Buddhism is a major Asian religion studied and practiced in countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Although Buddhism is a growing religion throughout the world, in particular, the practice of meditation is spreading in the West. The United States has a center for Buddhists in Hawaii and New York and also a Buddhist community has been established in California. (Hewitt, 13-14) But even closer to home for most is the practicing of Zen Buddhism on the basketball court by former Chicago Bulls and present Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson. In this essay I will discuss how Jackson has incorporated some of the practices of Zen Buddhism into his and the players of his teams lives and how it has been effective for the game and the lives of those involved. I will also touch on his use of combined Zen and Christianity along with his extended interest in the Lakota Sioux.
“The Chicago Bulls’ Buddha-like guru Phil Jackson inks the richest coaching deal in N.B.A. history ($6 million for one last season [with the Bulls])” (Notebook, 11). There may be some sound reasoning behind this. Michael Jordan was quoted on how some team members are starting to use Jackson’s religion to help them win, “It’s that Zen Buddhism stuff. We’re practicing smiling when we may be frustrated inside so we can relieve some tension. It’s an art form” (Quotables, 1). Jackson speaks in depth to his team about ejecting selfishness and egotism (Eckman, 3). “He describes Jordan in the late 80’s as a player who tried to beat the other team by himself” (Zen Teamwork). He not only helped lead Jordan to play like a star but led the Bulls to be a winning team. He and several of his former players believe that this is partially due to what they practiced in the years Jackson was coach. Not only did they study basketball, as writer Frank Deford for Sports Illustrated noted in a cover story on Jackson, they took part in “group meditations and pregame ‘nap time’” (84). Not to mention poetry and assigned books (83). These things may sound odd but as one of the beliefs of Zen says, “Don’t get caught up in only one way of doing things; and don’t look at things from just one point of view. If you try another way, or change your point of view, the results will always be different” (Chung, 99). Jackson definitely looks at and coaches basketball from a different point of view then most coach...
... middle of paper ...
.... As an attention getter to his team before a big game when they are wondering if the meditating and poetry will pay off or if they are just wasting their time, Jackson reminds them of his awareness by saying, “It’s like you’re going along at 65 miles an hour, listening to your hip-hop music, and your cell phone is ringing, and you’re eating a Big Mac, and you spill ketchup on your shirt. You look down. And when you look back up: right ahead of you, it’s all red lights. There’s just too much going on in your lives” (Deford, 84)
Works Cited
Chung, Tsai Chih. Wisdom of the Zen Masters. New York: Doubleday, 1998.
Deford, Frank. “Father Phil.” Sports Illustrated 1 Nov. 1999: 82-91
Eckman, Dr. Jim. “Issues in Perspective.” 2 April 2000. Grace University: <www.graceu.edu/issues/archives/april/is00apr0102.html>
“Zen and the Art of Teamwork.” Fortune 25 Dec 1995
Hewitt, Catherine. Buddhism. New York: Thomson Learning, 1995.
Jackson, Phil, and Hugh Delehanty. Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior. New York: Phil Jackson, 1995.
“Notebook.” Time 4 Aug. 1997: 11
“Quotables.” Home page. 26 April 2000. <www.worldmay.com/world/issue/06-20-98/opening-4.asp >
Hạnh, Nhất, and Arnold Kotler. Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life.
In Jim Naughton’s book Taking To The Air, the main character is Michael Jordan. The book is Jordan’s life and talents. Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. He was the fourth child and the youngest of three boys. Michael Jordan is by any measure, the most popular athlete in America and perhaps the best-known figure in the world. I have chosen to use Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchy of Need to analysis Jordan’s personality. I will do my analysis by focusing on Jordan’s healthy personality, which is marked by his continued personal growth.
Pete Maravich was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. His spectacular moves and awesome footwork helped him to get better everyday. His incredible passes and being able to control the court caused his teammates to like him even more. “His playground moves, circus shots, and hotdog passes were considered outrageous during his era” (NBA Encyclopedia Playoff Edition). His love for basketball was instilled by his father Peter “Press” Maravich.
Print “Jackson, Bo.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2014 -. Web. The Web.
Basketball is a chart-topping sport that is loved by many fans. It’s been a hit since 1891 when it began, starting in Springfield, Massachusetts. It grew rapidly in popularity and spread around the world. Many people found it comforting to play, such as Pat Conroy. Pat Conroy was an outstanding basketball player, who was committed in going far with his teammates. Although he seemed superb, he had a troubled life growing up at his family home. His parents were abusive and uncaring towards him, therefore he used basketball as an alternative. In My Losing Season, Pat was able to obliterate the thought of his abusive parents. His comfort was playing basketball with a team he will never fail to remember. The outcomes Pat acquired were admirable,
Zen in the Art of Archery, by Eugen Herrigel describes the ritualistic arts of discipline and focus that the Zen religion focuses around. In this book, Herrigel describes many aspects of how archery is, in fact, not a sport, but an art form, and is very spiritual to those in the east. The process he describes shows how he overcame his initial inhibitions and began to look toward new ways of seeing and understanding. In the beginning of the book, Herrigel tells us that he is writing about a ritual and religious practice, “whose aim consists in hitting a spiritual goal, so that fundamentally the marksman aims at himself and may even succeed in hitting himself.” (Herrigel p. 4).
