When I was nine years old, I had a newspaper delivery route. My route took me to two "convalescent" facilities. They were old people's long term care, usually for those who lacked family or at least family who could care for them. The was back in 1969-71. Some of the things I saw in these facilities were deeply disturbing to me. It was traumatizing and permanently shaped my outlook on aging and dying. I made a pact with myself back then that I would die on my own terms given the opportunity. Today at 63, my perspective hasn't changed. Particularly in America we, as a society, seem to have lost our perspective of the dignity of death. As someone approaches the stage of dying we kick into high gear and spare no expense to eek out every last moment of the heart monitor beeping and equate that beeping to life even when it is often only preserving suffering or stripping away dignity. It should be a fundamental right to die as we wish, to die well.
Claire, I believe you are of use until your very final breath, you never know what your presence does to the people around you, even if you personally think you are a burden. We always have an impact.
Regarding the 46m/51m mark, would have loved to have heard Stephen's Near-Death-Experience stories! After so many years of working with the dying, has he seen anything that has influenced his thoughts on an afterlife.
What is an "undigested Buddhist practitoner? Buddhism should not be waved aside as though it knows nothing of death. There are profound teachings that most westerners do not bother to understand. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying would offer such teaching. What is the Gate to the Deathless? If you do not know what that is, you have some important learnng to do.
Dying is not all - what about SUFFERING? The selfishness of the thinking about this is appalling. People of all ages who wind up getting sick with this virus are SUFFERING and so are the rest of us. A friend of mine had to wait for a hospital bed when she needed to be admitted because the hospital was overwhelmed with unvaccinated people. They were looking as far away as Seattle for a bed for her. Meanwhile she and her entire family were SUFFERING. A person I know who calls himself ‘Christian” seemed unable to think beyond whether he is afraid of dying or not. He said he is not afraid to die because the “lord” loves him. Other than that he had no thoughts about the possible suffering he would cause by refusing to be vaccinated. What about the “GOLDEN RULE”? I said…..No answer.
You are bearing witness to the worst kind of suffering at the end of life. I’m so sorry. For context, this interview was spring 2020 before vaccines were available.
And now in 2022 overwhelming evidence that the vaccines are more dangerous than the virus 🦠…very sad indeed …. This virus cause relatively little deaths in proportion to the fear and suffering…. Maybe it’s time to wake up
When I was nine years old, I had a newspaper delivery route. My route took me to two "convalescent" facilities. They were old people's long term care, usually for those who lacked family or at least family who could care for them. The was back in 1969-71. Some of the things I saw in these facilities were deeply disturbing to me. It was traumatizing and permanently shaped my outlook on aging and dying. I made a pact with myself back then that I would die on my own terms given the opportunity. Today at 63, my perspective hasn't changed. Particularly in America we, as a society, seem to have lost our perspective of the dignity of death. As someone approaches the stage of dying we kick into high gear and spare no expense to eek out every last moment of the heart monitor beeping and equate that beeping to life even when it is often only preserving suffering or stripping away dignity. It should be a fundamental right to die as we wish, to die well.
SJ is very intriguing to listen to. However, I wish he would give more examples of statements he makes
Such an interesting talk. One can learn so much about this subject. Thanks for sharing this material.
listening to this in Sept 22...would like to hear his current views on 'covid'
some very interesting views in dying
We added another interview with Stephen in May of this year, covid comes up in that one. Cheers, Terry
Claire, I believe you are of use until your very final breath, you never know what your presence does to the people around you, even if you personally think you are a burden. We always have an impact.
Yes, we do have an impact right to the end and tho we can never really know what it will be we owe it to those in our lives not to deny them of it.
Regarding the 46m/51m mark, would have loved to have heard Stephen's Near-Death-Experience stories! After so many years of working with the dying, has he seen anything that has influenced his thoughts on an afterlife.
What is an "undigested Buddhist practitoner? Buddhism should not be waved aside as though it knows nothing of death. There are profound teachings that most westerners do not bother to understand. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying would offer such teaching. What is the Gate to the Deathless? If you do not know what that is, you have some important learnng to do.
Dying is not all - what about SUFFERING? The selfishness of the thinking about this is appalling. People of all ages who wind up getting sick with this virus are SUFFERING and so are the rest of us. A friend of mine had to wait for a hospital bed when she needed to be admitted because the hospital was overwhelmed with unvaccinated people. They were looking as far away as Seattle for a bed for her. Meanwhile she and her entire family were SUFFERING. A person I know who calls himself ‘Christian” seemed unable to think beyond whether he is afraid of dying or not. He said he is not afraid to die because the “lord” loves him. Other than that he had no thoughts about the possible suffering he would cause by refusing to be vaccinated. What about the “GOLDEN RULE”? I said…..No answer.
You are bearing witness to the worst kind of suffering at the end of life. I’m so sorry. For context, this interview was spring 2020 before vaccines were available.
And now in 2022 overwhelming evidence that the vaccines are more dangerous than the virus 🦠…very sad indeed …. This virus cause relatively little deaths in proportion to the fear and suffering…. Maybe it’s time to wake up
To many degrees and still not sure of anything absolutely