Concentrating on the Work at Hand

In this excerpt from The Gift of Work (originally published as Skillful Means), the prolific Nyingma teacher Tarthang Tulku shares a plain-language exercise for concentration, as developed over his five decades interacting with Americans from various business backgrounds.

CONCENTRATION is like a diamond; it is a brilliant focusing of our energy, intelligence, and sensitivity. When we concentrate fully, the light of our abilities shines forth in many colors, radiating through all we do. Our energy gains a momentum and clarity that allows us to perform each task quickly and with ease, and we respond to the challenges work offers with pleasure and enthusiasm. As we develop our ability to concentrate, we discover a vital quality that sharpens our awareness and increases our appreciation of all experience. But it is not always a simple matter to build up this concentration. The mind tends to follow its generally undirected inclinations, and we are easily lured away from the work at hand. This means that our energy becomes scattered and dispersed, instead…

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Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly (Digital) - 1 Issue, Summer 2024

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