"What did the Dalai Lama say to the New York hot dog vendor?
Make me one with everything."
A Buddhist joke found online and reprinted in Awakening the Buddha Within.
But, don't get me wrong, this book is not just filled with Buddhist humor.
On the contrary, it's full of Buddhist history, teaching, precepts and
"lifelihood" as well as the bardo's "deathlihood" presented in an easy to
manage straightforward manner.
Lama Surya Das manages to congenially relate his own initiation into the
Tibetan Buddhist way of life and present a condensed guide to enlightenment
in all of his book's 400 fast moving pages. His accessible writing moves
along through a veritable course in beginning Tibetan Buddhism. It
provides
you with an actual human voice prodding you, instructing you and urging you
to find your "natural mind." "The natural mind is intrinsically beautiful,
buoyant, free, and tranquil. This is our pure original being, which
existed
before we saw ourself as a self, before we perceived others, and before we
started to think others were the source of our pleasure and our suffering."
The three factions of Buddhism include the Buddha, Dharma (teachings) and
the
Sangha (spiritual community). There is a Buddha in each of us who can
practice the Dharma in order to enrich the Sangha. It offers a viable plan
to
incorporate enlightened Buddhist concepts into the routines of everyday
living. The end product equals enlightened living.
Have you ever read almost one hundred pages in what seemed to be no time
at
all? Expect it if you pick up this book. Have you ever looked
forward to
reading a book as you would to visiting a good friend? Expect as much
from
Awakening the Buddha Within. Even its physical entity exudes a certain
grace
and bountiful spirit. Broadway Books of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing
produced a book of beauty here. The binding is sturdy yet malleable
to your
own intimate bendings of it with the reading experience. Its own bodily
presence justifies the bound pages of writing.
Are you the sort of person who appreciates quality quotes, posting them
at
eye-level for daily inspirational motivation? Look inside here.
They're all
over the place within these pages. I'll even include some in this review.
Buddhism forces us to look realism in the face and accept it. But it also
encourages us to look inside ourselves, empty everything out and live
absolutely in the present moment. Mantras are empowering words or phrases
that coax your mind back into awareness and can be used as benedictions or
blessings for any kind of activity. Das recounted that in a Nepalese
monastery where he stayed, there were mantras for walking through doors or
eating a meal as well as using the toilet.
The book is divided into two major parts. The first part, Discovering
Ancient Wisdom in a Modern World, is composed of three sub-sections, We Are
All Buddhas, A Tibetan Prophesy and Deconstructing the House That Ego Built.
It sets the reader up to discover the innate Buddha nature, as it's called,
that we all possess and it urges us to find it and use it as soon as possible
in order to attain enlightenment.
Until you reach the path,
You wander in the world
With the precious Buddha
Completely wrapped up inside
As in a bundle of rags
…you have this precious Buddha. Unwrap
it quickly!
---From The Sutra Of The Holy Buddha
The Tibetan Prophesy briefly relates the history and evolution of Tibetan
Buddhism as well as describes the migration of this religion from the East
to
the West.
Deconstructing the House that Ego Built identifies some of the blocks that
we
encounter on our journey to enlightenment, three sources of unhappiness.
In
Buddhism, these are termed the Three Poisons and consist of Ignorance of
the
Truth, Attachment and Aversion.
Part Two, Walking the Eight-Fold Path to Enlightenment-The Heroic
Journey,
is the bulk of the book. Here we learn such things as the Facts of
Life from
a Buddhist Perspective, the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold Path.
The eight steps to enlightenment on the Noble Eight-Fold Path are as follows:
Wisdom Training (Right View, Right Intentions),
Ethics Training (Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood) Meditation
Training (Right Effort, Right Mindfulness,
Right Concentration)
They are all lessons in forming yourself into a more enlightened being,
bringing yourself full circle to a complete you in a complete world.
Wisdom training introduces us to Right View and Right Intention.
The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character;
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings…
As the shadow follows the body,
As we think, so we become.
---The Dhammapada
(Sayings of the Buddha)
Wow. Such a quote can knock you off your feet. That's exactly
what Buddhism
can do.
