The Five Invitations

Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully

By: Frank Ostaseski

Narrated by: Frank Ostaseski

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

Another great book

Another great story teller.
I will be revisiting this one again at least once.
We could all be so fortunate to have someone around like Frank when our time comes.
Great insights on how to be with someone who is dying or has passed.
Thank you Frank for your knowing experience and your wise, honest not knowing.

worth the effort

I'm intrigued by books about dieing. Not so much the dieing part but the living part that often accompanies the dieing process. I want to have a better idea of what may happen and the feelings and emotions that go along with this process; for others and ultimately for me. This book does a very good job of illustrating several circumstances of loss and grief. I gave the book 4s all the way across the board primarily due to my own biases. While I agreed with most of the premises, I felt uncomfortable at times with the underlying liberal view of Got and culture. Having said that, I think the book is very much worth reading or listening to.

Written words profound, but spoken: a new heart

I purchased this book because I was excited to accept the five invitations! But once I heard the words spoken so tenderly from the author's heart, I was confronted with my self-aggrandisement. I discovered I was more apt to check the box that says "I cannot attend, with regrets". I thought these invitations were to places I had already been. After all, I was a hospice volunteer. Instead, it was time for me to shed another layer of resistance; and in his book, Frank Ostaseski showed me how. His true stories are overflowing with love and humility. For for this grand event, less is more ... and this kind of more is more than enough.

Simply wonderful...

This book is inspiring, settling, centering, and so very wise. It is one of the few books I will listen to again…

Beautiful and Profound

I am moved and inspired by the beautiful, powerful and profound teachings and perspectives offered in this book. Everyone should bless themselves by reading it or listening to it - it is beautifully read by the author. And his compassion, courage and wisdom is a constant presence. So much gratitude and love for this essential contribution to the world . And to me. Death - it is the most important topic that most do not want to talk about - so grateful that Frank Ostaseski did.