In the collegiate world of sports, basketball has become an increasingly recognized sport among African Americans, predominantly males. The hope of any young basketball player is that one day a scout will come and recruit them into stardom The question that presents itself as a problem to the lucky few who are chosen to go professional, is whether or not an education is more important than a million dollar shoe deal, “The NCAA's (1998) annual six-year study reported that only 33% of Black male basketball players graduated, (Chronicle of Higher Education, 1999). Individually, basketball reported the lowest graduation rate in all divisions,” (Robinson, 2004:1). Basketball players have become so idolized in the eyes of young Black male basketball athletes, that the value of education appear to be less important in the development of these young men, “According to Sailes (1997), there is an over-representation of Black males in particular sports and an under-representation in other segments of American society. He provides the example of percentages of Black males competing in the NBA (77%), NFL (65%), MLB (15%), and MLS (16%) in comparison to the fact that fewer than 2% of doctors, lawyers, architects, college professors, or business executives are Black males.”, (Robinson, 2004:1). The idea of the attainment of a professional basketball player’s salary in the NBA, without even having to go to school for the time it takes to earn a degree is very appealing to some players. Those with a wealthy, or even upper-middle class upbringing may not view material assets as a priority. In the Black community, we have theorized that money and success play a more important role than education in most households. Although these two seem to go together, one resulting from the other, this does not apply in the sports world. Our research will examine the role that the family value system plays in influencing Black vs. White male athletes to turn professional, as opposed to obtaining a college degree before turning professional.
Bo Jackson is a former baseball and football athlete who has spent his time in college wisely and finished school with a bachelor’s degree in… while playing for the raiders Bo Jackson dislocated his hip, which enabled him to play professional football. However, he continued to play professional baseball but could not perform at the level he did before his injury occurred. In addition, due to his hip injury both his professional football and baseball career was cut short. His commitment to finish his education Bo Jackson has established himself as a successful businessman and lives a financially stable
With his father recently deceased, his mother, Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson, was forced to live with family. Because of this, Jackson’s mother had to earn her families room and board by working for her relatives. He was surrounded by family, but never really fit in. I believe this led to an inferiority complex in Jackson; causing aggression and the need to “one up” everyone. As a child, he was constantly fighting; trying to prove his strength and worth. It is said, that Jackson would get so worked up he would be “slobbering”. It is my opinion that this is where Jackson started building his legendary personality; dominating those around him with his charisma or hostility. I believe it is because of this personality he accomplished so many things; it is also what led him to treat those he saw as “beneath him” so poorly. (Meacham
Originally from Japan, Soyen Shaku was the first Zen master to arrive in America. His followers urged him not to come to a nation that was so ill-mannered and uncultivated and that the Japanese were facing extreme discrimination. Shaku’s countrymen Hirai Ryuge Kinzo “offered pointed examples: the barring of a Japanese student from a university on the basis of his race; the exclusion of Japanese children from the San Francisco public schools; the processions of American citizens bearing placards saying ‘Japs Must Go!’” (Eck 185). After several decades, there was a Zen boom of the 1950s and that was how Buddhism affected western culture, especially in regards to entertainment. “‘Zen’ is “the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character "chan," which is in turn the Chinese translation from the Indian Sanskrit term "dhyana," which means meditation’” (Lin).
Bill Russell grew up in an extremely racist time in America in an extremely racist state. Born in Louisiana and raised both there and in Oakland, California; Russell and his family battled the every day hardships that most black people faced at that time. But Russell always had a set of morals and guidelines that he led his life by, many of which he learned from his father, who he says was his hero and biggest role model. These morals revolved around independence and a very classic “ I will not allow anyone to impose their will on me.” (Page 56, paragraph 1) These morals followed and shaped him in his playing and coaching career.
Williams, Peter. The sports immortals: deifying the American athlete. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1994.. 30-31
Over twenty-five hundred years ago, Buddha Guatama practiced meditation and came to what is known as “The Four Noble Truth,” an important principle in Buddhism (Elder, 2010). This principle informs the reader of what suffering is and how affect is. This is a great example of how valuable meditation is- on the very first session ever recorded, the awareness that came from it would later be the foundation of a new religion. This proves how powerful meditation can be. Furthermore, some form of meditation can be found in various religions. Although the styles, techniques, and ideology behind the meditation can vary per religion, personal transformation is the key goal (Modi, Singh, 2012). Today, in Western society, mindful meditation (a form of meditation) has grown in popularity, used for relaxation and to help treat those who suffer from mental illness’ and mood disorders. Viewed as alternative medicine for the mind and soul, it is beneficial for our emotional and mental
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
Khantipalo, Bhikkhu. "The Buddhist Monk's Discipline: Some Points Explained for Laypeople." Access to Insight. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.