Good book, badly read.

What did you like best about Preparing to Die? What did you like least?

Preparing to Die is a comprehensive and thorough book on what to do in order to die in a peaceful and meaningful manner. It has chapters on concrete practices which can be helpful for everybody, and others which are directed more specifically towards those practicing Buddhism, particularly Tibetan Buddhism of all lineages. These are further divided into what to do for oneself and for others both before, during and after the individual has died, and has suggestions from a number of Tibetan teachers as to what is most important in each circumstance. It also has discussions on a number of ethical, and legal, questions around death and dying. One caveat is that the book is written by a US citizen and the discussions around some of the legal issues may not necessarily apply in other countries.

Any additional comments?

The reason I have been motivated to write this review is to point out something which I found disturbing in the reading. I haven't heard the whole book, although I have read it through. I downloaded this book because I was using it as the basis of a course and needed to reread it while travelling. In paper form it is a thick and heavy book to carry around, so I thought this would be a convenient way of refreshing my memory. Unfortunately, I found it disturbing that the reader did not know how to pronounce Buddhist words and names. I suggest that one of the criteria in choosing someone to read a book which uses terms from a particular discipline, is that the reader is or has been involved in some way in that discipline, and has some way of checking with those who are directly involved on the pronunciation of words that are not commonly used in English.
Another thing was that the chapters in the audio version did not correspond to those in the hard copy.

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15 people found this helpful

Wisdom & compassion for life's toughest challenge

Would you listen to Preparing to Die again? Why?

Yes, as we need to prepare for death while we still have health and are relatively free from the pain & suffering that often accompany the process of dying.

What other book might you compare Preparing to Die to and why?

Robert Thurman's Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between: Living with the Tibetan Book of the Dead and Sogyal Rinpoche's The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying both of which are essential listening for those interested in how Tibetan Buddhism can help us deal with death & dying.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but you will need to listen to it repeatedly to gain the maximum benefit as the book (13 hrs and 48 mins) contains a great deal of valuable information and insights

Any additional comments?

I hope Audible makes available as Audio Books more Tibetan Buddhist classics for those who are blind or have other visual handicaps. Thank you to Andrew Holecek, the narrators and Audible for making these precious teachings available on audio.

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5 people found this helpful

Essential reading for life

If you could sum up Preparing to Die in three words, what would they be?

Well-Rounded, Essential, Inspiring

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Learned how to pronounce Buddhist words before reading a text on Buddhism. The narrator mispronounces at least 70% of Tibetan Buddhist terms and 100% of names (and that might be generous). A simple google search would have clarified pronunciation. For people who have studied Buddhism it is an annoyance that detracts greatly from the listening experience of the book. Had he not tried to pronounce it in an accent, it wouldn't have been as annoying, but he says the words with an accent as if he knows how to pronounce it but doesn't.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The first part of the book was the most profound. Once they started getting into the legal portions and so forth it was tough to get through. But if you are in the process of dying and have some time then the legal portion might be more interesting.

Any additional comments?

Holecek has created what I feel is one of the essential works available in Buddhism ... top 5 I would say.

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3 people found this helpful

Appreciated the Approach

I thought there was some good general advice. The best advice was to let go and trust in your nature. Considering that speaking about something like death, which is obviously speculative and reliant on a large degree of belief and supposition, the part I had the biggest problem with was all the overly cumbersome details and instructions. I understand that they are part of a tradition and I appreciate that for what it is, but some of the instructions like: don’t look down or don’t have one negative thought in this instance, etc. is in my perspective silly and superstitious. If I tell you not to think about a pink elephant what is the first thing you will think of? Exactly. The belief that you must follow a formula or otherwise you will become a lizard or something is nonsensical in my opinion. Rely on the One who Is, let go, and have trust. This will direct you exactly where you need to go. The rest is speculative white noise. Again these are just my own opinions, and if someone is attracted to this tradition and wants to master a formula condoned by it, I appreciate it and respect it just as I would for any other tradition.

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Imperative Knowledge

Having read this book and studied it I found the audio version to be quite convenient, but I must complain about the pronunciation of the Tibetan terms is disrespectful, at best!

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So good

Very important information that everyone should hear! Very straight forward and easy to digest. I really enjoyed this

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Great book, pronunciation's a little off

Great book. Always wanted to learn more about the bardos. Pronunciation from the narrator is a little off. He needed consult more with the author.

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Seriously worthwhile listen

Magnificently written, well-narrated, and overall an awesome experience. On a really important topic no less.

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Wonderful book!

Wonderful book! I have enjoyed each moment, and have listened to this again and again. Thank you!

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Profound

It’s encyclopedic. Very, very useful for all types of practitioners. Will reference often as needed.

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