My favorite sports (football and hockey) are also among the most violent, which obviously presents a problem from a Buddhist perspective. It's hard to reconcile peaceful intentions for all beings with cheering for your favorite NFL linebacker knocking the opposing quarterback into next week. Not to mention reveling in a good ol' hockey fight.
Well, I'm not going to try to reconcile it. While I don't fully embrace the idea of two hockey players pounding the heck out of each other the way I used to, I still enjoy those sports the most, and that's just the way it is. There's still beauty in a completed 50 yard pass or a series of quick passes between hockey players resulting in a goal. One of my favorite things in sports is seeing a goal coming in a hockey game moments before it actually happens, and that's skill, not violence.
I know there are less violent sports, but honestly, I find most of them boring as heck. Maybe in time the violence will bother me more and my tastes will change, or maybe not. Maybe I'm just not going to become that spiritually developed during this lifetime. In the meantime, I'm going to continue to enjoy the excitement of the NHL playoffs. :-)
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4 comments:
You mean to tell me that a three hour long soccer match that ends in a 1-0 score doesn't glue you to the TV?
Yeah, me neither.
Hey,
There is a big difference between a contest of strength with willing participants and violence done toward those who are not willing.
John
I was actually going to include something to the effect of John's comment in the original post, then decided not to, so I agree that he's quite correct. Thanks for raising the point, John.
Re: soccer. I like to watch soccer some of the time, but it just can't compare to the exciting pace of a hockey game.
I'm sure with time and concentration you can wean yourself off those wretchedly violent spectator sports. And that, of course, will leave you more time to play role-playing games. Which are totally violence-free! Bonus! ;)
Although, our Shock: game was notably low on the violence scale, at least in 2 of the 3 stories.
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