Maranasati: Mindful of Death, Awakening to Life

The Buddha encouraged maraṇasati practice—mindfulness of death—as part of living an awakened life. This practice supports our appreciation of the preciousness of human birth and the development of equanimity with the difficulties of existence. It helps us gain freedom from rigidity and clinging through a more expansive perspective of the inevitable and natural process of letting go.

Maraṇasati matures our insight into impermanence and change, nourishing a skillful orientation to both life and death. In the retreat we will utilize the skills of loving awareness, compassion, and investigation in sitting meditation practice. In addition to silent practice, there will be one period of interactive contemplative inquiry each day to help metabolize our understanding of death.