In between the parachute jumps, fireworks and flying Mary Poppins in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics , I began to contemplate some of the deeper meaning of the Olympics as I watched the parade of nations. I thought about how the world comes together in an inspiring and nonpolitical way every four years through the Olympic Games.
While it is easily evident that the Olympics offers a rich harvest of inspiration for athletes everywhere who strive to push the limits of their capacity, can there also be a spiritual perspective on sport and the Olympics?
One person uniquely positioned to explore this idea is the athlete, spiritual visionary and marathon team founder Sri Chinmoy. In his lifetime, he wrote extensively on the subject of spirituality and sports. His most recent book delving into this topic is The Inner Meaning of Sport published in 2007 by Agni Press.
What does Sri Chinmoy say about the Olympics and sporting games?
The Olympics are an unprecedented, auspicious, glorious and precious Greece-vision. And what is this vision? This vision is nothing other than world-happiness. Happiness is love bubbling forth into the newness and fulness of true life, illumining life and fulfilling life.
The Olympics tower above all man-made differences. They are infinitely bigger than race. They are eternally brighter than colour. They are supremely better than religion. They are not only constantly one with the evolution-hunger of aspiring mankind but are also humanity’s satisfaction-meal and perfection-nourishment
Sri Chinmoy, The Outer Running And The Inner Running, Agni Press, 1974.
The presence of all the great athletes at the Olympics represents a great opportunity. When an athlete has to compete with the rest of the world, there is every opportunity and possibility that he will transcend his own capacities.
Sri Chinmoy, The Outer Running And The Inner Running, Agni Press, 1974.
From the spiritual point of view, there are many things we can learn from games. One is fellow feeling…Why do we watch sports? The world needs inspiration and enthusiasm. You play volleyball extremely well, and I am inspired by it. Then I go and play tennis. You have given me the inspiration, and I go and play some other game. But you gave me the joy, you gave me the inspiration, you gave me the courage. Like that, each person can get inspiration from another person to do better in their own respective fields.
Sri Chinmoy, Run And Smile, Smile And Run, Agni Press, 2000.
These quotations explore several themes:
– the Olympics bring the world together as one human family
– the Olympics inspire athletes to transcend their limits, challenging limitation and impossibility
– Sports and games foster enthusiasm and the inspiration to excel in all walks of life
I hope watching the London 2012 Olympics and reading about the games bubbles over into my own life with a wellspring of creativity and sporting ventures that fuel positivity and happiness in all my activities this summer.
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