Dutch Buddhist columnist Jan Veenendaal reflects on terminal illness and spiritual teachings

Jan Veenendaal, a member of the Order of Interbeing, writes a series of columns that draw on the Heart Sutra and Thich Nhat Hanh’s book “No Death, No Fear” to describe his experience with an incurable disease. In the essays he discusses the continuous cycles of cellular death and birth, and how consciousness — thoughts, feelings and perceptions — are constantly emerging and fading. He relates these ideas to his personal journey, recalling his 40‑year marriage to Marilyn, her prolonged illness and eventual death, and the many hospital visits and rehabilitation efforts they endured together. Veenendaal’s reflections were first published in February 2022; he passed away on 27 November 2023.

The columns highlight a Buddhist perspective on confronting mortality, emphasizing gratitude and acceptance while confronting the physical realities of disease.