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Tiger Woods: I'm Recommitting Myself to Buddhism

Posted: 02/19/10 05:41 PM ET

tiger woods buddhist

Tiger Woods: Mea Culpa, Buddha.


Emphasizing a return to his Buddhist tradition, Tiger vows to Bring Obstacles to the Path.

Sorry, Brit Hume.

Seems that forgiveness, humiliation, anger, adultery, raising a family, handling the adulation and now blame of millions...well seems Tiger figured Buddhism could handle whatever love-sex-suffering-adultery-confusion that life could throw at his klesha-killing, time-tested tradition.

In Buddhist terms, Tiger has vowed to "bring all obstacles to the path."

A deeply apologetic Tiger Woods today added to his lengthy litany of sins, regrets and promises of repentance that he needs to return to Buddhist traditions.


His mother taught him the traditions and moral philosophy but as an adult, he says, he drifted away. Now it's time to return to finding balance and being centered again.

Buddhism, he said, teaches that "a craving for things outside ourselves" can only lead to "unhappiness and a pointless search for security. Woods said he needed to stop "following every impulse" and "learn restraint."

Via the Christian Science Monitor:

But its power - or cheese factor, take your pick - didn't come from the standard athlete's apology and the wipe of a tear (which Woods didn't do), but from the billionaire golfer attempting to give to the public, for better and worse, what they really wanted: a few glimpses into who he really is - including his arrogance, his concern for his family, and his decision to steer back toward the religion that shaped him as a person and athlete: Buddhism.

"Part of following this path is Buddhism," he said, citing the religion practiced by more than 300 million people worldwide. "Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security, and it teaches me to stop following every impulse and learn restraint. Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught."

(Brit Hume will no doubt be disappointed. The Fox News personality urged Woods to embrace Christianity to overcome his problems.)

For more, check out the Christian Science Monitor.


 

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03:11 PM on 02/24/2010
Tiger could do lay person practice with vipassana retreats. He could be an upasaka and still work in the glitter of celebrity. Example: Citta Gahapati remained a householder throughout his life. However, by undertaking the thorough understanding and practice of Dhamma, he attained the stage of anagami, a higher stage than that reached by many of the monks of his time. He was therefore known as 'pre-eminent in expounding the Dhamma'. In the Acelakassapa Suttaacelakassapa sutta of the Samyutta Nikaya, Citta Gahapati declares that he could practise the four jhanas, and that if he died prior to the Buddha, he would be pronounced by him as one who had no fetters (samyojana) which would bring him back to this world again
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TheBodySacred
divine diva
08:58 PM on 02/22/2010
Okay, let me try again. I wish Tiger all the best. He can get through this by adoping Buddhist teachings such of prayer, meditation, self-discipline, tantric sexuality, and trust in God in his life.
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Ed and Deb Shapiro
03:37 PM on 02/21/2010
Hey Way- great blog

Buddha's teachings are brilliant

one doesn't need to be a Buddhist but if one took a look they will discover that Buddha spoke about the nature of the mind

how desire can lead to suffering .. and how the mind is like a monkey ..

Tiger woods got caught in the trappings of his insatiable mind .. anyone can get stuck

I do believe his life is his own .. and he has to face his karma as we all do

May all beings be free from suffering,

Jygpo - Ed
11:50 AM on 02/21/2010
I wish Tiger well. Buddhism teaches self-discipline with awareness of consequences. I hope he can embrace this and get back on tour because his sport really misses him. His personal life is a mess and I wish the media would now leave him alone for the sake of his family if not for himself.
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Waylon Lewis
04:02 PM on 02/21/2010
Amen. But it's not the media's fault—it's ours, for being fascinated by the humanity behind his cool.
10:44 AM on 02/21/2010
"A deeply apologetic Tiger Woods today added to his lengthy litany of sins, regrets and promises of repentance that he needs to return to Buddhist traditions."

I am not sure. Is repentance a tenet or a requirement within Buddhist teachings?

Concerning his choice of Buddhism, I hope he made his choice according to what he sees as a true philosophy and not just what appeals to his background or personality. Does Buddhism comport with reason (non-contradictory)? Does it fit with world we live in (the correspondence view of truth)? Is it based on a reliable authority?

I hope Mr. Woods comes to follow what is true, and not just what makes him feel good, i.e. he has reasons for following the philosophy of Buddhism.
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Waylon Lewis
04:04 PM on 02/21/2010
Buddhism probably has more in common with science than other, theistic traditions. All due respect, of course, as the Dalai Lama says "stick to your own tradition!"

