old man, ill man, dead man, and wise man. As her father’s health declined, Minal Hajratwala saw these same sights.
My Best Chance
Natalie Goldberg wanted to survive, but so did the cancer inside her. Drastic action was required.
Buddhist-inspired garden in Canada offers parents space to grieve lost pregnancies
The Little Spirits Garden in British Columbia gives parents “spirit houses” to memorialize children lost in miscarriage and stillbirth.
Calling on Jizo
In Japan, Jizo Bodhisattva is the “guardian of children who have died.” Zen priest and grief counselor Dojin Sarah Emerson recalls how the Jizo Ceremony helped after the death of her daughter.
Packed and Ready for Whatever’s Next
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche offers a fresh teaching on “phowa” practice and how navigating the various transitions in our lives, including the very small ones, lays a foundation for navigating the much bigger ones when they come.
You Are Already Dying
The most profound meditation, says Joan Halifax, is contemplating the certainty of your own death.
Life, Death, and Love
Artist and writer Susan MacLeod observes the foibles, humor, and caring of life in a nursing home. There, she and her mother finally came to know each other.
How to work with the “Winter Blues”
Perhaps these days of less sunlight are opportunities for more contemplative time, more looking deeply to see what can only be seen in the dark.
What Are the Twelve Nidanas?
The 12 nidanas, which are pictured as the outer circle in the Wheel of Life, describe the chain of causation by which the cycle of death and rebirth known as samsara is created.