“When we do things with only a part of the mind, we are just skimming the surface of life,” Easwaran warns us in this week’s reading from Take Your Time. Throwing light on the dynamics of divided attention and its resolution, he explains:
“Nothing sinks in; nothing has real impact. It leads to an empty feeling inside. Unfortunately, it is this very emptiness that drives us to pack in even more, seeking desperately to fill the void in our hearts. What we need to do is just the opposite: to slow down and live completely in the present. Then every moment will be full.”
Let’s read this section, pages 68–73, and continue observing the connection between one-pointed attention and slowing down.
What is the most important thing that Easwaran said to you in this reading? How can you apply it in your life?
Let’s continue extending our practice of one-pointed attention using the ideas on pages 80–81. Here’s a suggestion for this week:
Remember the Buddha’s words: “When you are walking, walk; when you are sitting, sit. Don’t wobble.”
Consider a situation or activity in which you tend to “wobble.” Try using one-pointed attention to not wobble.
For our spiritual bonus this week, here is Christine Easwaran reading the passage “The One Thing Needed” from Tukaram.