The Little Book of Life and Death

by Douglas E. Harding (Contributor)

In this book the author of On Having No Head investigates the most poignant problem our life poses - what lies at the end of it. He asks us to check four things. First, that to discover whether we are perishable, we must first discover what we are. Second, that outsiders are in no position to tell us they can only tell us what we look like at a distance. Third, that what we are is obvious as soon as we dare to look. And fourth, that we turn out to be in all respects the opposite of what we had been told. This revolutionary conclusion is arrived at by doing the nine "tests for Immortality" that form the backbone of the book. Then, our identity and immortality having been firmly established, we apply this knowledge to the fact of ageing and of dying itself, thus realizing their infinite potential for joy. Finally, the book explores in detail the true resurrection life - life lived in a Heaven which is none other than this earthly scene perceived as it is. 'The "open secret" is no longer secret. Douglas Harding's Little Book of Life nd Death makes the insights of the sages accessible to all. Courageous, personal and inspiring, this book asks the most difficult questions about life and death, and to our - and apparently even the author's - amazemnt, answers them. Like Harding's classic book On Having No Head, this work is written in a down-home, heartfelt syle. Read this book. Do the "experiments" which are Harding's unique and powerful contribution to what might be called the technology of enlightenment. Get ready to die, and to live anew.' Rober W. Fuller. Former president, Oberlin College. 'The literature on dying will never be the same again.' Ram Dass

Genres: Philosophy

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Tristan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's basically "On Having No Head", but feels less fresh and incorporates the message that we already know what it's like to be dead (since we are in reality headless, timeless beings).

[William Arsenis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Douglas E. Harding does a very thorough job of investigating life and death.

Though he does it from his “headless” perspective, there is no need to have read any of his previous books to understand what he is saying.

The writing is simple and clear, and D. E. H. (as he so often refers to himself in this book) has a very English style of writing and sense of humor that I find quite endearing.

THE LITTLE BOOK OF LIFE AND DEATH offers more than a perspective on human mortality, it offers a technique for seeing your true nature—a logical prerequisite for truly understanding the topic of the book.

You might not find answers to the nature of life and death on an intellectual level, but if you apply the technique offered to investigate into your true nature, you may come to an answer on a deeper, experiential level.

I highly recommend this book to all who perceive themselves as mortal.

[Matthew C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stumbled upon D.E. Harding through a footnote in a great book by J.W. Montgomery, noting that one of his other works had an introduction by C.S. Lewis. I further discovered that this was one of his more accessible books, so I decided to give it a look.

Maybe I'm just not getting it, but this came across as a handbook of hopeless obscurantism and ontological monism that I don't find compatible with orthodoxy. There were a few redeemable thoughts here and there, but they were the exception to the rule.

[Linus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read on life and death, from one of the foremost "hidden" Zen masters of the West, where he ponders his own imminent death as well as offers solid practices to use to prepare for one´s own.

[Hal Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

He gives a good perspective.