Off the Cushion, 9/15/07

Yesterday was a mixed bag: enjoyable, stressful, busy, tiring. In some instances I felt like I behaved in a positive way toward myself and others. But, when under stress, I behaved in a somewhat less positive way. If I think of formal meditation as batting practice, as long as I keep showing up in the batting box, I'm practicing no matter if I strike out, hit a foul ball, or connect with the ball in a resounding thwack. As long as I practice, I'm developing my ability to sense the trajectory of the ball, judge whether to swing at the ball, when to swing at the ball, at what level and with how much energy to swing the bat. There is always the possibility that on one swing, the ball will sail out of the park. And, if I keep practicing steadily, my skill at the game of life is bound to improve over the season.