Awake at the Bedside Quotes

“When time is running out, caring is the only thing that matters or makes sense between beings now in the world, soon out — this giving and receiving, this intimate sharing of our inherent fragility and limited time.”
― Koshin Paley Ellison, Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End-of-Life Care

“...these teachings (the Buddhist teachings on death) do not explain anything or fix anything or armor you against pain. They only clear the ground for what there is to be felt at the time of loss. Norman Fisher”
― Koshin Paley Ellison, Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End-of-Life Care

“We washed her body, chanted, and stayed to witness the funeral director shrouding her and whisking her down the hall. I thought of the Zen teaching that talks about how all we need to do is allow ourselves and the world to change. Easy to say, I thought. And yet, here I was in the midst of my experience of fullness of the pain, grief, love, and joy of my grandma’s death. Everything did change.

Everything I teach now I learned from my relationship with Mimi. Being deeply in relationship changes the world. I didn’t know then that my life would pivot to teaching others and to being with many, many Mimis.”
― Koshin Paley Ellison, Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End-of-Life Care