1. Receiving the Heavenly Messengers

2. Your Guides
Ayya Santussika is a Theravadan Buddhist nun, trained and experienced in pastoral care. She is co-founder and abbess of Karuna Buddhist Vihara in Mountain View.
Dr. William Buchholz practiced oncology for 36 years and Vipassana for 40 years. A graduate of Spirit Rock’s 2-year Heavenly Messenger program, he lectures on End of Life care, preparing Advance Directives, and the California law regarding Physician Assisted Death.
Our shrine

3. Why are we here?
Why is this important?
Why is it so hard to talk about?
What if there was a pathway to making it easier, that leads to ease, peace and living a fuller life?
How can we live more fully now?

4. Receiving the Messengers’ Gift
Having less fear
Being more prepared
Living more fully
Making it easier for ourselves and our loved ones

5. The Heavenly Messenger Story

6. Practical Preparation
Having the difficult conversations
Living without regrets
Getting the care you want
Becoming clear about what is most important to you

7. Spiritual Preparation
Being with the way it feels right now
Using these changes as a practice to develop the heart
Living with greater ease and freedom

8. Practices in Preparation for the Messengers
Forgiveness for ourselves and others
Loving kindness and compassion for ourselves and others
Letting go of attachment to possessions, people and who we think we are
Serenity meditation – developing joy, happiness and tranquility
Insight meditation – seeing the way things actually are
Keeping a journal of kind and generous actions
Developing faith

9. Meditation
Meditation
Meditation
Meditation

10. Ground Rules Confidentiality Mindfulness of time
The “no enlightenment rule”
Showing up every week

11. Small Group Discussion
Where are you with regard to aging, sickness and death?
What do you fear?
Where would you like to be?

12. Discussion

13. Parting Instructions Observe elders
Read Preparation for Death and Helping the Dying
Reflect and write:
What do I fear most about aging?
What do I look forward to or cherish about aging?
Chant the five reflections daily
Meditation: Stages of your own aging – birth to death
Bring images or objects of aging next week for the shrine