To live life fully and die serenely�surely we all share these goals, so inextricably entwined. Yet a spiritual dimension is too often lacking in the attitudes, circumstances, and rites of death in modern society. Kapleau explores the subject of death and dying on a deeply personal level, interweaving the writings of Western religions with insights from his own Zen practice, and offers practical advice for the dying and their families.

Zen of Living and Dying, Philip Kapleau, Shambhala Publications, 273 pages, $17.95

Philip Kapleau's classic Three Pillars of Zen has sold an estimated five hundred thousand copies. He is the author of Awakening to Zen, Zen: Merging of East and West, The Wheel of Life and Death, and The Zen of Living and Dying. Kapleau was the first Westerner to be ordained a roshi. He established the Rochester Zen Center in 1966. He lives in Rochester, New York.