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Relax, You're Going to Die
You're Going To Die examines the relationship between death and living with grace and dynamic vitality. These contemplations explore the essence of wisdom, loving kindness, and living a beneficial life.The prayers will lessen the ego's hold on embracing your body, heart, and mind. You are the fabric of existence, the living and dying of the cosmos. Transcendent Zen insight into living and dying is the basis of profound spiritual awakening.Reader's
A single page gives such a gift that I take in my breath and am drawn to stop and take it in.
The simplest things are always the most precious. Tai Sheridan has shown this to be true.
Concise, accessible, and remarkable. Everything we need to know is found in these pages.
You can flip them open to any page and find inspiration.
Tai Sheridan delivers quality books over and over.
Tai practiced Zen for fifty years with Berkeley and San Francisco Zen Centers. After ordination, he took the path of teacher-writer. His books transform Zen and Buddhist teachings into accessible contemplations.
A single page gives such a gift that I take in my breath and am drawn to stop and take it in.
The simplest things are always the most precious. Tai Sheridan has shown this to be true.
Concise, accessible, and remarkable. Everything we need to know is found in these pages.
You can flip them open to any page and find inspiration.
Tai Sheridan delivers quality books over and over.
Tai practiced Zen for fifty years with Berkeley and San Francisco Zen Centers. After ordination, he took the path of teacher-writer. His books transform Zen and Buddhist teachings into accessible contemplations.
41 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2012
197 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
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January 21, 2021Me feeling suicidal: *sees this*
Well, that's strangely comforting😌
Well, that's strangely comforting😌
February 26, 2014
This is a very short but compelling book of poetry and buddhist philosophy. The author's conceit is that all anxiety and fear stems from a fear of death, and since death is inevitable, we need to relax and focus on life. So we all need to get a firm grasp on reality and enjoy ourselves.
December 27, 2013
Nice poems, good advice, no help
these poems rely largely on a certainty that the cycle of death and rebirth is happening to you, right now, and uses these ideas of reincarnation to put some of our fears of death to bed. This is very nice and all if you believe that you might somehow survive your death (via an eternal soul or reincarnation etc), but does not offer much for those of us who are convinced that death is an absolute end of personal experience. If there is nothing after death, death really is the end, which means death really is scary, and we are justified in fearing it. Death is the great shadow that keeps us humble through life, but it is not an event. It is a punctuation mark. If one does not have any hope of continuity of identity or experience after death, these poems do nothing to ease the crushing weight of the impending end.
these poems rely largely on a certainty that the cycle of death and rebirth is happening to you, right now, and uses these ideas of reincarnation to put some of our fears of death to bed. This is very nice and all if you believe that you might somehow survive your death (via an eternal soul or reincarnation etc), but does not offer much for those of us who are convinced that death is an absolute end of personal experience. If there is nothing after death, death really is the end, which means death really is scary, and we are justified in fearing it. Death is the great shadow that keeps us humble through life, but it is not an event. It is a punctuation mark. If one does not have any hope of continuity of identity or experience after death, these poems do nothing to ease the crushing weight of the impending end.
December 3, 2015
Good perspective
I thought this would be long and boring, but wrong I was. Short treatise on treating death or thoughts there off as a separation from our short lived and short sighted ego and a return to eternal long living stellar dust, thus freeing us from its mortality and the worrisome thoughts associated with it.
I thought this would be long and boring, but wrong I was. Short treatise on treating death or thoughts there off as a separation from our short lived and short sighted ego and a return to eternal long living stellar dust, thus freeing us from its mortality and the worrisome thoughts associated with it.
December 11, 2020
Sheridan shapes profound wisdom in simply-presented prose verse. The verses offer a positive, counter-cultural approach to death, true to Buddha Teaching, accessible to non-Buddhists.
Sheridan invites us to go into the gap between breaths, where we meet directly death-and-life... the in-breath a sign of life, the out-breath of death. Hence, what we call death and life form an indissoluble union, and by embracing death, we live more fully.
The author presents to us how we flee death-and-life by attaching to temporary fascinations. We may think we are avoiding death, but we, thereby, are avoiding life. By embracing death-and-life, he says, we can invite the totality of ourselves into our lives.
