Spiritual Passages

In this well-crafted exploration of the spiritual passages of aging and death, Leder (The Absent Body) draws upon many religious traditions to illustrate a number of ways in which aging and death may be ""embraced"" as part of a ""sacred journey."" In four sections, Leder explores the awareness and acceptance of aging and death; the aged as bearing great wisdom; the compassionate service that the aged provide society; the confrontation and reconciliation with past and future that aging brings; and the suffering and joy that are part of the aging process. He recounts the story of Buddha's exposure to sickness and aging to illustrate the Buddha's awareness and acceptance of life's limits. The stories that Leder draws upon range from Native American legends and Hindu tale about the stages of life to the Christian story of Jesus' Passion and Dickens's tale of Scrooge. Leder intersperses questions throughout his reflections on the stories, and he ends each chapter with questions for guided meditation on particular aspects of aging. Three appendixes offer additional resources. (July)