Sogyal Rinpoche, author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, was full of praise as he met Master Cheng Yen for the first time at the Tzu Chi Taipei Branch Office on December 16, 1996. "When I visited your headquarters in Hualien, I was deeply inspired by the performance of Tzu Chi members. Tzu Chi is a group that truly puts the Buddhist teachings into practice."

"It's a shame that I missed your speech on Buddha's teachings this morning in Hualien," said Master Cheng Yen.

"You don't need to listen to any of Buddha's teachings, since you already practice them," replied the rinpoche.

Sogyal Rinpoche, a respected Tibetan Buddhist spokesman, has devoted himself to teaching Buddhism in Western countries for years and is also actively involved in a hospice care program. His book has been translated and published in 17 languages worldwide and has recently jumped to the top of the best-seller list in Taiwan.

At the invitation of Master Cheng Yen, the rinpoche shared with Tzu Chi members his concept of living and dying in terms of Buddhism. He stated that death is like a mirror reflecting the true meaning of life, which can be more fully understood when people remember and prepare for death. He also pointed out that death is not so dreadful. "Everybody will die successfully," he joked. "The fear of death comes from people themselves. By letting go of their attachments and bonds, people can keep their minds pure and simple."

Asked about organ and body donation programs, he quickly replied that they are worth doing if they really benefit human beings. Having consulted many great masters, the rinpoche concluded that such donations are the greatest deeds of kindness and compassion. "What is a better way to die than that ?" he said. But he also pointed out that it is important to explain the value of body donation to the future donors' family members.

Before flying to Taipei, Sogyal Rinpoche took a tour of the Tzu Chi Foundation in Hualien. When visiting the newly-built palliative care ward in Tzu Chi Hospital, he was quite impressed by the enthusiasm of the volunteers. "It's very homey," he said.