Posts Tagged ‘Death’

17th Karmapa on Impermanence

Monday, November 29th, 2010

These questions and answers were taken from H.H. 17th Karmapa‘s ‘Black Hat Lama’ MySpace blog:  

17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje

17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje

Q: What is Buddhist meditation, and what are the benefits of it?

H.H. Karmapa: Buddhist meditation is a way to relate to death, but the term we use is known as impermanence. So it is possible to see the beauty of impermanence finally through meditation. Before meditation we have to focus on learning and contemplating on impermanence. 

Q: How do you relate to death? 

H.H. Karmapa: Often one relates to death mainly by fear, and also by hope. So the Buddhist approach is to approach it without the two. 

Q: Are Buddhists afraid of death? 

H.H. Karmapa: Sentient beings are not born as Buddhists, so due to that it becomes a very difficult question to answer. (more…)

Email, RSS Follow

Tags: , ,
Posted in 17th Karmapa, Diamond Way Buddhism | 2 Comments »

Near Death Experiences During Cardiac Arrest – Dr. Sam Parnia

Friday, September 17th, 2010

A few days ago many read with interest our blog entry concerning the work of British scientist Dr. Sam Parnia (author of “What Happens When We Die“) on the scientific study of death. We’re following this up with the video of a recent lecture by Dr. Parnia on “Near Death Experiences During Cardiac Arrest”, which was given at the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit (APRU), Goldsmiths, University of London, on 23 March 2010. in the lecture, Dr. Parnia makes the case that Western science needs to re-examine its views about the mind and the brain, and that perhaps “the mind is a separate, undiscovered entity to the brain”. We present the lecture here in connection with Lama Ole Nydahl’s forthcoming lecture in London on “Death and Rebirth“, as much of what Dr. Parnia discusses has commonalities with the Tibetan Buddhist teachings about the experience of mind during and after the death process. the lecture lasts over 50 minutes but is well worth watching in full.

Dr Sam Parnia: Near Death Experiences During Cardiac Arrest from APRU on Vimeo.

(more…)

Email, RSS Follow

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Scientific Research | No Comments »

What Happens When We Die?

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
In connection with Lama Ole Nydahl’s forthcoming teachings in London on “Death and Rebirth“, we reproduce here an article from Time Magazine published two years ago. It is an interview with British scientist Dr. Sam Parnia, an expert on the scientific study of death and author of “What Happens When We Die“.

What Happens When We Die?

By M.J. STEPHEY Thursday, Sep. 18, 2008

Dr. Sam Parnia

Dr. Sam Parnia

A fellow at New York City’s Weill Cornell Medical Center, Dr. Sam Parnia is one of the world’s leading experts on the scientific study of death. Last week Parnia and his colleagues at the Human Consciousness Project announced their first major undertaking: a 3-year exploration of the biology behind “out-of-body” experiences. The study, known as AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation), involves the collaboration of 25 major medical centers through Europe, Canada and the U.S. and will examine some 1,500 survivors of cardiac arrest. TIME spoke with Parnia about the project’s origins, its skeptics and the difference between the mind and the brain.

What sort of methods will this project use to try and verify people’s claims of “near-death” experience?

When your heart stops beating, there is no blood getting to your brain. And so what happens is that within about 10 sec., brain activity ceases —as you would imagine. Yet paradoxically, 10% or 20% of people who are then brought back to life from that period, which may be a few minutes or over an hour, will report having consciousness. So the key thing here is, (more…)

Email, RSS Follow

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Buddhist Books, Scientific Research | No Comments »