Baltimore drew first in this year’s draft, having had by far the worst record in the MLB last year. No surprise, they took Adley Rutschman, the consensus top pick from Oregon State. An article in the Baltimore Sun covered the story, and included some details about a growing trend among coaching staffs to teach players about “mudita.” This is a central idea in Buddhism, and while it does not translate neatly to English, you might say “joy at the joy of others” – to immediately and wholeheartedly embrace what is good in your world, regardless of how it may benefit you personally. Many coaches worry about an increasingly individualistic culture in their various sports, and think the lessons might counteract that. (By implication, Rutschman seems to have been at a program where some of this happened.)

And on hearing this little bit of borrowing from Buddhism, I thought, “Yes, yes.  Who better than the Orioles to draw from a religious tradition whose central tenet is that all existence is suffering?”