Ethics Training consists of Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood.
Do not do anything harmful; do only what is
Good; purify and train your own mind: This
Is the path to enlightenment.
---The Buddha
Meditation is a fundamental aspect of Buddhism, as most people know.
Das
provides several guided meditations to perform throughout the day, some of
which even children would enjoy doing. It is an activity that can assist
us
in such mundane activities as standing in lines, waiting at red lights or
the
doctor's office. You can transform daily opportunities for headaches
into
daily opportunities for self-awareness and peace.
The whole thrust of the Buddha's teaching is to master the mind.
If you
master the mind, you will have mastery over body and speech…Mastery of the
mind is achieved through constant awareness of all your thoughts and
actions…Maintaining this constant mindfulness in the practice of tranquility
and insight, you will eventually be able to sustain the recognition of wisdom
even in the midst of ordinary activities and distractions. Mindfulness
is
thus the very basis, the cure for all samsaric afflictions.
---Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche,
Journey to Enlightenment
One exciting aspect of Tibetan Buddhism is called Dream Yoga. Its
teachings
illustrate how to participate in your dreams consciously and actively.
You
can actually learn how to manipulate the course of action that you take while
in your dreaming state of sleep. This aids in spiritual progression
because
our dreams shed insight into our own subconscious minds. In dreams our
fears
and insecurities surface. By utilizing the Dream Yoga and controlling
our
dream state actions, we can learn to confront and conquer our fears in waking
life.
So, if you are searching for that book to read while sitting poolside this
summer, go get Awakening the Buddha Within. It'll help you deal with
the
heat and those times when everything is wrong with your life. Although
the
Buddha does say that everything is perfect exactly as it is.
How wonderful!
How wonderful!
All things are
Perfect
Exactly as they are!
---The Buddha
Even if you cannot aspire to be the perfect Buddha, it'll give you some
idea
of why he's smiling so much.
Living in the Face of Death, the Tibetan Tradition by Glenn Mullin published by Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, NY 1998 238 pp, trade paperback, $16.95
The Tibetans are getting a lot of press these days, and why shouldn’t they?
They have the slight advantage of a cultural tradition that reaches back
thousands of years, incorporates shamanism and Buddhism, and is remarkably
sophisticated and scientific in its understanding of life and
death. But if we remember that "90% of science is magic, and the other 10%
is wrong," we get a feel for the sense of humor that characterizes the
Tibetan world view. So why is it that when we hear the Tibetans talking
about death and dying we get the feeling that they are not really talking
about death and dying? And why do they study it? Over the centuries they
have developed a wide ranging literature about death, including inspirational
poetry and prose, prayers, and practical works on care of the dying. Somehow
they find great value in studying death but they are not at all a melancholic
people. It makes you wonder…
A big hint is contained in their word "bardo." The bardo is a magical vibrant
place that spans the regions of death, life, sleep and dream. In fact we
are always in the bardo but we don’t always remember that we are. If we tweak
our awareness and try to be present we will become more sensitive, caring,
aware…but our awareness will see death, sleep and dream as well as life itself.
In this respect the study and awareness of death serves life. But there
is also an energy and immediacy that death can bring to our practice, both
individually and as a society. This is important. The Buddha said…"Of all
footprints, that of the elephant is supreme. Similarly, of all mindfulness
meditations, that on Death is supreme."(p23)
This book is a fabulous introduction and survey of the ways that the Tibetan
tradition has incorporated the meditation on death into every day life. Sampling
from the wide ranging body of literature which includes inspirational poetry
and prose, prayers, and practical works on the care of the dying, Glenn Mullin
presents nine short Tibetan texts.
His selections cover the Boddhisattva teachings, meditations to prepare for
death, inspirational accounts of the deaths of saints and yogis, rituals for
caring for the dead, longevity yogas, methods for training the mind in the
transference of consciousness at the time of death and a remarkably educational
and informative introduction.
Unfortunately I can’t go in to specifics about this excellent text here,
but I will say that if you have any interest in the Tibetan teachings or
Buddhism I HIGHLY recommend that you purchase and study this book. I
have been greatly influenced by it, and would like to say with Elizabeth Kubler
Ross, "I am grateful to the author for the immense labor that he has put
in to this masterpiece."
