Point Seven of the Seven Points

Point Seven – Guidelines of the Practice

            Several decades ago, bowling alley proprietors were wondering how to encourage younger children to take up the game. The problem was the gutters - most kids could not roll the ball without it veering off to one of the sides. Without knocking down any pins, it didn't take long before they became frustrated and gave up. The invention of bumper bowling changed their constant disappointment to pleasure; it aided not only the younger set, but also those with developmental disabilities. Heavy-duty cardboard tubes were first used, then inflatable tubes followed by retractable rails. Bowling balls that drifted towards the gutters were deflected back to the lane by the bumpers, assuring that the ball would make it to the pins. Like bowling bumpers, the slogans (39 - 59) of Point Seven keep us from swerving off our path. Eight of them suggest what not to do, while fourteen of them encourage us in what to do. These guidelines are particularly helpful in our daily lives (off the meditation cushion). They can bump our attention back to our spiritual intentions and keep us out of the gutter of self-centeredness.