I invited a friend to attend the death workshop with me, but he said, "I'm not ready to deal with death right now, but thanks for the invitation." So I went by myself, and the room was PACKED with people of all ages. The session was led by a cheerful Buddhist nun with a buzz cut who laughed heartily while talking casually about death and assuring us that she was not trying to scare the hell out of us by using the d-word. So, here's a summary of the workshop.
1) We are all going to die (in case you didn't know that).
2) We don't know when we're going to die.
3) The thing to strive for is to die happy with as much dharma as you can muster, which means you have to start working on it right now. The goal is to go out gracefully, however it is you go. I'm not totally clear on the whole dharma thing...
4) Embracing change is apparently key. Death is just a really really noticeable example of change. But, we are all dying and changing everyday. The Buddhist nun said that we suffer when try to stop change or attach to things and people tenaciously, thinking we can stop change.
Undeniable truths perhaps, but I still have trouble with impermanence and change. There is a control freak living inside of me. 