The Woman’s Book of Dreams: Dreaming
as a Spiritual Practice
by Connie Kaplan
foreword by Jamie Sams
Beyond Words Publishing
ISBN: 1-58270-008-7
$14.95 trade paperback
Connie Kaplan gives women (and men, if they choose to join in)
everywhere a great gift with this book: the opportunity to take ones dream
life seriously and to see beyond the psychological towards the
transpersonal visions found within our dreams. Rather than assuming
that
all dreams are on the same mundane psychological level, she
acknowledges, as many spiritual traditions do, that dreams can range from
the trivial to the profound, and have different purposes and effects. Like
the Eskimos see snow, she outlines the many kinds of dreams we have –
from the personal and psychological types to clairvoyant, healing and
ceremonial dreams.
She also outlines how to work within a dream circle with other women
and explains the potency of this sort of work. By providing support
for
each other and shelter from the ordinary world, information and insight
can flow more easily. The author draws heavily on her own experience
and on the experiences of the women she works with in dream circle to
outline a way to map one’s dreams and track your own patterns and
cycles in dreaming, giving many examples of how they reveal themselves.
She found that the astrological position of the moon has a strong effect
on
a woman’s dreams and provides a chart to help readers map and observe
their dreams over time.
Practical and grounded, yet opening up and empowering women (and
men) to acknowledge and use the information that comes to them from
dreams, this book is a highly recommended work tool for those in the
process of living and/or dying. Beautifully designed with a stunning
cover,
it is a book that you will treasure, and who knows, may inspire you to
start your own dream circle to help people find their place in the
dreamweave.
- Megan Whilden
Home Health Aide: Guidelines for Care
T.M. Marelli and Sandra M. Whittier, 228pp., paperback , $24.95, ISBN:
0-9647801-0-0, Marrelli and Associates, Inc.
Home Health Aides are quite possibly the most important members of the
home
health care team. They interact with the client on a very personal level,
and, as
skilled and caring professionals, make a world of difference to the patient's
well
being. They also have a great positive effect on the patient's family, alleviating
much
of the stress associated with caregiving.
Anything which serves to promote and solidify the professional standards
of HHAs
is very important and should be heartily welcomed by all of us. T.M. Marelli's
books do this. This particular book is an easy to use reference for definitions,
abbreviations, medical information, and guidelines for care. Its size makes
it easily
carried in a patient care bag, so it is readily available.
My recommendation would be for home health care or hospice agencies to
investigate Ms. Marelli's full line of books. Informed HHAs are the basis
of quality
home caregiving. For information contact: Marelli and Assoc., 1-800-993-6397.
Bereavement
- Counseling the Grieving Throughout the Lifecycle David Crenshaw, Ph.D.
The Crossroad Publishing Co., New York, NY, 1996 ISBN 0-8245-1291-X, pbk.175
pp. $13.95
Even if we are not all bereavement professionals
we should have a basic knowledge of the principles of this field. This
book presents them in a readable fashion. It is not a text but a guidebook,
and in a well organized and intelligent format provides a wealth of practical
grief work information.
The introduction gives the best overview of bereavement
theory that I have ever seen, almost as a primer to the subject. It examines,
(among other things), the tasks in mourning, the consequences of unresolved
grief, normal and pathological bereavement, and general ways to help. The
next chapters move through the different age groups; preschool, school-age,
adolescent, young adult, mid-life adult, and the elderly. The issues that
face any particular age group are presented and practical advice is given.
Problematic areas are pointed out, and questions are answered.
I would suggest that if you are working in this
field and feel that your knowledge is lacking in this end you should get
this book. If you find that you need more detailed information you can go
to the texts. Two things that are lacking are a bibliography and an index.
The "Notes" give some resources for further study, but the author should
consider adding a listing of texts and references.
