In The Mirror of Death

In the Mirror of Death

Most of us live with an underlying fear of death that quietly shapes our choices, relationships, and sense of meaning. We avoid thinking about death, yet this avoidance often leaves us feeling disconnected from what truly matters and unprepared for life's most profound transition. When a loved one is dying, we may experience a feeling of helplessness.

"In the Buddhist approach, life and death are seen as one whole, where death is the beginning of another chapter of life. Death is a mirror in which the entire meaning of life is reflected."
— The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

Our In the Mirror of Death course offers a radically different approach to understanding mortality, one that transforms fear into wisdom and anxiety into peace.

This Course Will Help You

• Transform your relationship with death and discover how to live more fully.
• Break free from death anxiety by developing a deeper understanding of death as a natural part of life's journey.
• Live with greater authenticity as you discover how contemplating mortality can illuminate what truly matters and guide you toward more meaningful choices.
• Find peace in uncertainty through traditional practices that support approaching death, your own and others', with courage and clarity.
• Support loved ones with confidence by learning practical ways to be present for those facing their final transition, offering genuine comfort.
• Develop warmth, understanding, and care for yourself and others through meditation and compassion practices.

What You'll Experience

In order to produce a real change in our relationship with death, this course will introduce the unique Buddhist approach to learning, which employs the three wisdom tools: listening, contemplation, and meditation. This multi-layered approach has the power to bring about transformation on a deep spiritual level.

You’ll also be introduced to compassion practices and The Essential Phowa, a profound practice that gives you practical tools specifically designed for the moment of death.

This course is for anyone who is…

• struggling with fear of death or losing loved ones
• wanting to support family or friends facing serious illness or death
• interested in gaining invaluable insights into how meditation and cultivating compassion can reshape the death and dying process

Join us to discover how embracing the reality of death and applying the traditional Buddhist teachings on death and dying can support us to live a more fearless, compassionate, and meaningful life and approach death with trust and peace.

Open to all: No prior experience with meditation or Buddhist concepts required. All teachings are presented in accessible, practical terms.

In the Mirror of Death
4 Sessions: Saturdays

• January 10, 2026
• January 31, 2026
• February 21, 2026
• March 14, 2026

Online through Zoom
10 am PT / 1 pm ET
Duration: 4h 30
Led by Rigpa Teachers: Gail Kollner & Annie Eichenholz