Steven Deobald reviewed The Art of Dying by S. N. Goenka
Review of 'The Art of Dying' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Surprisingly accessible, this book would make a good companion for anyone's meditation practice — but it would also make a good companion for anyone who has gone through, or is currently going through, the loss of a loved one. Most of the stories and interviews are with vipassana meditators who have only been meditating a short while (5 to 10 years) and found themselves with terminal cancer at a relatively young age. Each meditator has a very different story to tell and they all seem to relate to death quite differently, which was interesting (and surprising) and made reading each of their interviews worthwhile.
Goenkaji's first essay will be a bit impenetrable for someone who has never meditated before, and it appears early in the book. For that reason, it's unlikely that many non-meditators will finish this book. It's a beautifully-arranged series of essays and interviews, though, and hopefully a …
Surprisingly accessible, this book would make a good companion for anyone's meditation practice — but it would also make a good companion for anyone who has gone through, or is currently going through, the loss of a loved one. Most of the stories and interviews are with vipassana meditators who have only been meditating a short while (5 to 10 years) and found themselves with terminal cancer at a relatively young age. Each meditator has a very different story to tell and they all seem to relate to death quite differently, which was interesting (and surprising) and made reading each of their interviews worthwhile.
Goenkaji's first essay will be a bit impenetrable for someone who has never meditated before, and it appears early in the book. For that reason, it's unlikely that many non-meditators will finish this book. It's a beautifully-arranged series of essays and interviews, though, and hopefully a book we'll see floating around.