In Praise of Ageing: Awakening to Old Age with Wisdom and Compassion

Description

Aimed at readers who are encountering ageing in themselves, in those whom they love, or those in their care, this book opens up the silenced topic of ageing and challenges anti-ageing attitudes. Drawing on Buddhist approaches to growing older, it offers the possibility of ageing with grace, understanding, wisdom and joy. Drawing on the insights of Buddhism, In Praise of Ageing invites the reader to meet the challenges of growing older with an open mind in order to age with grace, understanding and wisdom. Written by an Israeli human rights lawyer who specialized in bio-ethics, including end-of-life care, the book looks at the current cultural context of youth versus age, and weaves the author's personal experiences of her own and her parents' ageing with ancient Buddhist wisdom that accepts growing older as a natural process. All phenomena appear, fade and disappear. So, too, our lives proceed from birth to death. The four parts of the book address reality, vulnerability, identity and meaning. We can acknowledge reality, see the impermanence of the weakening body, and accept that we are subject to ageing, sickness and death. But we also must deal with the social prejudices against ageing that bring new vulnerabilities, such as the questions of identity that arise when we retire from the workforce. This book shows that it is nonetheless in our hands to shape our place in the world and find meaning as elders with love, compassion, joy and equanimity. Ageing, indeed, has its hardships. Yet we have a choice how to relate to our experience - with animosity or friendliness. If we open our minds to ageing with a compassionate, curious and courageous heart, we can find treasures of wisdom to share as our heritage to future generations.

Carmel Shalev has a doctoral degree from Yale Law School. Her professional and academic work has focused on women's rights, human and health rights, and the bioethics of medical reproduction and end-of-life care, and she has published two books and dozens of articles on these subjects. Since the 1990s she has been practising meditation and studying the dharma, and she is as a founder of Wisdom of Aging, a movement for conscious ageing with a Buddhist worldview.

Carmel's finely crafted book will help you grow old without fear, enjoy your final days on earth with wonder and humility, and inspire you to assume the role of an elder with dignity. A beautiful book bringing clarity, wisdom and a compassionate view on ageing, recruiting the huge insightful resource of the Buddhist teachings to a period of life that is often full of suffering and neglect. This unique confirmation of old age gives a new lease of life to those whose seek hope rather than despair, integrity rather iniquity and and potency rather than dependency. To those interested in ageing but new to Buddhism her clear sighted, realistic and wise perspectives will form a refreshing and through provoking perspective.