Sheridan, and Buddhism, teach an approach to dying that is a contrast with my upbringing in conservative, evangelical religion - we sought to diminish the fear of death through belief in an afterlife - a large number of hymns in my former religion were about heaven, as though everyone saw life-now as something to get through for the real-party to come. It worked in sublimating the fear of death for many, yet what is the consequence? It left us not integrating life with death, Sheridan would likely say. Sublimation of death is a means of copying, not integrating.
The author does not deny the continuation of life beyond the demise of the physical body- Buddhists acknowledge life cannot cease, it transforms. Like Buddha, he simply is interested in our lives in this body now. This is a book about facing death and transcending the concept of death and life as opposites, so enriching this death-life now. Relax, You're Going to Die is an invitation to relax and, at the same time, live more deeply into this present, precious moment.
Sheridan invites us to go into the gap between breaths, where we meet directly death-and-life... the in-breath a sign of life, the out-breath of death. Hence, what we call death and life form an indissoluble union, and by embracing death, we live more fully.
The author presents to us how we flee death-and-life by attaching to temporary fascinations. We may think we are avoiding death, but we, thereby, are avoiding life. By embracing death-and-life, he says, we can invite the totality of ourselves into our lives.
Sheridan, and Buddhism, teach an approach to dying that is a contrast with my upbringing in conservative, evangelical religion - we sought to diminish the fear of death through belief in an afterlife - a large number of hymns in my former religion were about heaven, as though everyone saw life-now as something to get through for the real-party to come. It worked in sublimating the fear of death for many, yet what is the consequence? It left us not integrating life with death, Sheridan would likely say. Sublimation of death is a means of copying, not integrating.
The author does not deny the continuation of life beyond the demise of the physical body- Buddhists acknowledge life cannot cease, it transforms. Like Buddha, he simply is interested in our lives in this body now. This is a book about facing death and transcending the concept of death and life as opposites, so enriching this death-life now. Relax, You're Going to Die is an invitation to relax and, at the same time, live more deeply into this present, precious moment.
May 15, 2020
If you've been following my reviews of Tai Sheridan, this is the third of his little ebooks, and for once I believe I've read something in order!
Buddha in Blue Jeans tackles the concept of sitting quietly with yourself, followed by Secrets of True Happiness, which I believe if you sit quietly enough you'll start to contemplate what true happiness actually means. Beyond that is the concept of life and death, which is what this book tackles.
In another series of chapter-like poems ( I think I have it right this time!) he walks through the connection between life and death, while we are living we are also dying, and touches every so slightly on the role that religion plays in life and death.
Buddhists believe in reincarnation, so there is a whisper of that within the poems, but there is also nature, our ego, and even the universe and cosmos to consider. There are many things going on with our dance from life to death to consider, and this little ebook takes you there.
Buddha in Blue Jeans tackles the concept of sitting quietly with yourself, followed by Secrets of True Happiness, which I believe if you sit quietly enough you'll start to contemplate what true happiness actually means. Beyond that is the concept of life and death, which is what this book tackles.
In another series of chapter-like poems ( I think I have it right this time!) he walks through the connection between life and death, while we are living we are also dying, and touches every so slightly on the role that religion plays in life and death.
Buddhists believe in reincarnation, so there is a whisper of that within the poems, but there is also nature, our ego, and even the universe and cosmos to consider. There are many things going on with our dance from life to death to consider, and this little ebook takes you there.
September 9, 2018
Masterpiece
If there was a higher rating to grant this small taste of beauty and reality, I would grant it. So simple and delicious, I fly into its brief message and found enough yet endless knowledge. Just let go of all the stories and beliefs for a moment, then let go again and again.
If there was a higher rating to grant this small taste of beauty and reality, I would grant it. So simple and delicious, I fly into its brief message and found enough yet endless knowledge. Just let go of all the stories and beliefs for a moment, then let go again and again.
October 5, 2017
Quick and poignant
It is incredibly short which is good for a quick read to set the tone or provide enough inspiration to get you through the day. The prayers and information provided are powerful. There are a few that create pause and reflection.
