The Last Ecstatic Days

Dear Dharma Friends, I am inviting you to watch online, The Last Ecstatic Days, a film about how Ethan Sisser faced his own mortality and death. It is a film that has moved me like no other, a film filled with joy - even as the tears were falling. Before I continue, one quick review from Roshi Joan Halifax, a Buddhist teacher and founder of the Unaya Zen Center in Santa Fe NM: 

“This film blew me away. You just can't help but love Ethan the moment he opens his TikTok and invites you into his life. What was so powerful was that it's not the Dalai Lama or Ram Dass. When someone like Ethan opens up so deeply, I realize I can do that too. Ethan became a teacher for me. I hope everyone will see this extraordinary film.”

I hardly ever recommend a film by saying ‘you cannot miss this!’ Well of course you can, and yet, please be good to yourself and consider watching The Last Ecstatic Days. One more thing: woven into Ethan’s story, are all of our well known dharma themes: suffering, impermanence, not-self, and the joy that can arise with letting go of our deep clinging to body.

For lots of information about the film, including the trailer and other reviews, please go to: www.thelastecstaticdaysmovie.com

On a personal note, I’m one of many volunteers for the Center for Conscious Living and Dying, CCLD, in Asheville NC., which was founded as a result of the experiences of Adithi Sithi, a palliative care physician and the CCLD director, and the many volunteers Adithi gathered to help and care for Ethan. Adithi responded to Ethan’s request that his last days and death be filmed and shared. For more information about CCLD, please check out the website at: www.https://www.ccld.community