The subject of death makes a lot of people uneasy. Most of us just don't know much about death   especially how to handle it and how to prepare for it   and we may feel anxious and afraid whenever we start to contemplate either the death of a loved one or our own death. But as Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the founder and spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, tells us in this powerful and moving little book, our anxiety can be a "wholesome fear"   one that ultimately enriches and nourishes our life by leaving us no choice to but to face difficult truths and live more authentically because of them. Truly, we can use the challenges that surround death and dying as spurs to take up the practices right now that will lead to peace and compassion and joy   ultimately, to a good life, and, when the time inevitably comes, a good death.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the Spiritual Director of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a worldwide network of Buddhist centers, monasteries, and affiliated projects, including Wisdom Publications. His books include Transforming Problems into Happiness, and Ultimate Healing. He lives in Aptos, California.

Kathleen McDonald (Sangye Khadro) was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun in 1974. She is a respected and inspiring teacher in the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, a worldwide organization of Buddhist teaching and meditation centers.