---
product_id: 41240373
title: "The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully"
price: "AED 158"
currency: AED
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.ae/products/41240373-the-five-invitations-discovering-what-death-can-teach-us-about
store_origin: AE
region: United Arab Emirates
---

# The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully

**Price:** AED 158
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully
- **How much does it cost?** AED 158 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ae](https://www.desertcart.ae/products/41240373-the-five-invitations-discovering-what-death-can-teach-us-about)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

The cofounder of the Zen Hospice Project and pioneer behind the compassionate care movement shares an inspiring exploration of the lessons dying has to offer about living a fulfilling life. Death is not waiting for us at the end of a long road. Death is always with us, in the marrow of every passing moment. She is the secret teacher hiding in plain sight, helping us to discover what matters most. Life and death are a package deal. They cannot be pulled apart and we cannot truly live unless we are aware of death. The Five Invitations is an exhilarating meditation on the meaning of life and how maintaining an ever-present consciousness of death can bring us closer to our truest selves. As a renowned teacher of compassionate caregiving and the cofounder of the Zen Hospice Project, Frank Ostaseski has sat on the precipice of death with more than a thousand people. In The Five Invitations, he distills the lessons gleaned over the course of his career, offering an evocative and stirring guide that points to a radical path to transformation. The Five Invitations: -Don’t Wait -Welcome Everything, Push Away Nothing -Bring Your Whole Self to the Experience -Find a Place of Rest in the Middle of Things -Cultivate Don’t Know Mind These Five Invitations show us how to wake up fully to our lives. They can be understood as best practices for anyone coping with loss or navigating any sort of transition or crisis; they guide us toward appreciating life’s preciousness. Awareness of death can be a valuable companion on the road to living well, forging a rich and meaningful life, and letting go of regret. The Five Invitations is a powerful and inspiring exploration of the essential wisdom dying has to impart to all of us.

Review: An intimate and potent transmission of all that death can teach us about life - I drafted this review of Frank Ostaseski's "Five Invitations" a year ago, while filled with gratitude for its nourishing wisdom. What recently prompted me to follow up with my intention to post it here is a recent facebook post in which the author offered poignant reflections about the stroke he suffered two months ago. So, here is my review of his book followed by his very touching and inspiring public post. (September 2018) Almost every day for the past few weeks, I have been listening to the Audible version of Frank Ostaseski's Five Invitations, replaying certain passages over and over. I have felt deeply comforted by his warm soothing voice, and all he has to say about what death has taught him during the 20 years he worked at the Zen Hospice Project which he founded in San Francisco. His stories are often heart-breaking, but always uplifting. I have found them particularly helpful this summer when death has been repeatedly calling me back into its classroom... when my youthful friend Krista died of lung cancer after a 3-year long journey in which she taught me a whole lot about courage, faith, and love... when my friend Aerin delivered her first child, a beautiful baby boy who had mysteriously died in her womb two days before his birth... when my friend Katie called me from an airport on her way to her sister's to ask for my support in coping with the devastating news that her beloved 18-year old nephew had died in car accident the previous night, just before he was going to leave home for his first day of college... and when I sat home in shock for two days after learning that my Egyptian friend Hend had died in a car accident the day after her birthday, leaving her husband and their 2 year old daughter behind. How can we embrace the overwhelming feeling of powerlessness that arises when someone we love disappears abruptly, or a friend is faced with a loss too immense to comprehend? How do we use these heart-breaking situations to allow our hearts to grow bigger? What can the prospect or reality of death teach us about how to live more authentically, courageously, and generously? Frank Ostaseski has a whole lot to say about all that. While I have loved keeping a copy the book nearby to revisit certain passages easily, I especially recommend listening to the Audible version, because it’s quite a special transmission. There is a particular way of being and communicating that infuses those who have welcomed death as an intimate teacher for decades. And I personally think there is a lot we can receive from the energy they transmit through their words... than the mere reading of words on a page could ever impart. And finally, here is an excerpt of the public facebook post which Frank Ostaseski posted on September 7, 2019: "Some of you know I suffered a severe stroke on July 13. Since then there was a series of smaller strokes and hospitalizations. Once again I am reminded of the precarious nature of this human life and this puts me in touch with its preciousness. And this in turn gives rise to gratefulness. I find myself thankful for breath, mountains and rivers, friends old and new and the seen and invisible forces that guide and shape our lives. Today my heart is full with love of my bride Vanda. Today is our wedding anniversary. I am reminded of the steadying supportive facets of love that enable us to live fully through thick and thin and to embrace each other “ as is” as we vowed years ago. Hold those you love closely. Say thank you often. And love as fully as you are able." My wish for any of us who are drawn to read or listen to this beautiful book is to let it teach us more about what we need to learn about how to live in the truest possible way, with greater presence and full-heartedness.
Review: Recommend - Absolutely loved this book. Beautiful stories, takeaway wisdom that’s applicable to all.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #139,391 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #59 in Buddhism (Books) #69 in Grief & Bereavement #84 in Love & Loss |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,823 Reviews |

## Images

![The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71quL0be55L.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An intimate and potent transmission of all that death can teach us about life
*by T***E on September 21, 2019*

