Varun Soni, dean of religious life at USC, describes how his devotion to the Clippers has made him a better Hindu:
For me, being a Los Angeles Clippers fan for over twenty years has taught me firsthand about the spiritual dimensions of faith and suffering, and has helped me better understand my own Hindu tradition. According to the Bhagavad Gita, a pan-Hindu theological text, we should act righteously in each moment and relinquish attachment to future rewards. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna counsels Arjuna on the battlefield and instructs him to act in the present moment without being attached to the fruits of his labor. In this context, Hinduism shares an Indian philosophical worldview with Buddhism that focuses on the process as opposed to the goal, the present as opposed to the past, and the journey as opposed to the destination…
…Yet there is an infectious joy in being a Clippers fan and rooting for the ultimate underdog with unbridled optimism. For Clippers fans, every meaningful victory resembles a mystical experience, a transcendent and ecstatic moment of redemption. In my case, being a Clippers fan brought me into a kindred community of passionate and knowledgeable fans who are the antithesis of the bandwagon and fair-weathered variety (check out real Clippers fans here and here). Rooting for the Clippers taught me firsthand about the Indian philosophical doctrines of causality and non-attachment, and I now have a permanent mantra – “next season!” In all these ways, being a Clippers fan has made me a better Hindu.
The full post is here at the Huffington Post.
10 Responses
Being a Clipper fan teaches some of the Christian aspects too. LOL
Posted on February 25th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
being a clipper fan is also a lot like being jewish…
Clippers and Judaism:
***Judaism–show up to temple on all THESE days
Clippers–show up to games 42 times on THESE days
***Judaism– dont eat on THIS day (yom kippur)
Clippers– dont win on THIS day (portland, utah, san antonio)
***Judaism– do not try to convert others to your faith
Clippers– do not try and convert other fans (we take pride in our misery)
***Judaism– if you go along with what they preach, you will be written in the good book
Clippers– if you go along with what they preach, you will be rewarded with a free agent
***Judaism– you must not eat non-kosher foods
Clippers– you must not eat those bacon wrapped hot dogs outside Staples
***Judaism– never question authority
Clippers– never question Elgin Baylor
***Judaism– Messiah– Elijah
Clippers — Messiah– Sam Cassell
***Judaism– High holidays are Yom Kippur, New Year
Clippers– High holidays are Draft Lottery and NBA draft
ok this is pretty bad but i had some fun with it….
Posted on February 25th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
It is good ACD, regarding # 3, how many times Clippers fans have to answer this question.
Why are you a Clipper Fan?. By the way, I do not buy what some Lakers Fans say, “I like the Clippers too” like an adopted brother or so. Once they start beating the Lakers they will hate the Clippers. I hope soon.
Chris McDougall Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 9:17 am
When the Clippers beat the Lakers this season a lot of Laker fans hated it, yet they do actually cheer for the Clippers otherwise… albeit in a lackadaisical manner.
Posted on February 25th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Loved this part – rings completely true for me:
“Yet there is an infectious joy in being a Clippers fan and rooting for the ultimate underdog with unbridled optimism. For Clippers fans, every meaningful victory resembles a mystical experience, a transcendent and ecstatic moment of redemption. In my case, being a Clippers fan brought me into a kindred community of passionate and knowledgeable fans who are the antithesis of the bandwagon and fair-weathered variety”
Q.D. Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
I couldn’t have not said it any better.
Posted on February 25th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Slow newsday !
Posted on February 25th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Psychologists will disagree. It’s easy to take refuge in religious explanations for our own
actions.
Posted on February 25th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Someday David will beat Goliath. I will be there when it happens!
Posted on February 26th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
I have been a Clippers fan since 1984 and used to watch their camp when were at Cal Poly Pomona. Through all the trials, tribulations, good deals, and bad, I’ve stayed faithful to my team. While I do like other teams in the league for my own personal reasons, I am a fervent fan of these rag tag teams. My favorite NBA Team? The Clippers and whoever is playing the Lakers. (Gotta love the ’06 season when the Clips went 1 round further in the playoffs than the hallway neighbors. Truly priceless).
Posted on February 26th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
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