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Being with Dying
http://www.well.com/user/suscon/esalen/participants/Halifax/dying.html
Here's the first paragraph of an excellent paper by Joan Halifax, see website for full article:
Each week I sit with a group of people, some of whom are dying, some of whom are care givers. Others come because death is an issue they want to be with and explore. I have worked with dying people for 25 years. I sit and listen, sit in silence, do the most simple things for and with dying people and people concerned with the issues of suffering and death. Sometimes, I work with family members or care givers. I am defined in various ways: as a Buddhist priest doing pastoral work; a medical anthropologist; as a care giver; as a friend. I prefer the latter definition because I do not want to be distanced by roles and titles. I am simply a person in the community who brings a certain quality of presence to those who are suffering. I try to bring to these relationships the "presence" of mindfulness and compassion, in addition to years of experience of spending time with dying people and of practicing meditation. These relationships have had a profound effect on my own life. They have
changed me in the most funda
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