Advance Praise For The Five Invitations

“Frank Ostaseski is a pioneer in mindful care at the end of life. He embodies the wisdom and compassion he shares in these magical and compelling pages. You feel it instantly, because it is real, and it is really about you and your life.”

—Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of MBSR and author of Full Catastrophe Living and Coming to Our Senses

“These moving teachings can open your heart and change your life. For decades, Frank Ostaseski has been a compassionate guide to thousands of people facing death. In The Five Invitations, he shares his timeless wisdom, beautifully, as a blessing to all.”

—Jack Kornfield, international Buddhist teacher and author of A Path with Heart

“As a physician, I often work with people who view death as the ultimate isolating experience, solitary confinement for eternity—the ultimate dark terror. In this extraordinary, eloquent, and powerful book, Frank Ostaseski reveals how we can transform this darkness into a bright light (brilliant in every way), a return to the source, the ultimate in intimacy, healing, and meaning—the essence of love. What could be better than that?”

—Dean Ornish, M.D., New York Times bestselling author of The Spectrum

“When I set out to produce my PBS series on death and dying—On Our Own Terms—I called Frank Ostaseski. As cofounder of the Zen Hospice Project, he was known far and wide as a wise and tender shepherd of the dying, and I considered him the one person without whose counsel the series would have been incomplete. Frank was cautious; filming the death of another human being while protecting the sacredness of the moment and the dignity of the individual could, he knew, violate the intimacy of hospice care. He finally agreed, and the experiences he shared on camera are among the most moving and instructive of the series. In one of those inexplicable convergences of fate, we were actually in the middle of the interview when word came of my mother’s death on the far side of the continent. I have never forgotten his incredible compassion and comfort, as you, dear reader, will never forget this book.”

—Bill Moyers, American journalist, social commentator, and producer of On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Death and Dying

“Exquisitely profound and gut-wrenchingly real, I’m not sure a wiser book has been written in the digital age. Frank Ostaseski’s storytelling helped me to see that to step fully into life we need to embrace death as an adventure rather than as an adversary.”

—Chip Conley, author of the New York Times bestseller Emotional Equations and head of Global Hospitality and Strategy at AirBnB

“Our capacity to live and love fully awakens as we open our hearts to death. Frank Ostaseski guides us in this opening with a luminous wisdom derived from his own full immersion in the journey. Please give yourself to The Five Invitations; these teachings reveal the mystery and beauty of our essential Being.”

—Tara Brach, Ph.D, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

“Frank Ostaseski is a very dear friend. I have worked in the field of death and dying close to him and this book represents the distillation of many years of his efforts. He shows us that if you are to die consciously, there’s no time like the present to prepare. This book is a loving, compassionate reminder that the best preparation for death is a life fully lived.”

—Ram Dass, international spiritual teacher and author of Be Here Now and Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying

“This book is an inspiring, comforting, and accessible gift.”

—Sogyal Rinpoche, spiritual master and author of the international bestseller The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

“A powerful book by my good friend Frank Ostaseski, who has brought together wisdom and compassion in his life and his long years of work with the dying. We will all be enriched, inspired, and edified by his extraordinary book on how facing death can enrich our life.”

—Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D., founder and abbot at the Upaya Zen Center and author of Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death

“This book is deep, right and rare. The compelling lessons shared in The Five Invitations are valuable to people at any phase of life. Whether facing your own imminent death or that of a loved one, navigating a crisis, or looking to embrace and enjoy living your life more fully, you will find the wisdom lovingly offered in these pages inspiring and enlightening.”

—SARK, artist and coauthor of Succulent Wild Love

“Frank Ostaseski is one of the great contemporary teachers of ancient Buddhist wisdom and practice. Over the years, his teachings have informed both my meditative and clinical practices. Now, through The Five Invitations a broader audience can benefit from Frank’s insights, soulful perspectives, and practical guidance. What a gift!”

—Ira Byock M.D., international leader in palliative care, Chief Medical Officer for the Institute for Human Caring of Providence Health and Services, author of The Best Care Possible: A Physician’s Quest to Transform Care Through the End of Life

“Stephen always had great trust in Frank Ostaseski’s good heart. As his teacher and longtime friend he encouraged Frank to write and share his wisdom on conscious living and conscious dying. Finally, we have this gift to the world. This book is a beautiful, loving gift and a manifestation of a lifetime of selfless service and compassionate care.”

—Ondrea Levine, coauthor with Stephen Levine of Who Dies?: An Investigation of Conscious Living and Conscious Dying

“As a physician and neurosurgeon, I have learned that those who have truly lived are those that understand death as an integral part of life. In Frank Ostaseski’s profound book, The Five Invitations, he shares this reality, giving us insights and wisdom on the nature of dying but, more importantly, on how to truly live.”

—James R. Doty, M.D., professor of neurosurgery, founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, Stanford University School of Medicine, and New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart

“The Five Invitations is a remarkable book, one that is deeply needed by all of us. Five invitations to live our lives fully, in the present, all the way through. Frank Ostaseski, whose journey spans more than three decades of creating and participating in the hospice movement, imparts timeless wisdom that should inform our every day: how to embrace uncertainty and live with joy, peace, and acceptance. This is not a book about death, it’s a book about life and living. Buy it, share it, live it—I know I will.”

—Henry S. Lodge, M.D., Robert Burch Family Professor of Medicine, and coauthor of the Younger Next Year series

“How to die and how to be with the dying are questions everyone faces. Here are sharp, insightful answers from one of the great end-of-life counselors.”

—Stewart Brand, creator of the Whole Earth Catalog

“[Frank Ostaseski] has found the space where awareness of death is revealed as a powerful elixir for living more abundantly, and he shares that secret brilliantly in this landmark book. If you want to live fully and free from fear, read it and give yourself and those who love you a rare gift!”

—Robert A. F. Thurman, professor of religion, Columbia University, and author of Infinite Life

“Frank Ostaseski inspires us to live with joy by fully embracing all facets of life, including our dying. With heartfelt compassion and wisdom gathered over thirty years as a Buddhist teacher and hospice founder he helps us understand that love matters most.”

—Chade-Meng Tan, Google’s “Jolly Good Fellow” and author of Joy on Demand and Search Inside Yourself

“This is a gem of a book! With a lifetime of inspiring service and deep spiritual wisdom to draw from, Frank Ostaseski has given us all a gift straight from the heart.”

—James Baraz, author of Awakening Joy: 10 Steps to Happiness and cofounding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center

“Frank Ostaseski speaks with clear wisdom and deep compassion. Sharing stories and insights from his decades of working with people at the very end of their lives, his ultimate revelation has to do with how meaningful, in both our living and our dying, is the capacity to be open to and present in grace. His words offer much worthy of contemplation and his service to all of us is worthy of deep respect.”

—Kathleen Dowling Singh, author of The Grace in Dying: How We Are Transformed Spiritually As We Die and The Grace in Aging: Awaken As You Grow Older