It is incredibly short which is good for a quick read to set the tone or provide enough inspiration to get you through the day. The prayers and information provided are powerful. There are a few that create pause and reflection.
March 2, 2022
Simple and profound
I love this as it is simple truth delivered in a poetically profound way. It honors both the personal and universal in contemplating life and death. I have shared this with many people over many years. It is both gentle and direct truth and beautifully written.
I love this as it is simple truth delivered in a poetically profound way. It honors both the personal and universal in contemplating life and death. I have shared this with many people over many years. It is both gentle and direct truth and beautifully written.
December 21, 2017
You don't get out of life alive...Relax, You're Going to Die.
Poems to make you think about life or more to the point, death. Live and let live and die.
Poems to make you think about life or more to the point, death. Live and let live and die.
March 10, 2018
Beautiful
Quick read that grounds me every time. I will always re-read this book. It takes me out of my head and puts me into the now!
Quick read that grounds me every time. I will always re-read this book. It takes me out of my head and puts me into the now!
February 17, 2020
Not what I expected
This was not what I expected. It made no sense to me. Seemed more like a book for children, no details, nothing.
This was not what I expected. It made no sense to me. Seemed more like a book for children, no details, nothing.
August 19, 2020
As someone who works quite regularly with death, I really appreciated this collection of reflections. I would highly recommend.
April 27, 2021
A short, cheap read
Reading about accepting death so that I can fully live while waiting to get my first dose of covid vaccine.. oh the irony
Reading about accepting death so that I can fully live while waiting to get my first dose of covid vaccine.. oh the irony
October 13, 2022
"The death of ego is the birth of true living."
December 22, 2022
A short book of beautiful meditation poems on what it means to die, and therefore what it means to live.
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January 8, 2025Short and FREE, always
May 8, 2023
It took me two reads of this book before I fully appreciated it. I didn't find it inspirational, more confusing, the first time around and by the second time when I understood it, I have to admit I didn't agree with some points.
Poetic and well written, it had some bad points and good.
Poetic and well written, it had some bad points and good.
March 17, 2014
Relax you are not going to find a lot about die or live in this poem
this is just that, a zen poem to be, living or continuous die before returning to kids, work and daily lifestyle. nothing where to look about going to die
this is just that, a zen poem to be, living or continuous die before returning to kids, work and daily lifestyle. nothing where to look about going to die
November 28, 2014
Good
Peaceful interesting poetry for the stressed folk of today's world. For dinner . Peace this is done short concise and helpful. Take time give yourself some self love and peace.
Peaceful interesting poetry for the stressed folk of today's world. For dinner . Peace this is done short concise and helpful. Take time give yourself some self love and peace.
January 26, 2015
Quick but insightful
The format takes some getting used to as there are several well needed commas missing that would make for easier readability. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book as a whole. Great insights on the nature of life and death.
The format takes some getting used to as there are several well needed commas missing that would make for easier readability. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book as a whole. Great insights on the nature of life and death.
February 10, 2015
Something to think about
Very short , I would have liked to have more to read. I like the wisdom. The English or flow was so so . I wish their was more detail on how to accomplish what was suggested.
Very short , I would have liked to have more to read. I like the wisdom. The English or flow was so so . I wish their was more detail on how to accomplish what was suggested.
December 16, 2015
Dr. Sheridan poetically and point-fully explores the deep roots of anxiety, stress caused by our underlying fear of death.
Very interesting and quick read. I enjoyed the authors well articulated insights into this deep topic.
Very interesting and quick read. I enjoyed the authors well articulated insights into this deep topic.
July 1, 2012
Read this book. Zen poetry ... enough said.
June 1, 2013
Existential poems with a touch of zen.
October 12, 2013
Poetry. All poetry.
December 6, 2013
All poems that could have been written by an 8th grader. Nothing really unique or inspiring. Took me about 15 minutes to read it. Save your money
February 12, 2014
Nice little book. Inspiring and poetic.
March 25, 2014
very interesting spin, especially for those afraid of death,worth a read it really opened my eyes
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews