5/3/13

Ear Contact



I enjoy pushing my limits in the gym, and I do just that consistently.  Today was no exception while trying to observe Uposatha, I just didn’t listen to music.  This allowed me to hear the conversations of other people.  Not that I wanted to listen to them, or the faint sounds of music in the background.  I just tried not to linger on any of it.

The music was easy, as well as most of the conversations.  Yet, there was this one fellow that was picking out all the weaknesses he could observe in anyone training intensely.  This of course is coming from someone that is lifting weights and talking at the same time.  Frankly, I think everyone is doing their best to be where they are, and I respect that.  But, why go out and pick on others weaknesses?  Let alone speak them out loud to others.

I found myself getting all worked up and angry about this one guy.  I was going to tell him off, I thought.  But, I considered, it’s Uposatha!  He is spewing all this negative energy.  Why am I feeding on it?  It’s not helping him, the person he is speaking to, or anyone else.  The unskillful fabrications in my mind were just as bad, if not worse.  So, I decided to flip it.

I decided to look for what positive elements he might have to offer that I could feed on instead.  I decided to be encouraged by the fact that he was even in a gym training at all, and I was also inspired by his youth.  I aimed to feed on that which was good and not negative.  This did not make me joyful or friendly to him.  But, it did give me back my concentration, and I was able to enjoy the rest of my workout, without saying a word to him at all.