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The enduringly wise Buddhist teacher, Frank Ostaseski, is a leading figure in the contemplative care for the dying, having co-founded the acclaimed Zen Hospice Center. In 2004, he established the Metta Institute, which offers innovative training and education for compassionate end-of-life care. His book, The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully, explores the wisdom that emerges from embracing mortality, which guides our conversation today. Frank invites us to consider how we approach the small endings that occur in our everyday life—how do you say goodbye?—along with the practice of listening intently. Ultimately, though, our conversation circles what it means to surrender to circumstances we cannot control.
MORE FROM FRANK OSTASESKI:
Frank’s Website
The Metta Institute
TRANSCRIPT:
(Edited slightly for clarity.)
ELISE LOEHNEN: Well thank you for your book. It's beautiful. And I wanna sort of open it up by saying that yes, obviously you work with and hold the hands of many who are dying. But this book, in so many ways is about how to live, which is really only possible in some ways, by acknowledging that it will end someday.