I drafted this review of Frank Ostaseski's "Five Invitations" a year ago, while filled with gratitude for its nourishing wisdom. What recently prompted me to follow up with my intention to post it here is a recent facebook post in which the author offered poignant reflections about the stroke he suffered two months ago. So, here is my review of his book followed by his very touching and inspiring public post. (September 2018) Almost every day for the past few weeks, I have been listening to the Audible version of Frank Ostaseski's Five Invitations, replaying certain passages over and over. I have felt deeply comforted by his warm soothing voice, and all he has to say about what death has taught him during the 20 years he worked at the Zen Hospice Project which he founded in San Francisco. His stories are often heart-breaking, but always uplifting. I have found them particularly helpful this summer when death has been repeatedly calling me back into its classroom... when my youthful friend Krista died of lung cancer after a 3-year long journey in which she taught me a whole lot about courage, faith, and love... when my friend Aerin delivered her first child, a beautiful baby boy who had mysteriously died in her womb two days before his birth... when my friend Katie called me from an airport on her way to her sister's to ask for my support in coping with the devastating news that her beloved 18-year old nephew had died in car accident the previous night, just before he was going to leave home for his first day of college... and when I sat home in shock for two days after learning that my Egyptian friend Hend had died in a car accident the day after her birthday, leaving her husband and their 2 year old daughter behind. How can we embrace the overwhelming feeling of powerlessness that arises when someone we love disappears abruptly, or a friend is faced with a loss too immense to comprehend? How do we use these heart-breaking situations to allow our hearts to grow bigger? What can the prospect or reality of death teach us about how to live more authentically, courageously, and generously? Frank Ostaseski has a whole lot to say about all that. While I have loved keeping a copy the book nearby to revisit certain passages easily, I especially recommend listening to the Audible version, because it’s quite a special transmission. There is a particular way of being and communicating that infuses those who have welcomed death as an intimate teacher for decades. And I personally think there is a lot we can receive from the energy they transmit through their words... than the mere reading of words on a page could ever impart. And finally, here is an excerpt of the public facebook post which Frank Ostaseski posted on September 7, 2019: "Some of you know I suffered a severe stroke on July 13. Since then there was a series of smaller strokes and hospitalizations. Once again I am reminded of the precarious nature of this human life and this puts me in touch with its preciousness. And this in turn gives rise to gratefulness. I find myself thankful for breath, mountains and rivers, friends old and new and the seen and invisible forces that guide and shape our lives. Today my heart is full with love of my bride Vanda. Today is our wedding anniversary. I am reminded of the steadying supportive facets of love that enable us to live fully through thick and thin and to embrace each other “ as is” as we vowed years ago. Hold those you love closely. Say thank you often. And love as fully as you are able." My wish for any of us who are drawn to read or listen to this beautiful book is to let it teach us more about what we need to learn about how to live in the truest possible way, with greater presence and full-heartedness.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Recommend
*by N***H on August 8, 2026*

Absolutely loved this book. Beautiful stories, takeaway wisdom that’s applicable to all.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Don’t Wait (to read this)
*by H***J on November 20, 2018*

My mom passed away recently. Hers was an agonizingly slow and painful death, preceded by several years of denial, anger and fear. I nearly killed MYSELF trying to care for her. Her whole life my mother had been a joyful, loving person. She’d never win a Mother of the Year award, but her love for me was evident. She embraced the simple pleasures of life: a great cup of coffee and a sunrise, rocking out to excellent music in the car, and prolific laughter. Stage four kidney cancer left her resistant, mean, delusional, resentful and utterly self-defeating. Now I know that some of her terrible judgment and cruelty toward me were caused by mental illness and poorly managed pain. We fought a lot because I devoted so much time and energy to helping her live longer and better and supporting her emotionally, yet she refused to follow through, accept her illness or make arrangements. She was terrified of death and grew furious when I even gently brought it up as a possibility. I was naively determined to save her from something she refused to acknowledge as real. I was the unstoppable force and she was the immovable object. Once I finally got her set up with hospice in a lovely, state-of-the-art personal care home near my house, I happened to find this book while searching for answers. I read The Five Invitations by my mother’s bedside in her final weeks. She spent three weeks in the “hours to minutes before death” stage. Nobody on the hospice team could explain how she was still alive. She hadn’t eaten in a couple weeks and only drank maybe a sip of water a day. Sometimes I feel her protracted death was a gift to me because it allowed me to read this book in the most relevant possible environment and context. I cannot overemphasize how much Frank Ostaseski helped me survive the end of my mother’s life, by way of The Five Invitations. This book is essential reading for every human. In its pages, in Frank’s stories about others, I saw so much of my mother and myself. The book felt like it was written for the sole purpose of guiding me through this last, painful phase. In this book you won’t find dogmatic scolding or feel-good BS. You will learn about the messy, beautiful, ugly, horrifying, exquisite, moving, monumental process of death, and why it’s inextricably linked with life. You will learn emotional and spiritual tools for life, and you will finish it with a greater understanding of and readiness for your own death. The lessons in the book are delivered firmly yet tenderly, and they’ll be with me for the rest of my life. I truly do feel better equipped for both a richer life and a more meaningful death. I wish I’d read it years ago. I wish I’d been able to share it with my mom. Then again, in a way, I did. I don’t subscribe to any particular religion, (though I’m fond of Buddhist teachings), but while I read The Five Invitations at my mom’s side, I kept thinking of my favorite line from the film The Last Temptation of Christ: “Death is not a door that closes. It opens. It opens and you go through it.” Thank you, Frank.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ae/products/41240373-the-five-invitations-discovering-what-death-can-teach-us-about](https://www.desertcart.ae/products/41240373-the-five-invitations-discovering-what-death-can-teach-us-about)

---

*Product available on Desertcart United Arab Emirates*
*Store origin: AE*
*Last updated: 2026-10-19*