I have a friend whose husband died 18 months ago. Her denial following his catastrophic of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer resulted in a completed meltdown and it continues to this day. Her mental and thinking capacities are severely impaired and my "observation" has been a sobering one. At 71 years old, I find dinner conversations with others my age and older amazing. Almost TO A PERSON the phobia about death is unsettling. No one will speak honestly and it has left me feeling very alone is pursuing my personal relationship to death AND life. Stephen's interviews have filled in a vacant spot in these discussions and I am thankful for his look-life/death-in-the-eye approach. Bravo!
The ancient Hindu story of a boy, who, at the death of his father, resolves to visit Hades and seek understanding from the Lord Of Death himself, has moved me for years. It is a balm for the heart in the midst of sorrow... Your presence and work are a huge gift to the world.💐
Brilliant, thanks so much! I remember attending a meditation in Rochester years ago on death. It was a trip, but stayed with me as a practice that helps me right-size my life, not take myself so seriously, and hold my space...it brings a bit of fearlessness with it...getting right with the notion that you I will die....(we imagined crows picking out our corpse's eyes....wow). It sounds macabre, but Buddhism would say, why? It's natural....and un-natural to our egoic state. Appreciate your content and looking forward to starting your training course
Thank you so much, Mark, for this very well conducted talk with Stephen. I deeply savour Stephen's thinkings and wordings. Ongoingly compromised indeed. Real village would make sure that everyone has a roof over their heads (remember Muammar Gadhafi...), irrespective of how "good" a little cog you are in the present monetary, calculated murder -etc system. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 🌳🕊💚
Thank you for this. My dad was given a terminal diagnosis recently & we’re having very open & difficult conversations. I’ve been doing a lot of reflection & thought we only do 2 things- dead or dying; we don’t have to think about anything if we do ‘dead’ but ‘dying’ is a process that we seem to ignore & yet what are we doing each day, living or dying & is it just a difference of perspective?
What did he say a good death is? So unclear. A bad death, if I undestand him, is one that is resisted strongly with medicine, and mentally ignored as much as possible, and the final dying process relatively qucik and painless (and painkillers). This he considers a bad death, while many people consider it not a bad death (as far as deaths goes). Or? Also what did he say that he likes about Western culture?
I have a friend whose husband died 18 months ago. Her denial following his catastrophic of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer resulted in a completed meltdown and it continues to this day. Her mental and thinking capacities are severely impaired and my "observation" has been a sobering one. At 71 years old, I find dinner conversations with others my age and older amazing. Almost TO A PERSON the phobia about death is unsettling. No one will speak honestly and it has left me feeling very alone is pursuing my personal relationship to death AND life. Stephen's interviews have filled in a vacant spot in these discussions and I am thankful for his look-life/death-in-the-eye approach. Bravo!
The ancient Hindu story of a boy, who, at the death of his father, resolves to visit Hades and seek understanding from the Lord Of Death himself, has moved me for years. It is a balm for the heart in the midst of sorrow... Your presence and work are a huge gift to the world.💐
Brilliant, thanks so much! I remember attending a meditation in Rochester years ago on death. It was a trip, but stayed with me as a practice that helps me right-size my life, not take myself so seriously, and hold my space...it brings a bit of fearlessness with it...getting right with the notion that you I will die....(we imagined crows picking out our corpse's eyes....wow). It sounds macabre, but Buddhism would say, why? It's natural....and un-natural to our egoic state. Appreciate your content and looking forward to starting your training course
Thank you for your comment
Very sobering, insightful and brutally honest conversation.
Not enough talks like these. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it. My honour - mark
Absolutely 💯 tell it like it is Stephen ❤
Thank you so much, Mark, for this very well conducted talk with Stephen.
I deeply savour Stephen's thinkings and wordings.
Ongoingly compromised indeed.
Real village would make sure that everyone has a roof over their heads (remember Muammar Gadhafi...), irrespective of how "good" a little cog you are in the present monetary, calculated murder -etc system.
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 🌳🕊💚
Thank you
I intend to be prepared to welcome Him when He comes for me.
Very deeply informative. Thanks
Glad you liked it
Thank you for this. My dad was given a terminal diagnosis recently & we’re having very open & difficult conversations.
I’ve been doing a lot of reflection & thought we only do 2 things- dead or dying; we don’t have to think about anything if we do ‘dead’ but ‘dying’ is a process that we seem to ignore & yet what are we doing each day, living or dying & is it just a difference of perspective?
I’m glad this was in some small way perhaps helpful
Both of you are awesome.
Cheers :-)
What did he say a good death is? So unclear. A bad death, if I undestand him, is one that is resisted strongly with medicine, and mentally ignored as much as possible, and the final dying process relatively qucik and painless (and painkillers). This he considers a bad death, while many people consider it not a bad death (as far as deaths goes). Or? Also what did he say that he likes about Western culture?
It's doubtful that I will die later than my mother, who died at 107.
He shits on stoicism despite it being the inevitable cure to the thought of death. Strange