The Five Invitations Audiobook By Frank Ostaseski cover art

The Five Invitations

Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

The Five Invitations

By: Frank Ostaseski
Narrated by: Frank Ostaseski
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.24

Buy for $20.24

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

Death is not waiting for us at the end of a long road. Death is always with us, in the marrow of every passing moment. She is the secret teacher hiding in plain sight, helping us to discover what matters most.

Life and death are a package deal. They cannot be pulled apart, and we cannot truly live unless we are aware of death. The Five Invitations is an exhilarating meditation on the meaning of life and how maintaining an ever-present consciousness of death can bring us closer to our truest selves. As a renowned teacher of compassionate caregiving and the cofounder of the Zen Hospice Project, Frank Ostaseski has sat on the precipice of death with more than a thousand people. In The Five Invitations, he distills the lessons gleaned over the course of his career, offering an evocative and stirring guide that points to a radical path to transformation.

The Five Invitations:

  • Don't wait
  • Welcome everything, push away nothing
  • Bring your whole self to the experience
  • Find a place of rest in the middle of things
  • Cultivate "don't know mind"

These Five Invitations show us how to wake up fully to our lives. They can be understood as best practices for anyone coping with loss or navigating any sort of transition or crisis; they guide us toward appreciating life's preciousness. Awareness of death can be a valuable companion on the road to living well, forging a rich and meaningful life, and letting go of regret. The Five Invitations is a powerful and inspiring exploration of the essential wisdom dying has to impart to all of us.

©2017 Frank Ostaseski (P)2017 Macmillan Audio Buddhism Eastern Grief & Loss Personal Development Personal Success Philosophy Relationships Spirituality Meditation Inspiring Witty Funny Wisdom

Featured Article: 35+ Inspirational Quotes About Hope


Hope is one of life’s greatest miracles. The human ability to hold onto belief in the possibility of a better scenario, even when presented with overwhelming evidence to the contrary, is truly phenomenal. It’s easy to understand why so many writers have featured hope in their works, and why hope continues to inspire us. Whether you’re up against a challenge or just looking for inspiration, these quotes about hope can help you find your faith. Here we’ve gathered the most inspirational quotes from some of our favorite audiobooks.

Featured Article 35+ Inspirational Quotes About Hope
Profound Wisdom • Moving Stories • Soothing Voice • Compassionate Perspective • Transformative Insights • Calming Tone
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
First, I think this book got into my top 5 favorites of all time. It was a fantastic journey to listen to this. I felt I got connected with Frank and with the stories he shares, with some of the emotions they had, with my emotions.

I highly recommend it.

Also if you want to live this experience the second time differently - I recommend you listen to this book on 1.5x-1.6x. Frank's voice gets filled with even more compassion, a familiar sad-calm-optimism,

I'm so glad I got this audiobook and not the book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I read an average of a book a week. Only a handful of books do I know that I will re-read and study. This book is one of those books. I first listened on Audible, which I highly recommend. The author reads the book and his voice was soothing and brought the stories to life because I could hear his tone and his inflections of voice. I then bought a copy of the book so I could mark it up and study it in more depth in the coming months. I highly recommend this book especially if you are facing the death of someone you love.

Powerful for those facing losing a loved one!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is one of those beautiful books that is not so easy to find, full of compassionate wisdom. I really enjoyed listening it!

Profund, insightful and full of presence!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book was a priceless, invaluable gift to me in the months following the death of my 45 year old sister from breast cancer. Being broken open, I was ready to take in Ostaseski's words and teachings. Every human should read this enlightening book. I switched from the hard cope to the audiobook halfway thorough, and I'm so glad I did. Beautiful.❤️

Life changing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
My experiences with grief and death has been edified, enriched and a permission given to feel every aspect of both was gifted to me through the reading of this book. The outcome currently is one of where I am actively engaged in an intimate dance with grief, and I am simply flowing with the steps as they are presented. Thank you Frank for writing this book, which has allowed it to assist me through my personal journey. I am forever grateful to you.

Most Empowering Reading Experience Ever

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved this book! It was VERY insightful all the way through. He really brings out the importance in life by his past experiences and what he has learned. I know I’ll be listening to this book again and again. It is so rich in knowledge. He has gone through very horrible times in his life and I love that he shares them with us. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone!! It’ll help you in ways you wouldn’t have imagined.

A Must Listen!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Ostaseski identifies the essential qualities of a fulfilling life by embracing the dark along with the light. His approach is both refreshing and insightful. This book changed how I feel about death and what is important in life. Living fully aware, sober, appreciating the little things, in the present moment, loving without restraint, forgiving both inwardly and outwardly, having the courage to experience the full brunt of our fears, and to find a place of rest in the middle of it all in quiet thankfulness.

Life-changing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is quite possibly the wisest, most beautiful book I have ever read/listened to. The author’s voice is truly peace itself. Highly recommended !

Incredibly moving and insightful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
life changing. read this book! and give it to a friend too. I loved it.

powerful!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I was a house orderly in a large city hospital, and his stories really moved me,and having just lost my mother,I was comforted by his loving stories.

beautiful, and life changing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews