Frank Ostaseski
Guest Teacher
Frank Ostaseski is a pioneer in end of life care. In 1987, he cofounded the Zen Hospice Project, the first Buddhist hospice in America. He guided that groundbreaking work for almost 20 years establishing a longstanding model for mindful and compassionate care. In 2005, he founded the Metta Institute training countless healthcare clinicians and caregivers and building a national network of educators, advocates and guides for those facing life-threatening illness.
Frank has dedicated his life to service. It has been fusion of spiritual insight and practical social action. It manifests in caring for the homeless, serving on the early front lines AIDS epidemic, lobbying congress, teaching meditation and most daunting raising four teenagers at the same time.
He has distilled hard-won lessons from his own life journey and synthesized 30 years of being with dying into his personal brand of wisdom. He inspires and engages diverse audiences from Harvard Medical School students, to Mayo Clinic clinicians, and Wisdom 2.0 seekers. His work has been highlighted on The Oprah Winfrey Show, featured by Bill Moyers on his PBS television series On Our Own Terms and honored by H.H. the Dalai Lama.
Frank Ostaseski's Upcoming Programs
Training | Online | Dharma Institute
January 27 - December 14, 2024 | 12 Sessions
A Year to Live
In this year-long program, based on the book A Year to Live by Stephen Levine, we will focus on waking up and living life more fully through the exploration of death as spiritual practice. The Buddha recommended that we contemplate the inevitability of our death in order to help us awaken to the fragile, fleeting, and precious nature of our lives. All are welcome as we join in community for this year-long practice in forgiveness, gratitude, and letting go.
Retreat | On-Land | Hybrid
Saturday, October 26 | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully
Death is the secret teacher hiding in plain sight. Death helps us discover what matters most, and we don’t have to wait until the end of our lives to realize the wisdom that death has to offer. Weaving together pragmatic tools, real life stories, and ancient wisdom, Frank and Vinny will help us discover how an awareness of death can be a valuable companion on the road to living well and forging a rich, meaningful life.
Retreat | Online | Hybrid
Saturday, October 26 | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully
Death is the secret teacher hiding in plain sight. Death helps us discover what matters most, and we don’t have to wait until the end of our lives to realize the wisdom that death has to offer. Weaving together pragmatic tools, real life stories, and ancient wisdom, Frank and Vinny will help us discover how an awareness of death can be a valuable companion on the road to living well and forging a rich, meaningful life.
Retreat | On-Land
October 27 - November 2, 2024 | Sunday - Saturday | 6 nights
Befriending Mortality: Living An Awakened Life Through Mindfulness of Death
18 CE Credits.
Spaces Available. We all “know” we will die, yet we tend to ignore it and put our collective heads in the sand. Rather than running away from our inevitable mortality, we can harness its power to stay aligned with our deepest values and to live and love more fully. Fully embracing life’s impermanence can engender a deep freedom and letting go. Through mindfulness of death (maraṇasati), we become more present for this miraculous, passing show called life with gladness and gratitude.
Training | Online Non-Residential
January 25 - December 13, 2025 | 12 Sessions, plus Graduation in January 2026
A Year to Live
Registration Now Open (August 30). In this year-long program, based on the book A Year to Live by Stephen Levine, we will focus on waking up and living life more fully through the exploration of death as spiritual practice. The Buddha recommended that we contemplate the inevitability of our death in order to help us awaken to the fragile, fleeting, and precious nature of our lives. All are welcome as we join in community for this year-long practice in forgiveness, gratitude, and letting go.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Frank Ostaseski through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.