We're all beginners when it comes to aging. And although the fact that we are in new territory can certainly contribute to the difficulties in dealing with getting older, it can also have a very positive side. Aging can be seen as a new phase of our life: a phase of renewal. Nowhere is this more evident than in our opportunity to devote more time to reflection and inner exploration. The result, regardless of whatever physical limitations we may be experiencing, is the possibility of cultivating and living increasingly from kindness and gratitude two of the essential qualities of a life of satisfaction and equanimity.
With techniques that are both simple and richly unfolded, this book will help readers:
- learn the subtle art of being with pain
- uncover the fears that amplify suffering
- tap into the true sources of meaningfulness and joy
Aging for Beginners, Ezra Bayda, Wisdom Publications, Paperback, 2018, 204 pp, $17.95
Born in 1944 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Bayda studied philosophy at Rutgers University. After graduation, he worked in the fields of education and computer programming, and later became a carpenter and general building contractor, an occupation he held for thirty years.
His early training was in the Gurdjieff tradition, in a community led by Robert S. de Ropp. In 1970 he began studying Zen meditation, and began formal Zen practice in 1978. After studying with Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi Roshi and Jakusho Kwong Roshi, he began working with Charlotte Joko Beck in 1992. He received dharma transmission at the Zen Center San Diego in 1998.
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