Synopsis
Death is not waiting for us at the end of a long road. Death is always with us, in the marrow of every passing moment, a secret teacher hiding in plain sight, helping us to discover what matters most in life.
So begins Frank Ostaseski's stirring book, The Five Invitations, an exhilarating meditation on the meaning of life and how maintaining an ever-present awareness of death can bring us closer to our truest selves. In his thirty-plus years as a companion to the dying, Frank Ostaseski has sat on the precipice of death with more than a thousand people. A renowned teacher of compassionate care-giving, Ostaseski has distilled the lessons gleaned over the course of his career into a powerful and inspiring exploration of the essential wisdom dying has to impart to all of us about how to forge rich and meaningful lives. The 'Five Invitations' - Welcome Everything, Push Away Nothing; Bring Your Whole Self to the Experience; Don't Wait; Find a Place of Rest in the Middle of Things; and Cultivate a Don't Know Mind - show how death can be the guide we need to wake up fully to our lives.
This stunning, unforgettable book offers a radical path to transformation.
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Reviews
“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, author of the bestseller Be Here Now
“Frank Ostaseski has brought together wisdom and compassion in his life and his long years of work with the dying. We will all be enriched, inspired, and edified by his extraordinary book on how facing death can enrich our life”Joan Halifax Roshi, Ph.D., Founder & Abbot, Upaya Zen Center
“As a physician and neurosurgeon, I have learned that those who have truly lived are those that understand death as an integral part of life. In Frank Ostaseski's profound book, The Five Invitations, he shares this reality, giving us insights and wisdom on the nature of dying but more importantly on how to truly live”James R. Doty, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, Founder and Director of the Stanford University Center for Compassion and Altruism, and New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop
“I keep this book by my bedside. It’s the best, most true, penetrating advice I know. How to live, how to die. Written with clear, engaging prose?it’s unbeatable. Do not waste your life?get it!”Natalie Goldberg, author of 'Let the Whole Thundering World Come Home' and 'Writing Down the Bones'
