Of the Six Paramitas – Giving – Dana; Discipline – Five Precepts; Patience; Effort; Meditation; and Wisdom – Meditation is a loose translation of Dhyana. It could also be considered single-minded concentration. Our usual state of mind is fleeting. First we have one thought and the next moment we are thinking yet something else, and all of this while supposedly we are engaged in some activity. This is perhaps one reason why people think they enjoy or function better if they are multitasking. What multitasking has done however is make it easier to live distracted lives and avoid concentration.

When we lead distracted lives we miss out on things and we tend to make more mistakes either in performance or judgment. Buddhism teaches us to push against the easy things in our lives. Focusing the mind, concentrating on a single task or thought is hard and takes practice; perhaps this is why some people prefer not doing it. The mind when it is focused and concentrated is capable of accomplishing many great things.