How Far To Heaven Chara M.Curtis
& Alfred Currier, Illumination Arts, Bellvue, Washington ISBN 0-935699-06-6
How far is it to heaven? The question is answered
right here in this book. How Far To Heaven just steps away to the roads made
of gold, to sweet smelling perfumes and to the wonderful music that never
stops in a world much more wonderful than ours...maybe...
This fabulous book comes to life with the detailed
paintings of Alfred Currier and words by Chara M. Curtis.
A great book for children.
Review by Natalie Abrams, age 8.
Lessons From the Dying, Rodney Smith,
Wisdom Publications, Boston 1998 ISBN 0861711408 215pp, softcover
This is one of the best books on death and dying
that I have had the chance to read since Stephen Levine's, Who Dies?, and
in a way it continues in the same tradition. The author was a Buddhist monk
and for 8 years lived in intensive retreat in the US and Asia. After disrobing
as a monk in 1983 he came back to the states where he has been working in
hospice for the past 15 years as a social worker, volunteer trainer, bereavement
coordinator, program director and executive director. As he says, "Each position
has given me a distinct perspective on the dying process. Learning has come
not only from the patients and families, but also from the hospice staff,
whose caring and compassionate hearts have set a standard for the health
care field. All of us who work with the dying are like little children who
have gathered together for solace as we attempt to decipher the code of life."
The hypothesis of this remarkable book is that our
death is here and won't go away. An enormous amount of growth occurs when
we learn from death without making something tragic of it. Every contact
with it has the potential to deepen our understanding by awakening mystery,
intuition and joy. This doesn't mean that we will ever be comfortable with
our own deaths, but that we may live more fully.
Smith describes each of the different chapters as
"discussing one of the many lessons that dying has to communicate." There
are 14 chapters with titles such as; seeing things as they are, acknowledging
the shadow, listening from the heart, understanding grief, risking our lives,
delighting in the mystery. The author puts real emphasis on the need to practice
the exercises which are given at the end of each chapter, for "it is insight
which will change your actions and be of benefit to your life. Reading a
chapter without putting it into practice may open you to the topic of death,
but it will not effect long term change. Reading allows you to mull over
the words and entertain new ideas; practicing these ideas changes the way
you perceive the world and opens you beyond your fears."
Practice is not easy and you must be gentle with
yourself. Approach the material in the spirit of inquiry. Each chapter stands
alone and can be returned to and worked with time and time again.
This book is full of gems, with quotes and paragraphs to memorize on
almost every page. I would like to close with one of my favorites, given in
a section where religious beliefs and spirituality are being discussed. It
almost stands as a summation of the theme of this wonderful book: "The question
is not whether there is an afterlife, but what is our relation to the unknown?"
-Abrams
The Wheel of Life, A Memoir of Living &
Dying
By Elisabeth Kubler-Ross 286 pp. Hardcover, $22.00, 1997, ISBN: 0-684-19361-2,
Scribner
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross is known around the world for her pioneering work
with the
terminally ill and their families. Without her, the hospice movement in America
would have lacked its strongest and most compassionate voice, and would have
had
trouble even getting started.
As so often happens, her research--so vital to all of us--was ignored,
criticized and
made fun of by her medical colleagues, but she stubbornly held on, because,
for one
thing, pleasing fellow physicians and hospital administrators was not a necessary
part of the picture. On the other hand, helping patients, their families--and
learning
from them--and helping medical students learn from them as well was where
she
placed her unwavering attention.
And we are so lucky she did! Reading The Wheel of Life was a fascinating
and
inspiring experience. I read it straight through and then read it again. I
went out and
bought copies and sent them to my family. This was one of the special books
I had
been waiting for--without knowing it until I discovered it. And when I found
it, I
wanted to share it with everyone! The warmth, honesty and sheer weight of
her
years of research will make this a most popular book.
Also, her life story is so interesting! And challenging...
About herself, she writes, "If I am opinionated and independent, if I
am stuck in my
ways, if I am a little off center, so what? That is me."
From myself, I invite everyone to treat themselves to a very special experience--to
journey along with Elisabeth as she tells the story of her life and what
she found out
about life, death, the afterlife, and the all-importance of love through each
along the
way. - Janna Hart
"Opportunity is missed by most people
because it is dressed in overalls
and looks like work."
