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  • The Five Invitations

  • Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully
  • Written by: Frank Ostaseski
  • Narrated by: Frank Ostaseski
  • Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (36 ratings)

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The Five Invitations cover art

The Five Invitations

Written by: Frank Ostaseski
Narrated by: Frank Ostaseski
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Publisher's Summary

Death is not waiting for us at the end of a long road. Death is always with us, in the marrow of every passing moment. She is the secret teacher hiding in plain sight, helping us to discover what matters most.

Life and death are a package deal. They cannot be pulled apart, and we cannot truly live unless we are aware of death. The Five Invitations is an exhilarating meditation on the meaning of life and how maintaining an ever-present consciousness of death can bring us closer to our truest selves. As a renowned teacher of compassionate caregiving and the cofounder of the Zen Hospice Project, Frank Ostaseski has sat on the precipice of death with more than a thousand people. In The Five Invitations, he distills the lessons gleaned over the course of his career, offering an evocative and stirring guide that points to a radical path to transformation.

The Five Invitations:

  • Don't wait
  • Welcome everything, push away nothing
  • Bring your whole self to the experience
  • Find a place of rest in the middle of things
  • Cultivate "don't know mind"

These Five Invitations show us how to wake up fully to our lives. They can be understood as best practices for anyone coping with loss or navigating any sort of transition or crisis; they guide us toward appreciating life's preciousness. Awareness of death can be a valuable companion on the road to living well, forging a rich and meaningful life, and letting go of regret. The Five Invitations is a powerful and inspiring exploration of the essential wisdom dying has to impart to all of us.

©2017 Frank Ostaseski (P)2017 Macmillan Audio

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Essential for those who work in healthcare services

Just enough and not too much about the reality of death as a part of life. Helpful for those who have been caregivers for a loved one who has died. Excellent preparation for walking with someone who is dying and excellent for preparing for your own eventual death.

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Simply Beautiful

It took a book about death to change my life. Never have I been so moved. "Accept everything, reject nothing."

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The most profound book I’ve read. The narrator has such a beautiful smoothing voice

Great book. Highly recommend and gave me really deep insights into death and the meaning of life

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Illuminating

Amazing stories, his voice is so soothing. Found the pace too slow though and some chapters repetitive... I would still recommend to friends & family!

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Profoundly synchronistic

A moving experience from start to finish that threw open the doors to a greater understanding of self and deeper compassion for others.

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