Take Your Time ─ The Wisdom of Slowing Down

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.

Eknath Easwaran (1910 ? 1999) is respected around the world as an authentic guide to timeless wisdom, and as the author of passage meditation, an eight-point program of universal spiritual practices that includes slowing down and one-pointed attention. In 1961 he founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, which carries on his work with publications and retreats.

Easwaran’s books on spiritual living have been published in 26 languages. His translations of the Indian spiritual classics are bestsellers in English, and more than 1.5 million of his books are in print.

A gifted teacher who lived for many years in the West, Easwaran lived what he taught, giving him enduring appeal as a teacher and author of deep insight and warmth.