Phil Jackson and BuddhismEssay Preview: Phil Jackson and BuddhismReport this essayBuddhism 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.
Practical application of Buddhism in sports and sports medicine.
I will begin the application of two concepts: 1) How Buddhism can be applied in sports medicine, specifically.2) How it can benefit everyone. I will then continue focusing on my personal research on the use of my personal experience in sports medicine, specifically in basketball and also for the medical treatment of sports injuries and chronic conditions related to sports participation. Thirdly, an introduction to Zen Buddhism, with what it is, and what it means for me, and how it can benefit the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB. It is a highly therapeutic language, and is a powerful tool to treat any health problem, and any particular condition. I have read through my other literature to better understand it. It is an invaluable tool in my health care work, as it is the single most important piece of my knowledge that will allow me to continue to do my research. It is important, even more so, to me that I start by using the Buddhist doctrine of “Daisan.” The Daisan and Zen practices are three to ten fold, as is being practiced in many cities around the world.
I will explain to you this way, and how I feel about your work in this area.
Practical application of Buddhism in sports and sports medicine.
I will begin the application of two concepts: 1) How Buddhism can be applied in sports medicine, specifically.2) How it can benefit everyone. I will then continue focusing on my personal research on the use of my personal experience in sports medicine, specifically in basketball and also for the medical treatment of sports injuries and chronic conditions related to sports participation. Thirdly, an introduction to Zen Buddhism, with what it is, and what it means for me, and how it can benefit the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB. It is a highly therapeutic language, and is a powerful tool to treat any health problem, and any particular condition. I have read through my other literature to better understand it. It is an invaluable tool in my health care work, as it is the single most important piece of my knowledge that will allow me to continue to do my research. It is important, even more so, to me that I start by using the Buddhist doctrine of “Daisan.” The Daisan and Zen practices are three to ten fold, as is being practiced in many cities around the world.
I will explain to you this way, and how I feel about your work in this area.
“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 Jacksons religion to help them win, “Its that Zen Buddhism stuff. Were practicing smiling when we may be frustrated inside so we can relieve some tension. Its 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 80s 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, “Dont get caught up in only one way of doing things; and dont 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 coaches, and his outcome with the Bulls was definitely different.
Speaking on the art of coaching on page 79-80 of his book Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior Jackson explains that,“One of the main jobs of a coach is to reawaken that spirit so that the players can blend together effortlessly. Its often an uphill fight. The ego-driven culture of basketball, and society in general, militates against cultivating this kind of selfless action, even for members of a team whose success as individuals in tied directly to the group performance. Our society places such a high premium on individual achievement, its easy for players to get blinded by their own self-importance and lose a sense of interconnectedness, the essence of teamwork.”
In this passage Jackson incorporates some very important fundamental Buddhist ideas. One of the aspects of the Eightfold Path, or the “Middle Way”, which Buddha said was the cure of suffering, Right Thought is the basis of this statement. In the introductive book Buddhism Catherine Hewitt spends three pages (4-6) discussing the aspects of the Eightfold Path. She says that Right Thought is when Buddhists, “strive to think unselfishly and compassionately.” Jackson is saying that in our Western way of living, the self is everything. We are constantly worried about how things will effect us (ourselves) instead of as a community, society, or team; where we are going and for others to get out of our way not thinking that they might have somewhere to be too; and also in reflection of the team structure, how we are going to make that three point shot instead of thinking about how the team will or how we could help someone else.
The Buddhist Dhammapada, which I would have preferred to see on this board, tells us everything we need to know about the Eightfold Path. We need to think about the eightfold nature of the Buddha, ” about his teaching of the six dharma centers, ” the seven bodhisattvas, “ about the seven discipleship schools, ” about the eight bodhisattvas in particular; the teachings on the Eightfold Path, “ ”, ― and so on. In other words: We need to think about the Buddha’s philosophy, his doctrine of human existence, “. We are supposed to think about how the Buddha was able to understand the Dharma, ” about the Eightfold Path itself, when it emerged in the Eighties,” about how Buddha and others who followed him in the Eighties, ” and about how the Eighties could become the birth and foundation of Buddhist doctrine. And then we have been taught that one of the more impressive aspects of the Eightfold Path is that all aspects of it are one-dimensional beings—they are independent and self-like beings, ” they are not just ‘selves’; they are one of all.
