There is arguably no truth more foundational to Buddhism than this: everything is impermanent. We can see this in the world all around us; old systems break down, relationships change. Death comes for those we love and, inevitably, for us.

In this book, the late, beloved teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche walks us through the traditional, revelatory practices of meditating on the fact of impermanence and even--especially--on death itself. Rather than shy away from this reality, we look straight at it, and thus we learn not only how to not fear death, but how to live.

How to Live and Die: The Transformative Power of Meditating on Impermanence, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Wisdom Publications, Paperback, 328 pages, $26.95

Lama Zopa Rinpoche was one of the most internationally renowned masters of Tibetan Buddhism, working and teaching ceaselessly on almost every continent. He was the spiritual director and cofounder of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), an international network of Buddhist projects, including monasteries in six countries and meditation centers in over thirty; health and nutrition clinics, and clinics specializing in the treatment of leprosy and polio; as well as hospices, schools, publishing activities, and prison outreach projects worldwide. Lama Zopa passed away on April 13, 2023.