The concepts of beginning and end are only mental constructs created by the mind. In truth, there is no beginning or end. We only think about beginnings and endings when we are trapped in ignorance. It is because of ignorance that people are caught in an endless round of birth and death.”– The Buddha
Old Path: White Clouds, The Life Story of the Buddha by Venerable Thich Nhat Hahn
Nine Contemplations of Atisha by Joan Halifax Roshi, [online] https://www.upaya.org/dox/Contemplations.pdf
This program is part of our monthly series hosted by the Before I Die group. We invite you to participate in an ongoing discussion about death and dying. Each month we will have an opportunity to explore our relationship to various aspects of death and dying through explorations of specific topics presented by guest speakers.
Alley Smith is an ordained Buddhist Minister of Religion (Upadhyaya) Chaplain at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She also holds precepts in Korean Zen. Alley has been a student of Shambhala and Zen Buddhism since 1999. She specializes in spiritual care, mortuary affairs, and is a funeral clergy. She currently hosts “Making Friends with Death and Dying: Support Group” on Shambhala Online. [email protected]
Marilyn Moore has been active in the Los Angeles Shambhala community since 1997. During the past four years her focus has been on organizing—and often leading —on-line meditation. This experience has given her a deep appreciation for the sense of community that can be nurtured through this amazing technology. Since 2019, Marilyn has co-facilitated a monthly on-line “Before I Die” gathering that evolved from a workshop focused on practical preparations for death.
Marilyn has three grown children who do not live close. She currently enjoys somewhat frequent trips to London to receive hugs from her two-year-old grandson who lives there with his parents.