Frank Ostaseski is a Buddhist teacher, international lecturer and a leading voice in contemplative end-of-life care.

In 1987, he co-founded of the Zen Hospice Project, the first Buddhist hospice in America. In 2004, he created the Metta Institute to provide innovative educational programs and professional trainings that foster mindful and compassionate care of the dying.

His public programs throughout the United States and Europe have introduced thousands to the practices of mindful and compassionate care of the dying, In 2001, Frank was honored by the Dalai Lama for his years of service to the dying and their families. In 2003, he was named one of America’s 50 most innovative people in America by the AARP magazine. He is the former spiritual advisor to the Esalen Institute.

His work has been widely featured in the media, including the Bill Moyers television series On Our Own Terms, the PBS series With Eyes Open, The Oprah Winfrey Show, the Global Spirit production The Art of Living and Dying and in numerous print publications. He is the author of the Being A Compassionate Companion audio series.

Frank has served as a consultant to several healthcare organizations and foundations including Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Fetzer Institute and others. He is a frequent keynote speaker at many conferences and prestigious medical and educational institutions including:

• Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA.
  • Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MI.
  • National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Alexandria VA.
  • Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
  • National Hospice Association, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Naropa Institute, Boulder, CO.
  • University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
  • National Congress of the Italian Society of Palliative Care, Trieste, Italy.

The Metta Institute® has two primary projects.

• The End-of-Life Practitioner Program provides an unparalleled educational opportunity for healthcare professionals and other caregivers. It prepares participants with the knowledge, skills and presence needed to address the psycho-social and spiritual dimensions of dying. Frank leads the trainings with faculty members Ram Dass, Rachel Naomi Remen MD, and others.
• The Heavenly Messengers: Awakening Through Illness Aging and Death is a collaboration with the Spirit Rock Meditation Center. The multi-year training includes 5 meditation retreats complemented by home study and community service. The program offers practice and study of classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary approaches to illness, aging, death and the skills needed to compassionately companion others facing these experiences.