Take Your Time

Helping others to slow down occupied Easwaran's attention from the start of his career as a spiritual teacher, when he disembarked in New York in 1959, until his very last talk in 1998. He regarded slowing down the mind as a topic of the utmost seriousness, and Take Your Time Over-scheduled, always tired, struggling with the pull of the online world -- that's how many of us feel right now. Training a frazzled mind to embrace calm isn't easy. For over forty years, Easwaran dedicated himself to teaching meditation and the wisdom of slowing down. When the mind is unhurried, it is calm, kind, ready for anything, aware of what really matters amidst the clamor of a busy day. The secret is to learn to live in the present, to train our minds to work steadily and with one-pointed attention, however many tasks confront us. Through stories and parables, backed up by practical advice, Easwaran gives us gentle illustrations of a wiser way to live. As we read, we find ourselves in situations where we may get impatient or upset - standing in line, dealing with difficult colleagues, shopping with children with agendas of their own - but as Easwaran relates each event, we see it from the perspective of an unhurried mind. And we see small ways to change how we respond, opening the door to rich, loving relationships, creative and productive work, and a quiet sense of joy that can permeate our lives.