Excerpt from the Preface:
Enso House, a home in the Pacific Northwest, takes as its sole purpose providing care for people at the end of life. Inspired by the practice of compassion and cultivated by spiritual training, the all-volunteer staff of Enso House serves individuals from Whidbey Island and neighboring communities. This book tells my story; it tells some of the stories of those people whose paths have intersected mine and led to the creation of this home; and it tells the stories of those whose loved ones have passed away at Enso House.
The vision for Enso House originated with the Zen Buddhist teacher Shodo Harada Roshi. He was looking for an opportunity to serve the Whidbey Island community where he had established a training monastery. In his vision, Enso House would have two purposes: to serve the needs of families seeking help caring for their loved ones as they approached the end of life and to provide a training ground for Zen students who wanted to experience the dying process up close. This book relates the story of the people whose paths have brought Enso House into existence and the unique symbiotic relationship that has developed between a monastery, a home for the dying, and the community that nurtures both.