Content Overview
This section has the following pages:
Going Beyond Ideas about Death
A spiritual orientation to dying involves, among other things, an understanding and deep acceptance of causation and the continuity of life. It also implies a recognition of the value of rites of passage—funeral services which, when conducted with passion and conviction, help facilitate the smooth transition from this life to future cycles of existence. Many people feel that funerals today are brief, hurried events devoid of true spiritual significance even when conducted by clergy—that they fail to acknowledge the reality of death, loss, and grief.
(Philip Kapleau, The Zen of Living and Dying: A Practical and Spiritual Guide)