Is your practice bringing you joy?

[FoxTracks]

"If your practice does not bring you joy, you are not practicing correctly."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Once the Buddha Siddartha Guatama had a conversation with a disciple who had previously been a musician. The buddha asked the disciple what would happen if a string on his instrument was tuned too loosely, what would happen. The disciple replied it would make no sound. Then the Buddha asked what would happen if the string was too taut, and the disciple said that the string would break. The buddha said, "The practice of the way is the same."

Friends, do not tune your instrument too taut or too lose. Enjoy yourself, put in some effort, but do not break yourself. Enjoy your practice, whatever way you might follow. It is important to be diligent, but in truth when you are straining to do something it is something you cannot do right now. Build up your practice slowly, and you will find yourself achieving things you could not imagine. As in the story of the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race.

(P.S. I hope my story does not break SF rules as it is not a quote. Please let me know if it does and I will not be heartbroken.)