-Thomas Edison
Taking Stock: A Soul's Journey thru Life,
Death,
& the World of Investment
By Michael Norwood 253pp., Paperback, $12.95, ISBN 0-911649-02-8, Global
Publishing
This is an unexpectedly profound and moving story of a young chiropractor's
experiences centering around the final two years of his father's life. In
the summer
of 1991, John Norwood was diagnosed with stomach cancer and given 3 months
to
live. He lived well for another 18 months and during that time imparted his
11 step
stock investment system to his son Michael.
Michael travels through time. He goes back to his youth and the death of
his sister,
and then through his training as a chiropractor, his travels abroad, and
his
encounters with the master healer, Solihin. Concurrently he gives details
of the
recent past and the progression of his fathers illness by describing his
investment
lessons. Michael utilizes this intriguing narrative structure to tell many
stories, reveal
many layers.
The reader moves along with Michael with increasing ease as the story unfolds.
We
get used to his pace and find ourselves immersed in his story. A real highlight
is the
beautifully written chapter (Chap.26) wherein he describes his sister's funeral.
This
is the chapter one returns to many times after reading the book. I dare not
do it
injustice by paraphrasing here.
Michael's story concludes around his weekly trips to his father's home
where his
father is suffering great pain and yet refusing all medications and tenaciously
holding
on to life. Here every personality and event stand out in high relief. There
is a
wonderful episode where John heroically plays the piano for Michael's friends,
and
another where, realizing that he can no longer follow the stock market, he
tells
Michael that its time for him to take over.
Solihin's Call But the true highlight and climax of the book is a phone
call from
Solihin which takes place at a time when John is in tremendous pain and agitation,
when Michael and family are spending most of their time comforting and
encouraging him. I will not divulge the nature of the call, but it takes
Michael's work
with his father to a new level where he no longer has the need to direct his
father,
but follow him. In the ensuing days life takes on a new quality of quiet
attentiveness
from moment to moment. And then, in his sleep, his father quietly passes away.
I realized after reading this book that Michael had to write it. He had
to share his
father's wisdom. But the way he writes and the insights he conveys are remarkable.
Spend some time with this book, there's more here than meets the eye.
- Abrams
The Open Road: Walt Whitman on Death and Dying
Edited by Joe Vest, approx. 110 pp. (unnumbered), Hardcover, $24.95, ISBN:
0-9636501-4-9, Four Corners Editions
As in living, so in dying. No one has lived more fully than Walt Whitman
and in
speaking of death he leads us with his openness, freedom, and sincerity. His
verses
inspire us to be poets, allow us to sit and feel the joy of life, the imagination
overflowing.
Come to this book for spiritual refreshment or share it as a gift. Share
Whitman’s
songs, his wisdom.
The poems are illustrated by twenty duotone photographs that reflect the
movement
and mystery of life. Some of the century's most brilliant photographers are
represented here, including W. Eugene Smith, Ernst Haas, Linda Conner, Henri
Cartier-Bresson, William Garnett and Wynn Bullock. Their black and white
imagery
captures the stark contrasts, the gentle graying, and the paradox that is
our life and
death, (from liner notes).
The Open Road is set in a meditative format, without page numbers or a
table of
contents. One can open it anywhere. It is timeless, allowing deep reflection.
If we
could ever recommend a book for giving this would be it, and as it is most
likely a
limited edition we would not hesitate to purchase it. We close with a short
verse
from the book:
O Living Always, Always Dying
O living always, always dying!
O the burials of me past and present,
O me while I stride ahead, material, visible, imperious
as ever;
O me, what I was for years, now dead, (I lament not,
I am content:)
O to disengage myself from those corpses of me,
which I turn and look at
where I cast them,
To pass on, (O living! always living!) and leave
the corpses behind. - Abrams
In the Labyrinth
The Labyrinth image was the basis for a talk by
Rex Allen, MA, entitled Hospice and the Labyrinth, at the NHO Spiritual/Bereavement/Psychosocial
Conference. Mr. Allen, Bereavement Coordinator at Associated Health
Services Hospice in Tacoma, Washington, offered an entertaining and enlightening
presentation.
