An endorsement from Sogyal Rinpoche

"More and more people are realizing that the Buddhist teachings of Tibet have a tremendous amount to offer those who are living in the world today. In particular, the Tibetan Buddhist tradition is known for its wealth of wisdom and practical spiritual guidance about death and dying. In my book, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, I was unable to go into detail about the emotional and practical care for the dying--elements of care which are crucial for helping people to come to terms with their death, opening them to a spiritual dimension, and helping their loved ones understand and accept their death.

"Christine Longaker's book, Facing Death and Finding Hope, which I have strongly recommended in my book, is an ideal and much-needed guidebook for caregivers, friends and family of the dying. I have known Christine Longaker since 1980, during which time she has studied the Buddhist teachings with me. The courses and trainings she gives, for which she now has a considerable reputation, are exceptional in that they blend her very real experience of hospice work with the insights she has gleaned from her study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.

"Facing Death and Finding Hope is immensely valuable because it helps to restore a sense of the "art" or "science of dying" which has been missing from Western culture for far too long. There is no greater gift of charity you can give than to help a person die well. Perhaps there has never been a time when we have been more in need of learning how to face death, how to find hope in death instead of only tragedy, how to help others at the end of their lives, and how to die well ourselves. It is a sad fact that, in the world today, we are taught very little about death and dying, which can only reflect on how little we feel at home with life and living. Facing Death and Finding Hope plays an important role in redressing this void. Unquestionably, this book will be of vital interest for anyone concerned with a dying person. And who of us, sooner or later, is not?"

--Sogyal Rinpoche

Read excerpts from Facing Death and Finding Hope and from Chapter 11 of the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: Showing Unconditional Love and Heart Advice on Helping the Dying.

See our recommended book list for more books on Buddhist teachings on death and dying.