(Photo above by Dexter Fernandes / Pexels)
It’s natural to want to look away from the inevitable reality of death but Buddhism teaches that death is an alternate phase of life and makes up a larger universal cycle. To understand death is to deepen our understanding of and appreciation for life.
Today’s guest, John Plummer, of Cold Spring, NY, shares how facing his fear of loss improved his relationships and deepened his work as a film and TV writer.
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Cheat Sheet
07:20 John tries chanting 10 years after encountering Buddhism
12:30 Starting a career in film and TV writing
14:15 Experiencing a sudden loss
18:13 The Buddhist view of life and death
24:50 Facing the fear of losing his son
35:35 Deepening his art through understanding death
References mentioned:
- The New Human Revolution, vol. 24, pp. 177–78
- A Piece of Mirror and Other Essays, pp. 79, 83–84.
- Leave of Grass by Walt Whitman.
- “Like the Sun Rising,”Journey of Life: Selected Poems of Daisaku Ikeda
- Unlocking the Mysteries of Unlocking Birth and Death, p. 104.
- The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition.