Joan: Helping Our Loved Ones Face Death
May 12, 2019
Right now I’m in a state of grieving. I was taking care of my mom for the last year until the moment she passed. She had metastatic lung cancer that spread to her brain. It’s one of the worst things that can happen to a person.
There were times I felt I couldn’t do it. But my mom showed me my capacity for benefiting others. She showed me why my life is meaningful – I saw how precious it is to care for others.
Dharma helped me approach the situation from the standpoint of this is a challenge, so how am I going to transform it into something positive? I had to really watch my mind and keep it light and happy for her sake because she would feed off my energy.
After she died, I went to her room, and there were her reading glasses on the bedside table, along with her computer…and the cat was on her bed. I realized you can’t take anything with you when you die.
I have to process the grief I feel but if I can home in on the loss and use it as energy to motivate me to train my mind then this has all been even more meaningful.
Other Blog Posts
Understanding Fear and Anxiety: The The Buddhist View of Fear and How to be Fearless
Fear and anxiety. They creep in slowly or rise up all at once, filling our heart with panic and crippling our mind with dread. Anxiety traps us in dizzying spirals,…
Understanding the Fear of Rejection: The Buddhist View of Fear and How to Live with Courage
What if they don’t like me? What if they think I’m stupid? What if they judge me? What if I get rejected? For many of us, “social death” is even…
Fear of Death and Dying: The Buddhist View of Loss and How to Transform It
Everyone is afraid of dying and the prospect of losing their loved ones. In fact, death is so threatening that we tend to shut it out altogether. It seems there’s…
Meet Kadam Matthew – Our New Wednesday GP Teacher!
Meet our new Wednesday evening General Program class teacher, Kadam Matthew!
Henry: Bringing Dharma to the Classroom
Imagine having a classroom of 30 kids. You’re up there trying to teach, but you can’t get a word out, because, all of a sudden, they are all screaming, and…
Todd: A Meaningful Way to Spend Retirement
I retired 13 months ago. These days I’m spending most of my time immersed in the Dharma – reading, thinking, meditating and practicing Buddha’s teachings…and I also volunteer at the…
Woo: Our Main Teacher at Our New Queens Branch
One way in which you can create your life is through will power. You have a vision of what you think happiness is and then you push your way forward…
Hanna: Born and Raised Kadampa
Hanna is the newest member of our KMC NYC Education Team. Check out our interview below where she shares her lifelong journey (yes, lifelong!) in Buddhism. Welcome, Hanna! Right from…
