You said we should think of sitting as a pleasurable and wonderful time. Well, that depends on my mind. Sometimes I see it that way, other times I don't. It's what you think and feel deep down. I can intellectually say sitting is a wonderful thing. I know it, but sometimes I feel differently, and it's hard to make the feeling and the thought come together. This is true for many things, not just meditation. I feel like I'm two different people.

SHIH-FU:

As I said, you have to cultivate this skill. To use an analogy, if you are learning to play tennis, initially you may feel frustrated and discouraged because you are missing the ball or hitting it poorly. But with practice you will improve. With persistence, at some point it becomes natural and enjoyable, and you look forward with enthusiasm to playing. The health benefits of tennis then becomes a free bonus.

You have to turn sitting practice into a habit. Give yourself a hint subconsciously. Tell yourself sitting is a pleasure, a good time. Create this attitude, this atmosphere, even though you know you will not really feel this way all the time. If you do it over and over, you will train yourself. Tell yourself this kind of enjoyment is better than other kinds of enjoyment. It is a precious, spiritual time. Train yourself. At first it will be difficult. You might fail in the beginning. But keep trying. This, too, is practice.