Graceful Exits: How Great Beings Die: Death Stories of Hindu, Tibetan Buddhist, and Zen Masters

How we face death is at least as important as how we face life. This book is a beautiful example of the deep, esoteric meaning of that phrase. We can't explore the notion of up, without talking about down, hot with out mentioning cold, how can we possibly understand life without talking about death (even if it is imaginary)? This book is quite remarkable and should be a staple among hospice workers, and anyone seeking a higher understanding. I wish I could give it six stars.

We are all here for only a limited time . . . during which we live our lives, and if we are lucky, do not have to spend too much thought on our inevitable demise. Regardless of your situation or reason for considering this book, it is a must read. A positive approach to the end of life is the best present we can give ourselves and those close to us.

Koans and stories of the deaths of Masters are scattered throughout the sacred texts of the East. This book is remarkable in that it brings those many stories together in one place. By focusing a book on the theme of "death stories", the stories illumine each other, and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The stories reveal a wonderfully refreshing way to think about death (and hence, to think about Life!) Many are solemn, but some are quite humorous. In each, we see the presence of someone who embraces all of human experience, who says "Yes!" to all of Life, including death. Many of the Masters give one final gem of wisdom, summarizing their life's teaching, as their last word. The many photographs of the Masters are heart-warming. For anyone ready to think about death and mortality in terms of their spritual meaning, this book is ideal. Ironically, through looking at how the Masters die, we can implicitly understand their teaching on how to be ever more fully alive.

My favorite story was about the 97-year-old Zen nun Nogami Senryo who wanted to, and did, die standing up. What a great story! There are many little gems throughout the book, though it is kind of morbid and I could only read a page or so at a time. The stories from India are pretty fantastical and hard to believe, though. I found the afterward to be stunning, how Ms. Blackman discovered she had advanced lung cancer and was going to die. It was the captstone of the whole volume. This book makes sobering but good reading for anyone, even those who are in the bloom of health and are young.

I read an excerpt of this book in a magazine and had to read the whole thing. The author, for reasons unknown to her, was compelled to collect death stories of Hindu, Buddhist and Zen masters. The stories she reports are awe inspiring. These men and women faced died with poise and courage, inspirations to all who must die. The book has a deeper message: Sushila Blackman was herself dying as she wrote the book. A trip to the emergency room while compiling the stories revealed that she wasn't suffering a mild heart attack as she thought. She was dying from incurable lung cancer. This is the story of a remarkable woman who used the material in this book to guide her own death. It gives me chills.