It doesn't believe in an external god, particularly, but rather, as the Buddha said, "Don't believe anything I say, only what you experience." It's founded on a basically good notion of our human nature. When we clear our minds and open our hearts, we find life is simple, fundamentally okay, and all about compassion.
10:15 AM on 02/20/2010
So, now he needs Buddhism to tell him right from wrong. As if he did not know what he was doing all along was wrong. Please.. give me a break. If you have a heart and a brain and you refuse to use it, no religion can help you.
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StephenJK
All your consciousness are belong to us
07:18 AM on 02/21/2010
Nothing of value here, folks. Move along.
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Waylon Lewis
04:05 PM on 02/21/2010
Easier said that done...knowing what's right, and doing it. Something about throwing stones in a glass house comes to mind. Who can cast the first stone?
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khanti
Cultivator
09:15 AM on 02/20/2010
It would be good if Tiger can become a novice monk (samanera) for 40days in a Buddhist temple in Thailand. In Thailand it is the personal wish of most Buddhist male to do that. at least once in a life time. Many companies actually give a 40day paid leave. Shaved and dressed up as a samanera monk he would learn much on how to overcome his weaknesses (not golf mind you). Thai ladies like to marry a man who had done such a retreat as he is considered 'suk' matured in thoughts.
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12:08 PM on 02/20/2010
How does isolating yourself from your 'real world' help you to deal with the problems you have in your 'real world'?

That's like a compulsive eater going to 'fat camp' for 40 days where you have no temptation or access to Häagen-Dazs ... and expediting the experience to teach you how to deal with the plate of Toll House cookies on the table when you return home.

Although, to be fair, being "Shaved and dressed up as a samanera monk" ... might have some magical powers I'm not aware of.
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khanti
Cultivator
07:36 PM on 02/20/2010
A novice monk has to sweep the temple ground and wash toilets. He learns chanting to develop focus. He will be taught to meditate be mindful of speech, action and on the Teachings of the Buddha. There will be no solid meal after twelve. He will also need to take certain percepts such as no intoxicated drinks or drugs and no sexual misconduct! In fact to abstain from sex while as a monk.
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StephenJK
All your consciousness are belong to us
07:22 AM on 02/21/2010
I think it pertains to "stripping" one's self down to the barest essentials in order to be able to focus on who you are as a person, how you should process information coming from outside of yourself and act appropriately. It would also teach you that less equals more.
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khanti
Cultivator
08:43 AM on 02/20/2010
In Thailand it is the personal wish of most Buddhist man to do that. at least once in a life time. Many companies actually give a 40day paid leave. Shaved and dressed up as a samanera monk he would learn much on how to overcome his weaknesses (not golf mind you). Thai ladies like to marry a man who had done such a retreat as he is considered 'suk' matured in thoughts.
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qthedancer
07:43 AM on 02/20/2010
Good luck, Tiger Woods. The Buddha within will help you, too.
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Beth Boyle
01:54 AM on 02/20/2010
Buddhism. and celebrity don't work well together.
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qthedancer
07:44 AM on 02/20/2010
They do. It's not the easiest path, but they do.
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StephenJK
All your consciousness are belong to us
07:23 AM on 02/21/2010
Really? Tell that to the Dalai Lama.

ROFL
12:15 AM on 02/20/2010
It will be interesting to see whether this is a sincere turnaround or just a very carefully constructed media campaign. Tiger has been so cold and calculating and controlling about everything in the past, I think we have to wait and see if this is what he really feels, or this is the best material his PR person could come up with. The whole thing was so carefully choreographed down to the last nose twitch, it's hard to tell so far.

The most convincing evidence of sincerity to me is that he has given up golf for awhile. That's a big sacrifice for someone of his ambition.

Bob Weisenberg
http://YogaDemystified.com
09:49 PM on 02/19/2010
I'm still waiting for Brit's book on parenting. I'll put it next to O'Reilly's children's book and Bill Bennett's "Book of Virtues."
09:40 PM on 02/19/2010
What? After Brit Hume told him not to??

Actually, I think that the Buddhists are right on target with this one: Buddhism, he said, teaches that "a craving for things outside ourselves" can only lead to "unhappiness and a pointless search for security."
09:22 PM on 02/19/2010
Good luck, Tiger
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Waylon Lewis
01:04 PM on 02/24/2010
Amen. And to his family!
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Social Construct
Go left, young man.
07:54 PM on 02/19/2010
Tiger is returning to Buddhism. And I'm the Dalai Lama.
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StephenJK
All your consciousness are belong to us
07:24 AM on 02/21/2010
Actually, you are nothing. When you realize that you are one step closer to enlightenment.
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Social Construct
Go left, young man.
12:19 PM on 02/21/2010
Thanks for the reply. Actually, I prefer the "nothing" label. For me, enlightenment will never happen. For too many reasons that I could put into this space.

Anyway, I was merely being humorous at the expense of Mr. Woods, the Dalai Lama and, for absurdity's sake, all of us.
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Waylon Lewis
04:07 PM on 02/21/2010
Heart Sutra: nothing yet everything, nothing yet yourself...both. Neither.