KUMARA SANGAKARA: Former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team: Guruji, sports and games are supposed to be stress busters, but sports and games have…and have become so big now and competitive that they themselves have become stressful. What are your thoughts and what can be done for that?
GURUDEV SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR: You know in sports we forget one thing that we are looking for the end result. Sports are something in which the entire time needs to be enjoyed, from the beginning to the end. In the end, whether you win or lose is not so important, how you play the game is important. People enjoy the game, how interesting it is. When you put your 100 percent, there is only one option that is left with you, either you win or make others win, there is no losing at all. You have to see sports in this direction - either I win or make others win; and making others win should also be considered as a great thing. If you put your 100 percent and yet you make others win, then you should compliment yourself. Today, war has become a game, and game has become a war; this is not nice at all, we have to reverse this. Games should bring joy from the very moment of its beginning till its last moment. In the same way, the attitude of both, people who see the game and who play the game, need to be free from stress. For sportsmen, I would recommend that you should do little bit of meditation and some breathing (exercises) everyday; that would help you to keep your enthusiasm, your energy, and a smile on your face. People love to see you all smiling.