Is football better than enlightenment?

[luckieluuke]

Ok, sorry for the clickbait Title, this is just a drunk rambling ;-)

I never really understood sports like football. Objectively its really stupid; a bunch of ppl kicking a ball in two nets. Like WTF?

Enlightenment is alot about understanding feelings and not get dragged into them, seeing with a higher perspective, a higher consciousness.

Life can seem pointless. Pain is arguably the truest thing we know; happiness is hard to describe but pain surely isn´t.

It´s amazing how in this life that is full of pain and suffering we can find meaning and joy in such an objectively meaningless things as football. It seems somehow a pinnacle of humanity to pursue such a thing.

It´s the world championship in Russia now and Sweden just won a game. The City is on fire, everyone is happy and celebrating. The spiritual side of me is saying that this all nonsense. But then another side of me is happy. If they would have lost I would be sad. But still that side would find meaning where my spritual side would not.

If I was enlightened would I be above such foolish and pointless pursuits? Why is finding meaning in non duality "better" than finding it in football? or anything else you choose?

Maybe we are all on our paths and none is "better" than the other. 

What do you think? do you enjoy sports like football? why / why not?

[Arkandeus]

Quote

Maybe we are all on our paths and none is "better" than the other. 

the wisdom is there 

life is one, life is connected, life is a web of connection

one will see the meaning everywhere, that surges among every root, every leaf, every tree

we are all in this sea, we're allowed to see where we want, there is reflection

you enjoy, you find meaning, it is truly those messages that feel good

Edited July 3, 2018 by Arkandeus

[robdl]

I don't think one finds "meaning" in non-duality/enlightenment necessarily.  Meaning is always a thought-construct out of belief/knowledge/memory about something to give it significance.   It's being-ness, not meaning-ness.  Being-ness goes beyond meaning-ness.   

Beingness is direct.

Meaningness is always indirect.

Some things can lose their meaningfulness to us, but being is never lost.

Edited July 3, 2018 by robdl

[Bill Eichman]

Football, that is, soccer in the US, (and of course that strange game which is US football) is practiced these days as a mass media spectator sport that distracts people from the misery of their slavery.

Works pretty well as a distraction for a lot of people, apparently. I don't get it personally.

Those types of team games are based on old training methods for soldiers, meant to build imprinted body patterns of team movement and loyalty, So if you are actually playing, it's a bit like a yoga with the ultimate purpose of killing - which makes it fascinating to many males. Team killing always defeats massed individual warriors killing, and training young men in it, particularly the expendables you want to have available if you want to do an invasion or two, is high priority in all large earth societies. 

Which means, everybody involved, from the future cannon fodder, to the slaves wanting to be distracted, to the slaveowners looking to add to their bottom line with the occasional invasion, are all highly motivated to spend all the energy needed to keep that ball moving back and forth.

Anyway, for the majority, football is very nicely distracting entertainment.

And for the majority of people who doing meditation, magic, attending groups and doing retreats and such, and most of the much smaller group intently seeking enlightenment, all those practices are also entertainment, a distraction from their enslavement and misery.

The fact that they hope that it offers other benefits and life improvements, and it often does, does not mean it is not entertainment. The fact that they might be deadly serious and passionate about what they are doing does not mean it is not entertainment. The best entertainments all have that quality of creating intense passionate involvement and caring. Like a great video game, or hating the other team at a match. It's about passion, which makes you forget everything else in the world.

So, in a very real way, football and enlightenment are equal.

Perfectly balanced.

It's all fun and games until somebody actually gets enlightened.

Which you could say means that football is far superior to enlightenment.

Because there is essentially zero risk that a spectator is going to become a real football star.

[Prabhaker]

6 hours ago, luckieluuke said:

Is football better than enlightenment?

"You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita." — that is one of the most popular quotes of Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda told --

First of all, our young men must be strong. Religion will come afterwards. Be strong, my young friends; that is my advice to you. You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita. These are bold words; but I have to say them, for I love you. I know where the shoe pinches. I have gained a little experience. You will understand the Gita better with your biceps, your muscles, a little stronger. You will understand the mighty genius and the mighty strength of Krishna better with a little of strong blood in you. You will understand the Upanishads better and the glory of the Atman when your body stands firm upon your feet, and you feel yourselves as men. Thus we have to apply these to our needs.

[deadforever]

I'm 29. Between age 9-14 all I wanted to do was to play football, and I did.

The true passion in my life so far. My passion for football died when my knee started to give me troubles. But still today, when my country plays an important game, I get very excited. I can't explain why. It seems stupid.

All you need for football is a ball. Anyone can play. And if you practice really hard, you can make it an art

[Dodo]

To the untrained eye it looks like a buncha people kicking a ball around into nets. 

