‘Living with Dying’

8 – 11 juni 2012, Somerset, Engeland

Wat is onze eigen verhouding tot vergangelijkheid en dood?
En hoe kunnen we werkelijk aanwezig zijn voor iemand die gaat sterven?

One essential characteristic of life is that it is constantly changing. Every organism is in constant transition from one moment to the next. As the Japanese Zen master Maezumi Roshi has said: ‘We are being born – dying – being born – dying 84,000 times a minute’. Yet many of us resist this ever changing quality of life and are strongly attached to keeping things the way they are. It is this very resistance that causes us to suffer. To cease our suffering, we need to learn the art of letting go.
When faced with death we face our beliefs and fears. Yet it is an inevitable truth for us all - this life, as we know it, will end. To deny our impermanence will not decrease our fear. On the contrary, the awareness that we will cease to exist in our present form can help us to appreciate and be more open to our life as it is.
When we accompany people who are close to death, the best gift we can give them is the gift of ‘no-fear’. The more at peace we are with the basic uncertainty of life and death, the better we can really be present and hold a larger perspective for another human being.

During the first two days of this workshop, we will focus on our relationship with our own impermanence and death. Over the last two days we will look at how we can offer presence and support to others who are dying. We will explore different ways of being fully present for someone who is approaching death.
Insights from both Western psychology and Eastern wisdom will be included in the course.

Pir Elias Amidon, teacher Sufi Way:
‘The Sufi Way is honored to sponsor this workshop. Irène Bakker is a teacher with great heart. I encourage you to attend. Learning to die well and learning to support in a good way those who are nearing death, and their friends and family, are much-needed skills.’

Zie ook de pagina Palliatieve Zorg en bij Publicaties de artikelen:

• ‘Sterven doe je iedere dag’, De Heraut, Themanummer ‘Menswaardig sterven’, Oktober 2002
• ‘Als de dood voor het leven?’, De Heraut, Themanummer ‘Leven is sterven’, November 2003