The Work of This Moment Paperback – March 13, 2007

I discovered Toni Packer in a book of short essays from other books entitled, "The Buddha is Still Teaching." The short excerpt resonated with me and I immediately got the book from the library. I knew pretty quickly it would be a book I would be reading over and over again, so I purchased my own copy. This book is a collection of talks she has made at workshops, and letters she has written to people over the years. Her thesis (from my perspective) is that truly knowing yourself is not something that occurs from you walking on someone else's path. This is why when she took over her Zen center, she transferred it into a non Zen center.I'm sorry I am doing such a crummy job describing what she explains so well. It's a short book, most writings are only two pages. I read one writing at a time, never more, and generally go back and read it at least two more times before moving on to a new one. I am finding my path!

This is an amazing book. It cuts through all the spiritual mumbo jumbo... its simple...but wow...its direct, as direct as they come. After 22 years of meditation practice this book made me sit up and lose my breath. What a wonderful gift! Cut out all the religious stuff...all the spiritual trappings and you are left with this raw moment...

good value

I feel there is a lot to be gained from reading this book - slowly, and then sometime later having a go at it again. However, it will probably be very off-putting in the extreme to people seeking answers, most especially "spiritual" answers. Toni Packer doesn't give any. The book is about listening and questioning. If a person is willing to start there, which for most of us means starting all over again, then I would say that it would be a wise purchase. If you want at the end of the book to close it, having found The Answer or Answers, it will be an unsatisfactory purchase.

It's a very interesting book. Not a "how-to-do" book, meant for slow reading and pondering.