Customer Reviews

Mastering Successful Work: Skilful Means: Wake Up! (Skillful Means Series)

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"Mastering Successful Work" is one of the most practical, useful Buddhist books you will ever read. If you have ever wondered how to live as a Buddhist in the world (AND be successful in both your Buddhism and your job) then this is the book for you.
Tarthang Tulku is a buddhist teacher in the Nyingma lineage. Having said that, his real greatness is not in the exposition of complicated mystical Buddhist ideas but in his ability to relate Buddhist teachings to daily life. Tarthang Tulku writes for the person (Buddhist or not) who is trying to do good while also doing well. He gives practical advice towards achieving both goals.

He writes that the meditator may fool himself about his accomplishments, but the person who has a deadline or a payroll to meet cannot. So many Buddhist texts point us to the mountains and to the retreat, but Tarthang Tulku points us towards our own lives and sends us back here to find our place and seek our own way.
He does not, however, send us alone. He explains to us how we can make our work a meaningful part of our spiritual life, not an impediment to it. He explains these principles and ideas to us in 'layman's language,' not in technical Buddhist terminology. Then, he provides many examples and exercises to help us experience and understand these ideas and principles.
This book is not a difficult read. It is simply and directly written. If you seek esoteric wisdom, go somewhere else. If you are looking for practical advice on finding the balance between your Buddhist practice and your daily life, this is the book for you.

There are many other books by Tarthang Tulku (available on Amazon.com.) Another excellent book on this topic by this author is "Skillful Means." I recommend you read it first, as this book builds on some of the ideas presented in "Skillful Means," although it is not presented as a pre-requisite to "Mastering Successful Work." Another interesting book in this vein (also on Amazon.com) is "The Diamond Cutter : The Buddha on Managing Your Business and Your Life" by Geshe Michael Roach. Roach's book is more on the business end, while Tarthang Tulku writes more about WORK, but it is an interesting read.

This book has taught me again and again how to overcome habitual tendencies at work and focus, in a kind manner, on the "awareness - concentration - energy" needed for successful completion of work projects and career goals. Through a deep understanding of mind training, it maps out highly practical ways of responding to incompletion, drifting off, stress and lack of clarity surrounding the tasks at hand, guiding the reader toward strategies for mindful productivity. You've heard of "fog lifter" coffee; well, this book is the supreme fog lifter for working individuals of all makes and models -- anyone who struggles, even periodically, with distraction, procrastination and unconscious self-sabotage of the cycle of abundance. This book is truly a measureless gift to the West on the part of a profound yet humble (and indeed, prolific) Tibetan teacher who has gained uncanny insight into the application of skillful means to the work arena.

Mastering Successful Work is the sequel to Tarthang Tulku's famous Skillful Means: Patterns for Success (Nyingma Psychology Series, 5). The first book played a great part in changing thousands of peoples' attitudes about their work. This book goes even deeper with more exercises and specific examples about how we can learn to enjoy our work. The way it relates traditional Buddhism to the modern workplace is clear and accessible.

When I first started working with the Skillful Means program, I found that I was enjoying and even looking forward to work. I highly recommend this book to anyone stuck in a job they cannot get out of, but still seek to find fulfillment through their work.

Another good book in the series is MasterWork : Master of Time. Dharma Publishing also has wonderful retreats on the subject and a new e-Skillful Means program.

This book accompanies my daily wor