Buddhism and Loss

No-one is immune to loss. Try as we may, as humans, there is no escaping it. We can lose our car keys, our job, our hearing, our health – even our loved ones. Then there are those more abstract losses to contend with, such as loss of self-esteem, a cherished dream, loss of hope.

From mild irritation to downright desperation and despair, loss triggers a multitude of unwelcome emotions in most of us. Yet some people seem better able to navigate their way around loss than others – and even grow through it. Some of those people are Buddhists.

Drawing on the 2,500-year-old wisdom of the Buddha and the guidance of contemporary Buddhist teachers, Buddhism and Loss looks at how it is possible to find meaning and even transformation in loss, leading to a deeper understanding and appreciation of life itself.

‘It isn’t what happens to us that causes us to suffer; it’s what we say to ourselves about what happens. In the process of trying to deny that things are always changing, we lose our sense of the sacredness of life.’
Pema Chödrön