Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Brahm

Can I play for the other side?

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Jealousy | by Ajahn Brahm | 15-11-2013

1 min read

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

The last soccer match I ever played this is absolutely true for the college you know which I went to in Cambridge if you know soccer it's 11 aside only nine of their team turned up and we were 11 so we had two more players than they did and at halfime after 45 minutes we were about 6n up it was such a onesided game that I went to my captain and said, "Can I play on the other side for the second half to make a game of it?" He swore at me. He said, "No, we're here to win." And that just I wasn't going to play anymore because for me it was like playing for fun. It didn't matter who won.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 38:45 (to 39:37)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Six-nil up against a team of nine, young Ajahn Brahm asked to swap sides for the second half to make a game of it. His captain swore at him: we're here to win. He never played again. Winning at all costs spoils the joy. Play, and work, for the fun of it, and give the other side the ball now and then.

In brief (our summary)

In his last ever soccer match, for his Cambridge college, the other team turns up with only nine players against eleven. By half-time his side is about six-nil up, so he asks his captain if he can play for the other side in the second half to make a game of it. The captain swears at him: 'We're here to win.' He never played again — for him it was about fun, not winning.

Teaching point

Competition breeds jealousy; play and work for the joy of it, not just to win.

When this story may help

  • sport
  • competitive environment

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Jealousy | by Ajahn Brahm | 15-11-2013 · 2013-11-17 · ▶ watch from 38:45 to 39:37 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions with machine-added punctuation; words left exactly as captioned. '6n up' = six-nil up; 'fully team' = footy team.

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

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