Precious Gems from Domo Geshe Rinpoche

Outline of Hospice Training Program
Grand Transitions Institute and Hospice
A division of White Conch Dharma Center

Training Program and Certificate
Designed for hospice workers and others who are interested in trainings for end-of-life as either a caregiver, or proactive preparation for one's own end-of-life.

Grand Transitions Institute is offering a training program in hospice care, which may culminate in certification at each level of the training if the student demonstrates accomplishment of the objectives of that level.

This specialized training is intended for enhancing conventional hospice care by preparing hospice workers (professional and volunteer) who want to increase their skills in providing a careful spiritual environment, as well as a dynamic fresh approach based on Buddhist principles.

This training will be directed by Domo Geshe Rinpoche, a Western reincarnate lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and is based on Buddhist approaches to compassionate care at end-of life. However, the training is appropriate for individuals of many spiritual paths.

Although techniques will be taught, this program goes beyond mere techniques, and is intended to guide the student to transform into the one who is increasingly capable of providing the highest quality of spiritual support. This includes overcoming one's own fear of death in order to live more fully and to be prepared for one's own grand transition.

According to Tibetan Buddhism, passing from this world is viewed as an opportunity to accomplish great spiritual advancement. Like an Olympic skater who trains for years in preparation for the one chance to perform at his or her peak of skill, preparation for end of life allows one to enter into that new stage awake and alert. Each person deserves an elegant passing.

Training will be on site or via streaming video online, or delayed podcast at the convenience of the student.

Overview of training:

Level 1: Prepares one in the basics of establishing the environment supportive of the patient, and energetically interacting with the person who is passing. Who is this person and what process are they engaged in? Training will focus on learning to be energetically quiet, and developing or increasing patience.

Level 2: Beginning training in the transformative compassion practices. What is your relationship to all living beings? Develop the correct view of compassion, which is not sentimental, but allows you to hold all living beings dear. Deepen awareness of patience and inner quiet that was started in Level 1. Receive the practice of the Medicine Buddha.

Level 3: Training in overcoming your personal intellectual fear of death; deepening in the understanding and practice of patience and correct compassion. This level includes preparation for level 4. Before one can engage in the end-of-life yogas (i.e., the inner energetic practices at the time of passing) one must become the one capable of undertaking them.

Level 4: Training includes: Overcoming your innate fear of death; overcoming the obstacles that arise to achieving a correct view of compassion; deepening all previous training; training for one's own end-of-life while still healthy (i.e., the end-of-life inner yogas.)

Exercises included in the training program:
Taught in all levels-

· Prayers to meditate on in order to benefit the end-of-life care receiver.
· Exercises to quiet the mind of the caregiver.

Taught in level 2
· White Tara practice or (other long life practice appropriate within the spiritual tradition of the student) for the caregiver. In giving care to others, sometimes one's own basic life energy is accessed and drained and this can lead to disease and physical complications. Regularly engaging in long life practice restores this basic life energy.

If you are impatient, it makes you energetically ready to lash out. It makes you (energetically) dangerous to be around. Those individuals who are at end-of-life cannot tolerate this kind of energetic. You must train yourself to be disgusted by your own impatience so you commit to cultivating patience.

We live kind of upside down. We are patient with the things that we should not tolerate (self-cherishing, anger, impatience) and we are impatient with others. This is backwards. You train yourself to be patient with others, and you work on changing those things that you need to change in yourself.

Domo Geshe Rinpoche
Jan 25, 2009 (Hospice trainee conference call)