I am a life-long Chicago Cubs fan. They have not won the World Series since 1908, and they have not even been in the World Series since 1945. They are known as the lovable losers because of this. Their history is so tortured that even their good teams in recent years collapse under the pressure on those rare occasions they make the playoffs. As a Cubs fan, even when they are good, I have learned to expect the worst. I have almost no faith in them, yet I love them dearly.
BUT they have a good team this year and just beat their arch rival St. Louis Cardinals in the division series last night. I had to miss the game due to work, but I watched the wonderful highlights this morning with tears in my eyes, partly because I get the feeling this year might be different. Many are contributing their success this year, and why it feels different from past years, to their manager, Joe Maddon. He is known as a bit of a "mad genius" because of his somewhat unorthodox approach to the game. One of the things he says to the team (and us fans, too, indirectly) is to just do the process and not get caught up in the outcome. A reporter asked him how such a young team, one of the youngest in the Major Leagues, could be so fearless when winning playoff games against more veteran and experienced teams, and his answer was "The process is fearless." I don't know if he is into Zen at all, but that sounded very Zen to me because it immediately brought to mind this line from the Heart sutra: "... thus Bodhisattvas live this Prajna Paramitra with no hindrance of mind, no hindrance therefore no fear."
Another quote from Joe Maddon is "Don't ever permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure," so I am just trying to enjoy this Cubs team and not get caught up in what good or bad could or will happen. I am just trying to do the process as best I can, and that's exactly how I approach my Buddhist practice. I just never thought a lesson in that would come in this form from my lovable loser Cubs, but good teachers are everywhere if we are open enough to find them.
Thank you for letting me share.
BUT they have a good team this year and just beat their arch rival St. Louis Cardinals in the division series last night. I had to miss the game due to work, but I watched the wonderful highlights this morning with tears in my eyes, partly because I get the feeling this year might be different. Many are contributing their success this year, and why it feels different from past years, to their manager, Joe Maddon. He is known as a bit of a "mad genius" because of his somewhat unorthodox approach to the game. One of the things he says to the team (and us fans, too, indirectly) is to just do the process and not get caught up in the outcome. A reporter asked him how such a young team, one of the youngest in the Major Leagues, could be so fearless when winning playoff games against more veteran and experienced teams, and his answer was "The process is fearless." I don't know if he is into Zen at all, but that sounded very Zen to me because it immediately brought to mind this line from the Heart sutra: "... thus Bodhisattvas live this Prajna Paramitra with no hindrance of mind, no hindrance therefore no fear."
Another quote from Joe Maddon is "Don't ever permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure," so I am just trying to enjoy this Cubs team and not get caught up in what good or bad could or will happen. I am just trying to do the process as best I can, and that's exactly how I approach my Buddhist practice. I just never thought a lesson in that would come in this form from my lovable loser Cubs, but good teachers are everywhere if we are open enough to find them.
Thank you for letting me share.
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