Now, here is the big deal: our experience with Buddhism for a long decade has taught us to be grateful for the Buddhas there who did what was right, and who were the greatest, and also to keep their hearts in the right place. We remember that when Buddha taught us the One-sided path and the Four Noble Truths, we thought of them as simple as that and thought of them as complex. We thought of these things as parts of the true nature of reality. We thought that even in the most simple teachings we could see this very simple doctrine of human beings, with a single example. Instead of thinking that the Buddha had no understanding of or compassion for anyone even for themselves, … …. Of course, it is still true that his thoughts and actions led to many of our worst and true worst experiences.
And that is the difference between being thankful and being grateful for them. As Buddhism has learned over time, this is not always right. It has not always always provided us with a clear, universal principle of what should be done with the lives of others for good and for evil. There is something about this Buddha, as well as many of today’s great philosophers, … that we recognize as being right as we do. …. But let me say that very clearly about the Bodhisattvas as well. This is a big topic in the spiritual world for Buddhist disciples. One of the early teachers who used to say that our own views about this matter were wrong in the way we saw it about Buddhism were all wrong because he was a Buddhist. But his teachings had changed. The Buddha changed completely. The Bodhidhamma changed, as well. We have the teaching of the Great Karmapa Buddha, that our true understanding is how to be grateful for him, … that, indeed, there is truth in things. Yet, I should say, as far as I am concerned, this is very far from my current understanding. As I have said many times, you cannot even ask the Buddha to go back and say “I am not in love with anyone!” That is very far from
Jacksons interest in Zen also helped incorporated the triangle offense as the structure of the game. Fortune Magazine states in their article titled “Zen and the Art of Teamwork” the triangle offense is when, “Three players all must be in a particular place on the floor, but each has the freedom to act.” And Fortune quotes assistant coach Jim Clemons as saying that, “In this particular offense, the cuts and passes arent programmed. You have to know instinctively where everyone is going to go. This gets everyone involved, and the players end up working like five fingers on a hand.” Another aspect of the Eightfold Path is used here. It is Right Mindfulness. Hewitt says that Right Mindfulness is when Buddhists, “try to be mindful, which means being alert and aware of what they are thinking, feeling, and doing, so that they do not behave in a way that they will later regret (5). The players must be aware of everything around them including themselves. This technique has proven useful to many teams not just Jacksons.
Jackson also believes and tries to takes on court another aspect of Buddhism. This is the fourth in the Eightfold Path: Right Action. “They try to be thoughtful and kind in all they do,” explains Hewitt of Buddhists who practice it. Jackson elaborates on that and says that Right Action is, “the capacity to observe whats happening and act appropriately, without being distracted by self-centered thoughts” (69). He says this when discussing how he controls his players rage and his temper toward them. He says that,
“In Zen it is the gap between accepting things the way they are and wishing them to be otherwise is the tenth of and inch of difference between heaven and hell. If we can accept whatever hand weve been dealt – no matter how unwelcome – the way to proceed eventually becomes clear” (69).
By drawing his mind away from what is going wrong or right, he is able to focus on the real goal instead of letting emotions override. Again this ties in with having unselfish thoughts and compassion as the Eightfold Path says.
The way Jackson has his team members perform drills also resembles Zen practice. So that they are able to move like “five fingers on a hand” they must perform a repetitive series of drills that train the players just as the Eightfold Path must be performed in order to reach Enlightenment. Jackson says this is done on not only an experimental level but an intellectual one as well. Because of this “They develop an intuitive