From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death

by Caitlin Doughty

Maybe we wish to become soil for a willow tree, a rosebush, a pine—destined in death to both rot and nourish on our own terms.

“The afterlife of Buddhism is filled with treasures and light,” Yajima explained.

Yajima encourages them to visit often and pray for others, and thereby face their own death. When they die, “they will be welcomed by the people who went to Buddha before you.”

Holding the space is crucial, and exactly what we are missing. To hold the space is to create a ring of safety around the family and friends of the dead, providing a place where they can grieve openly and honestly, without fear of being judged.