| I've watch Tiger Woods lurking, stalking, crouching, | | | | has Tiger. Living Buddhism looks to the core of the |
| pouncing since his first professional tournament, and | | | | human spirit, and lives outwardly from that place of |
| I've watch the frustration of his opponents grow. Fran | | | | authentic power. Nothing about Buddhism is superficial; |
| and I would watch his competitors' obvious frustration, | | | | nothing is petty, nothing is egotistical, but everything is |
| look at each other, shake our heads and say, "They | | | | serious. Life is taken very seriously and very |
| just don't get it. They don't understand how he does it | | | | personally. The Tiger Woods Foundation, in my opinion, |
| and probably never will." I'll never forget one of them | | | | is not the result of the influence of Earl, so much as it |
| saying, "I look at the schedule and play where he | | | | is of Kultida Woods. It is the outward manifestation of |
| doesn't." Early on, however, there was one of his | | | | this serious and fundamental view of life and the world. |
| colleagues, Phil Mickelson who said only, "We have a | | | | Tiger recently surprised many by saying that golf was |
| lot to learn from Tiger." Phil now ranks #2 in the world, | | | | not the most important thing in his life. Anyone who |
| in spite of all his grave family medical problems, and | | | | understands him would know that. |
| one sports writer even asked, when Phil recently beat | | | | But, on the flip side is that whatever he does, he will do |
| Tiger, if Phil was now better than him. I don't personally | | | | in an exemplary fashion. His work ethic is now |
| think so, because he is not as consistent as Tiger, but | | | | legendary, and none of his contemporaries outworks |
| Phil has obviously learned a lot from him. | | | | him. But, the work is only the application of another |
| Just about every superlative has been used to | | | | facet of his mind that gives him the clarity to know |
| describe Tiger's play from "masterful" to "unearthly." | | | | how to work efficiently and effectively. The secret to |
| I've been a golfer for more than fifty years, and I can | | | | Tiger's steady and increasing success is at the |
| say that some of his shots are "other worldly" and | | | | deepest levels of his mind; so deep, that he himself |
| seemingly not within the capability of a normal human | | | | may not be aware of it. This is not unusual, because |
| being. Recently, it was estimated that he has either | | | | who we really are is molded and expressed by all of |
| reached or will soon reach a billion dollars in earnings | | | | the influences of our past that are stored at that |
| and become the highest paid athlete in history. He | | | | deepest level. To look at his Buddhist influence is to |
| appears happily married with two small children, and a | | | | look into his soul and the amazing mind power that has |
| mother he adores. | | | | produced this life that is just entering its prime. |
| Tiger is so far ahead of his peers that his | | | | There is a lesson here for all of us. Our life is much |
| performance demands special examination, because it | | | | more than its superficial qualities and characteristics. |
| is not normal and has not yet been explained. Yes, in | | | | For better or worse, our life is designed and created |
| the last couple of years, under the tremendous stress | | | | by all of the deepest experiences and influences of |
| and strain of the death of his father and mentor and | | | | our entire life. What is even more important to |
| the constant intense media spotlight, he has show | | | | understand is that those deepest of influences can be |
| some weakness; but even under this incredible | | | | harnessed, molded, or eliminated to create a |
| pressure, his performance on and off the links, is still | | | | powerhouse of success if we know how the mind |
| exemplary. Here is my take on what is going on in light | | | | really works and how to become its master. |
| of my forty years as a psychotherapist and mind | | | | Tiger's "indiscretions" are only a blip on the screen of |
| explorer. | | | | his life. His powerful mind will show him what to learn |
| Tiger Woods is not a normal human being, because he | | | | from this, and he will come roaring back much stronger |
| doesn't use his mind like most humans do. Much has | | | | emotionally. In the next article in this series, I will go into |
| been written about the very significant influence of his | | | | more detail about specifically why Tiger is an |
| father, Earl, but very little about what I see as the | | | | extra-ordinary human being, and how we, too, can |
| much greater contribution of his mother, Kultida, who | | | | make use of a special intelligence, that is part of a |
| was born and raised in Thailand. Tiger, himself, gave us | | | | new mind he exemplifies, to enhance our own lives as |
| a glimpse into her fundamental, core influence in a letter | | | | well. Yes, we all have that special intelligence that gives |
| to the king of Thailand who had invited him to his | | | | us the best answers for our lives but, like Tiger, we |
| birthday celebration. "My soul is Thai," he wrote. | | | | have the choice to listen and follow, or not. |
| Kultida Woods has been a Buddhist since birth and so | | | | |