If you have a better look, you will discover that it involves intricate tactics, strategies, long hours of hard work on the training ground, fun, excitement,  leadership and teamwork. 

Due to goals being relatively hard to score, unlike in tennis etc, it gives a big boost of excitement when one is scored and a goal can be also very valuable depending on the situation. 

Football is a beautiful game. It's fun to watch, it's fun to play, it's simple to learn and hard to beat. There is a reason it is the best sport of the planet. (i know it's subjective, but overall) 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Dodo

[Viking]

On 7/3/2018 at 11:15 PM, luckieluuke said:

Why is finding meaning in non duality "better" than finding it in football?

lol, finding meaning in non duality?

the essence of non duality is that nothing has meaning. spirituality is not an activity in life like football, work, relationships, etc. but it is a way of living life, living those relationships, living that football watching.

[Guest Quanty]

Football is a social thing to get accepted most of the time in groups of guys.  

Is not a healthy sport. I myself played 2 damn much hahaha. Very unhealthy for the root chakra from kicking the ball. One develops blockages in the feet soils (professional injuries). 

[blazed]

Football:

• Fake Purpose/Journey (winning the trophies!!) - Check
• Identifying with Country or Club - Check
• Winning or losing vs opponents - Check
• Bragging rights - Check
• Entertainment - Check
• Social - Check
• Skill and ability (profession) - Check

Utterly useless and meaningless to your life? - Check.

But hey its better than war and religion in a way, at least people identifying with a sports club doesnt mean the death of many just football games.

Football is like a soft religion to get out all that shit we been doing for centuries.

Edited July 6, 2018 by blazed

[Arkandeus]

it is what you put attention to

[SgtPepper]

I enjoy it casually because I enjoy the competitive nature and skills involved to play. 

On 7/5/2018 at 1:50 PM, Dodo said:

To the untrained eye it looks like a buncha people kicking a ball around into nets. 

If you have a better look, you will discover that it involves intricate tactics, strategies, long hours of hard work on the training ground, fun, excitement,  leadership and teamwork. 

Due to goals being relatively hard to score, unlike in tennis etc, it gives a big boost of excitement when one is scored and a goal can be also very valuable depending on the situation. 

Football is a beautiful game. It's fun to watch, it's fun to play, it's simple to learn and hard to beat. There is a reason it is the best sport of the planet. (i know it's subjective, but overall) 

 

[blazed]

9 hours ago, akshayv said:

I walked around the mall for hours and my feet didn't hurt, not heal pain or pain on the sides of my feet. Before I got these I got a pair of orthofeet which I also like and have had no problems with and they have seems to made my hip stop hurting. Too early to say if these will help my hip but second day wearing them and my feet felt great.

@Leo Gura @Key Elements @cetus56 @Nahm

This guy has like 3 posts and he keeps advertising his products in all of them, just so you know.

[kieranperez]

Watching or playing football is just more of consciousness itself?

[Talinn]

On 7/3/2018 at 1:15 PM, luckieluuke said:

Ok, sorry for the clickbait Title, this is just a drunk rambling ;-)

I never really understood sports like football. Objectively its really stupid; a bunch of ppl kicking a ball in two nets. Like WTF?

Enlightenment is alot about understanding feelings and not get dragged into them, seeing with a higher perspective, a higher consciousness.

Life can seem pointless. Pain is arguably the truest thing we know; happiness is hard to describe but pain surely isn´t.

It´s amazing how in this life that is full of pain and suffering we can find meaning and joy in such an objectively meaningless things as football. It seems somehow a pinnacle of humanity to pursue such a thing.

It´s the world championship in Russia now and Sweden just won a game. The City is on fire, everyone is happy and celebrating. The spiritual side of me is saying that this all nonsense. But then another side of me is happy. If they would have lost I would be sad. But still that side would find meaning where my spritual side would not.

If I was enlightened would I be above such foolish and pointless pursuits? Why is finding meaning in non duality "better" than finding it in football? or anything else you choose?

Maybe we are all on our paths and none is "better" than the other. 

What do you think? do you enjoy sports like football? why / why not?

 

FIFA football games and wars both feed off the same roots - i.e., the "us v. them" mindset, which makes them slightly disturbing spiritually. You could say that the only large difference between them is that people are smiling in one, and frowning in the other. Nominally they are supposed to be about world unity and friendship, but then you have state sponsored doping (as in Russia during the Olympics). I'd like them a lot more if they embodied the spirit of world unity and ambivalence towards winning or losing. And if players didn't beat each other bloody.

 

Remember, the concept of points and score carries the connotation, this team is "better than" the other. Almost inevitably.

 

I'd prefer reading fiction as it increases empathy with others and increases the total number of world perspectives rattling in your brain.

Edited July 11, 2018 by Talinn

[DoubleYou]

Sadhguru seems to agree