He first gave an informative overview of the origins
of the Labyrinth image with sources including Dr. Lauren Artress' book, Walking
a Sacred Path. He then described some of the ways he uses the Labyrinth image
in his work and how he incorporates walking the Labyrinth as a tool for training
hospice volunteers. The process of walking the Labyrinth
allows self-discovery in the following ways:
· the development of communication and listening skills,
· an examination of spiritual diversity,
· an examination of personal feelings regarding death
and dying
· an examination of personal loss and grief history,
· a development of a personal philosophy of self care.
When working with others in the Labyrinth Mr. Allen
said that he keeps returning to the question, "What is it that brings you
to this work?" His talk concluded with an invitation for audience members
to walk a Labyrinth that was set up at a nearby church in Pittsburgh.
As part of his presentation Mr. Allen mentioned the
World-wide Labyrinth Project and the web site for Grace Cathedral in San
Francisco. This mention of the project led this author on a web search and
at our links section
are listed several different sites which will serve as valuable resources
in this work.
Grief and the Healing Arts: Creativity
As Therapy
Edited by Sandra L. Bertman Baywood Publishing Company, Inc. Amityville, New
York, 1999
415 pages
Editor, Author and Educator, Sandra L Bertman, Ph.D.,
has gathered a remarkable range of
contributors for another text in the Death, Value and Meaning Series produced
by Baywood
publishing Company. The contributors include clinicians, physicians,
educators, artists
(photographers, filmmakers, dramatic artists, sculptors, etc.), art therapists,
musicians, poets, and,
contributors of religious background including a Buddhist nun.
The text is divided into four major sections which
reflect the contents of the chapters in the
section. The sections are: The Arts, Personal Griefs, Professional Roles;
Some Ways Caregivers
Use the Arts For Themselves and Those They Companion; Lessons From Cultures
Old and New;
and, Basic Needs of Grieving People.
In her introduction, Sandra Bertman indicates the
audience and intention of the book: "This book
is meant to refuel therapists, counselors, social workers, physicians, nurses,
clergy, and all others
who are committed to providing support to those in grief. My thesis
is that if we let the artist residing
deeply within us emerge, even the most seasoned therapist can become a more
creative, more
self-sustaining one. Each of us need periodic re-inspiration, booster
shots to invigorate our
imaginations and souls." The four sections noted above take aim at
this intention from varying points
of view.
Page 2 of the text contains a poem, The Five Stages of Grief, by Linda
Pastan. This poem notes the
cyclical nature of grief in poignant terms and serves as an attention getter
early on in the text. It signals
that there is material here that is aimed at the heart of the reader.
In addition to a number of poetry
offerings, the text contains both short stories and some lines of a drama
text.
There are also some rather straightforward clinical and theoretical
chapters. "On the Psychology of
Loss" - by William M. Lamers, Jr. M.D., is straightforward theoretical
material which includes an
informative visual image called The Grief Cycle. (p26) which encapsulates
the material in the
chapter. Dr. Lamers, notes a cycle that includes: Loss, protest, despair,
detachment, and recovery.
There is much of value in this chapter, but Dr. Lamers seems to present grieving
as a single cycle
heading toward "recovery" rather than acknowledging the cyclical nature so
artfully expressed by Ms.
Pastan.
Chapters on art therapy techniques with children include: "Using Art
Therapy with Pediatric
Oncology Patients" - by Linda G. Nicholas and Suzanne Lister; and, "Art Techniques
for Children
with Cancer" - by Barbara B. Sourkes. There is also a chapter called: "Puppets:
Bridging the
Communication Gap Between Caregivers and Children about Death and Dying" by
Brenda Eng.
These chapters are theoretical in content.
Other chapters include: "Movies as Movement: Films as Catharsis in
Grief Therapy" - by Lynne
Martins. "Sound and silence: Music Therapy in Palliative Care" - by
Kevin Kirkland; and, "Keeping
Emotional Time: Music in the Grief Process" by Lesleigh Forsyth.
