Rebirth, Resurrection, and the Deathless: Buddhist Reflections on Easter Sunday

This online Buddhist meditation program takes up the question of the deathless on Easter Sunday. It is a half-day teaching led by Sean Oakes, PhD, and offered live on Zoom by Spirit Rock Meditation Center of Woodacre, California. Through sutta study, guided meditation, and reflection, it asks what the Buddha meant by the deathless, and how that differs from immortality or life after death. Everyone is welcome, whatever their relationship to Easter: celebrating, estranged, curious, or indifferent.

What to Expect

"Open are the doors to the deathless" are the words with which the Buddha announced his decision to teach. The morning begins there, asking whether the deathless is a state, a metaphor, or something more mysterious than either. Three threads run through the program:

- The Buddha's first proclamation of the deathless.
- His final days, including how he shielded from blame the man whose meal brought on his last illness.
- His teaching on meeting hostility without hatred.

The program closes with his last words, which point to heedfulness as the way through.

The session runs three hours, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Pacific time:

- 9:00 am: opening and framing of the three threads
- 9:30 am: sutta study on the proclamation of the deathless
- 10:15 am: guided meditation
- 10:45 am: the Buddha's final days
- 11:15 am: meeting hostility without hatred
- 11:45 am: closing reflection and the Buddha's last words

About Sean Oakes, PhD

Sean Oakes teaches the Dharma with a focus on integrating meditation, study, and self-inquiry with trauma resolution and social justice. He has studied in Theravāda, Zen, and Vajrāyāna Buddhist lineages, including training as a monk in Burma, and was authorized to teach Insight Meditation by Jack Kornfield in 2010.

Before You Go

The program is open to all levels. No prior Buddhist study or meditation experience is required, and newer practitioners and seasoned meditators alike will find something in the teachings and reflections. It is held online only, over Zoom, and the languages listed are English and Spanish.

Registration includes live instruction, the guided meditation, and the sutta study. It also includes unlimited access to the recording, which becomes available about ten days after the program, so you can return to the material afterward. Registration must be completed by the deadline, and a waiting list is created if the program fills early. Meals, books or other materials, and a certificate of completion are not part of the program.

Pricing is on a sliding scale, offered on a dāna basis. The higher tiers help support the teachers, Spirit Rock, and fellow practitioners who need to pay less. Scholarship rates are available for BIPOC participants, young adults, and the Mudita/Karuna category, and a no-fee option is also offered. Those who can pay at the highest rate they can afford are asked to do so.