Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-155) and index.

Machine generated contents note: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi -- INTRODUCTION i -- PART ONE -- DEATH IN WESTERN HEALTH CARE -- I The Problem of Death Denial a -- The Prevailing Medical Paradigm 16 -- Nursing School and Death Denial 19 -- Emergency Room Practice 22 -- Death Denial in the Community 24 -- 2 A Broader View of Healing 29 -- Kiibler-Ross and the Plight of the Dying 30 -- Palliative Care and Healing 32 -- Healing and the Power of the Mind 35 -- Reflecting on Death 38 -- 3 Awakening to Impermanence and Facing Death 45 -- Death's Scythe 50 -- Questioning Assumptions 58 -- PART TWO -- RESOURCES FROM THE TIBETAN -- BUDDHIST TRADITION -- 4 Ceaseless Transformation 65 -- Dependent Origination: The Truth of -- Impermanence 66 -- Karma: Form and Shadow Remain Linked 68 -- Ordinary Mind: The Worlds We Find Ourselves In 70 -- Enlightened Mind: The Light Within 71 -- Rebirth: The Realms of Cyclic Existence 72 -- The Tibetan Book of the Dead: -- An Instruction Manual 74 -- 5 The Eight Stages of Dissolution 79 -- Stage 1: Earth Dissolves into Water (Mirage) 82 -- Stage 2: Water Dissolves into Fire (Smoke) 84 -- Stage 3: Fire Dissolves into Wind (Fireflies) 86 -- Stage 4: Wind Dissolves into Space (Flame) 87 -- Stage 5: Ordinary Mind States Dissolve -- (White Flash) 88 -- Stages 6-8: Subtle Mind States Dissolve -- (Red Flash, Black Flash, Clear Light) 89 -- The Tibetan Art of Death: Two Lamas 92 -- Summary Table of the Eight Stages of Dissolution 94 -- PART THREE -- PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS -- FOR CARE PROVIDERS -- 6 Tibetan Buddhist Practice and the -- Dying Trajectory 101 -- The Tibetan Buddhist Death Meditation 103 -- Hearing the Diagnosis: Death Is Certain 106 -- What Do I Say? Time of Death Is Uncertain 109 -- Focusing: At Death Only the Condition of the -- Mind Has Value 112 -- 7 Developing aTranspersonal Stance -- in Care of the Dying 115 -- Presence, Not Pretense 117 -- Promoting Peace in Relationships: Forgiveness I19 -- Ensuring Peace at the End: Sacred Passage 121 -- NOTES 125 -- RECOMMENDED READINGS 143.