The text includes 47 contributions in all. This addition to the
Death, Value and Meaning
Series, is in this writer's opinion well worth the reader's investment.
-Paul Barry
Meeting The Needs Of Our Clients Creatively: The Impact of Art and Culture on Caregiving
Edited by John D. Morgan, Ph.D.
Baywood Publishing Company, Inc.; Amityville, New York, 2000
from the - Death, Value and Meaning Series - John D. Morgan, Ph.D. - series editor
This clinically oriented book, edited by John D. Morgan, contains
many useful chapters from
contributors with various academic, clinical, and ministerial credentials.
The book is divided into two
parts. The opening, shorter, section is Creative Caregiving: Theoretical
Considerations. The
remainder of the 313 page book is devoted to Creative Caregiving: Practical
Applications. While
this text is clearly aimed at a professional audience, there are chapters
in the practical applications
section that could easily be shared with some clients, and / or with the
families of clients.
John. D Morgan's contribution to the text contains the following few
lines which seemed to capture
the spirit of the volume: "The most important reality human beings must
deal with is mortality and
death. Whether this topic is approached from the perspective of medicine,
psychology, religion,
philosophy, music or poetry, death is often described in figurative images
or phrases. Unlike
language, the arts have the potential to express diverse themes simultaneously.
Through the arts one
can confront death on many levels at once. By engaging in an experience
in the arts, people can be
assisted as they mourn, grieve, celebrated life; they can overcome fragmentation,
and find a sense of
meaning in their lives. Because the arts are regenerators of the body,
mind, emotions, and spirit,
persons can be enabled to live more fully while they are dying and grieving."
What follows in the 14
chapters of the practical applications section are a range of offerings from
writers of both religious
and clinical backgrounds that address the intention of using art, music, story-telling,
and humor to
enable clients to live more fully whatever their place happens to be in the
human drama of facing
death.
The opening chapter of the practical applications section is "Pastoral
Caregiving: Caring As
Presence," by, Rev. Fr. Richard B. Gilbert. Reverend Gilbert addressed
the importance of the
quality of what the caregiver brings to the encounter with the client.
He notes: "Presence is to walk
with the person, neither directing nor following, surrendering the right
or need to control for one of
simply listening. It is to be present out of love, willing to listen
(and to wait) to the person whatever
he or she may be." He encourages caregivers to both prepare for encounters
with clients and to
self-evaluate.
Other chapters in the text include four that are clearly aimed at children
and adolescents, and one or
two others that could easily be applied to younger clients. Chapter titles
include: "Smashing Pumpkins
and Blind Melons: Using Popular Music to Help Grieving Adolescents" - by
Mindy Gough; "The Arts
and Story: A Source of Comfort and Insight for Children Who are Learning about
Death" - by
Sandra L Berman; "Children, Death and Fairy Tales" - by Elizabeth P. Lamers:
and, "Children's
Exposure to Sudden Traumatic Death: Bereavement, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
and the Case
for Early Intervention" - by David W. Adams. Also applicable to children
are the chapters: "The
Dream Catcher and the Universality of Grief" - by Thomas O'Niel; and, "The
use of Music as
Therapy with the Dying and Bereaved" - by Lora Koenig Heller and Paul Alexander,
which includes
case studies related to children.
Other topics addressed in the test include various cross-cultural issues.
Included are: "Facing life
and Death: A Buddhist's Understanding of Palliative Care and Bereavement"
- by Leslie Kawamura;
"Why have a funeral? Hindu Funerals in England: Past, Present, and
Future" - by Pittu Laungani;
and, "Creating rituals for the Non-Religious" - by Rev. Lloyd D. Smith.
There is also a chapter
related to working with formerly abused clients.
The concluding chapter of the book; "Hope and the Caregiver: A Journey
Toward Self-Awareness"
- by Darcie D. Sims, offers exercises, aimed at enhancing the self-awareness
of caregivers, and at
assisting caregivers in dealing with their own stress.
This text is, in this writer's opinion, a serious, useful and compassionate
contribution to the field.
e-mail baywood@baywood .com web site http://baywood.com
-Paul Barry