In 'A Year to Live,' Stephen Levine presents a year-long program to help readers live each moment, hour, and day mindfully, as if it were their last. The book is based on Levine's own experiment of living for a year as if it were his final year, inspired by the Dalai Lama's approach to preparing for death. Levine provides intensely practical strategies and powerful guided meditations to help readers deal with unfinished business, cultivate qualities such as mindfulness, detachment, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion, and enter into a new and vibrant relationship with life. The book emphasizes the importance of preparing for death as a way to live more fully and meaningfully, and includes practices like life reviews, meditating on fear, and imagining one's own death to foster a deeper appreciation for life[2][3][5].
This book is a unique blend of several narratives, including the author's triumph over ovarian cancer with the aid of Zen discipline, a nature diary filled with precise details about birds, plants, fish, and insects, and a memoir of her globe-trotting adventures with her Japanese Zen master, Taisen Deshimaru. The book also includes descriptions of her horseback journeys in France and a day in the life of a Zen dojo. The text is accompanied by beautiful black and white illustrations by Peter Watson, adding a personal charm to the narrative. Nan Shin's writing is characterized by its existential quality, wit, and deep spirituality, making the book a profound reflection on living the Zen way through all experiences of life.
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A crucial (and often misunderstood) concept in Buddhism: letting go.
For this episode, Executive Producer DJ Cashmere interviewed a trio of brilliant Dharma teachers to get their advice about how to handle surrendering or letting go. This is the fourth in a series of 'correspondent' episodes, in which DJ identifies a pain point in his life and meditation practice, then goes out into the world to report on the best ways to address it.
Kaira Jewel Lingo is a former nun in the Plum Village tradition started by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Vinny Ferraro teaches at the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock, and also in prisons. Matthew Brensilver teaches at many of the same retreat centers, and spent many years working in the field of addiction pharmacotherapy.
*Find the Soft Belly Meditation here
*Check out Sebene Selassie’s website and newsletter, Ancestor to Elements. Plus, her ‘Let It Be’ guided meditation on DanHarris.com
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Want to study and practice with today's guests? Please check out these Spirit Rock offerings:
Matthew Brensilver, Buddhist Psychology Training (Begins in January)
Vinny Ferraro: A Year to Live; Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully (Begins in January)
Kaira Jewel Lingo: Healing Our Way Home (Oct. 20); Insight Meditation Retreat (April 9-16; opens Dec. 11)
All 10% Happier listeners receive a discount code for our December Insight Retreat (Dec. 8-18) with the code TENPERCENT
Vinny and Kaira Jewel will also teach at the Insight Meditation Society:
Kaira Jewel Lingo, Strength to Love: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King: Jr. (Jan 17 - Jan 20), and Return to Wholeness: Opening to Wisdom & Love (online) (Mar 23 - Mar 29)
Vinny Ferraro, Peace in Presence: A Four-Night Retreat for All (Jan 31 - Feb 4)
Related Episodes:
Also, the teachers’ sites:
https://vinnyferraro.org/
Vinny Ferraro's Course, A Year To Live
https://www.kairajewel.com/
https://www.matthewbrensilver.org/
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Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/dj-surrender-4
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