FootballStories,byAdarsha(includingapoem)

ChinmoyLionsandUNMeditation-FlameswithGuruatJamaicaHighSchooltenniscourt.AdarshaisdirectlytotheleftofGuru.

ChinmoyLions—NotSriChinmoyLionsItcameaboutlikethis.Instages.Firstly,alltheboysintheGlasgowCentreplayedfootballinthe1970s.Justastheyhadsincechildhood.Itwasafacetofgrowingup,howwemade—orlost—friends.Youcantell

everythingaboutapersonbyhisapproachtothegame;thewayhetackles,dribbleswiththeballorthreadsapass.Isheaggressive,patient,cunning,courageous,unselfishonthepitch?Doeshecheat!Afootballgamethenwasariteofpassagethatshowedthemarkoftheman.TherearelotsofparksinGlasgowandeverySunday(andmaybeSaturday,too,whenwemetforSelflessService)wewouldhavea‘kickabout’.Maybefiveorsixofus.WhenwereadthatSwamiVivekanandahadencouragedIndianboystoplayfootballratherthanreadtheVedas,thecontextofthequotewasimmaterialtous.Playingfootballnow,unexpectedly,hadaspirituallegitimacy.Finally,whenGuruvisitedScotlandhehadplayedwithus—demonstratingsomeofthesilkyskillshelearnedintheAshram—andthatremovedanypossibledoubtthatfootballandGuru’sspiritualpathwenttogether.Silencingthenaysayers(someofthegirls).

Withthatsealofapproval,wefeltitwastimetomoveontothenextlevel.WeneverhadelevenplayersintheCentre.Atleastnotallatonetime.Butwedeterminedtoformateam.Ateamwithauniform.Auniformwithnumbersontheback.Wewouldhavehadnames,too,butnobodydidthatbackthen.Toadisinterestedoutsider(mostofthegirls),thefactthatwedidn’thaveelevenplayersorindeedanyonetoplayagainstmighthavecalledtheprojectintoquestion,butwewereundaunted.Ourfeetmayhavebeenonthepitch,butoureyeswerefixedonthestars.Animportantissuewastheteamcolours.Blueandgoldmighthaveseemedtheobviouscombination,butthenagainblueandwhiteweretheScottishcoloursandstillquitespiritual.TheScottishbluewasverydark,though—soperhapsnot.Finally,wewentwithalightbluejersey,whiteshortsandlightblueandwhitesocks.Afusionofnationalandspiritualsentiment.Weboughttheuniformsandthenumbersbuthadtorelyonthegirlstosewthenumbersontotheshirts.

Thegoalkeeper’sjerseywasyellow,soinaway,wesquaredtheblue,whiteandgoldconundrum.Thenextimportantmilestonewasnottraining,findingenoughplayerstofillthejerseysorarrangingmatches.ItwasshowingGuruthefruitsofourinspiration.Naturallywehadplannedallofthisintherun-uptooneofGuru’svisits,sowedidn’thavelongtowait.GurucametoGlasgowagainin1976togiveatalkatThirdEyeCentre.(ThereisavideoofthistalkonKedarVideo.)SincedisciplesranandworkedintheCentre,Guruconsideredittobeadivineenterprise,soafterthetalkwehadafunctioninthecafe.Guruwasingoodhumourafterwhathadbeenabusyevent.Around250peoplesqueezedintotheGallerytohearhistalkandlistentohimplaymusic.Thequestionandanswersessionhadbeenlivelybutrespectful.Atacertainpointinthefunction,theboys(includingafewfromtheLondonCentretomakeupthenumbers)slippedawayandchangedintoouruniforms.I

remembermynumberwas’10’(likeDenisLaw)*.Wethenre-joinedthefunctioncominginthroughadoorbehindGuru.Wejoggedroundthecafeandfinisheduprightinfrontofhischair.Thefrontrowofsixhunkereddown,thebackrowoffivestandingstraight,armsfolded;mewiththeballatmyfeet.Uptothatmomenteverythinghadgoneexactlytoplan,butnowtheplanwasoutofourhands.WewaitedforGurutoreact.Becauseofourrathershowyentrance,everyoneintheroomhadfallensilentandalleyeswereonGuru.Guruneverdisappoints.EverythinghasspiritualweightwhenpresentedtotheMaster,andGuruneverdisappoints.Gurutookinthesight,lookedateachofusindividuallywithabigsmile,thenhebecameanimated,excited,moreexcitedthantheteam.IwishIhadatranscriptofwhatwassaid,butnonewasmade.Iremember,though,thatalmosthisfirstcommentwastogiveusaspiritualname.“YournamewillbeChinmoyLions.ChinmoyLions—notSriChinmoyLions,butChinmoy

Lions.”HealsosaidthatIshouldbeCaptainandJanakaVice-Captainandtalkedabouthisfootballexperiences.HewasinsistentthatweplayasateamatGamesDayduringAugustCelebrations.IwasverymovedbythetimeGurufinished,almostintears.Itwassuchasimplethingwehaddone,butGuru’sresponsewasoverwhelming.Hegalvanisedus.Goingforwardfromthatnight,wedraftedindisciplesfromnearandfartomakeupournumbers.WefoundwaystoarrangematchesagainstotherspiritualgroupsinGlasgowandLondonandweproducednewsletterstoinspirewould-beplayers.Thesehadmatchreportsandfootballingtipsaswellasstirringeditorialsencouragingnewplayerstocomeforward.AndmoreoftenthannotwehoistedGuru’sVictory-Bannerhighwhenweplayed—withonlyacoupleofdefeats.WedidgotoNewYorkandplay(andwin)thefootballtournamentonthatGamesDayandforacoupleofyearsafterwards.Glory’sthrill!

Buttoeverythingthereisaseason.Thesuccesswasfleeting.Butthen,thisexperiencewasn’treallyaboutfootball—nomatterhowmuchthatgamestillanimatesme—butaboutthosesweetbondsthattieuseternallytoaGuruwhocantakeourlittleideasandmakegreatspiritualopportunitiesofthem.ChinmoyLionslive!IcanstillfeelthatNumber10shirtonmyback,evennow.*DenisLaw-ManchesterUnitedandScotland.EuropeanPlayeroftheYear1964

GuruReferees-EnglandvScotlandThiswouldhavebeenin1973or1974.AbouttwoorthreeyearsbeforeChinmoyLionswasfounded.GuruplannedatriptoEnglandandWalesandavanloadofScotsdrovedowntoLondontoseehim.Therewasaweekendevent(proto-JoyWeekend)inLondonandthensomeofustravelledwithGuruacrosssouthernEnglandandWalesandfinishedupinSwansea.Onthedayafterwearrivedtherewasapicnicinapark,nearwhereGuruwasstaying.KnowinghowmuchGurulikedfootball,thesuggestionwasmadethatweshouldplayagame.Thisquicklyescalatedintocallsforafullinternational,asthetwosidesseemedfairlyevenlymatched.OfcoursewewantedGurutoplay,but,whilehewashappytoseethisinternationalmatch-uptakeplace,Gurusaidhewouldratherrefereethantakepart.Inalltherewereonlyaboutthirtyorfortydisciplesin

Londonandthegamewasaverylow-keyaffair—jacketsforgoalpostsandperhapseightornineaside.Ithinkit’sfairtosaythatmostoftheplayersjustwantedtobeseenbyGuru.Itwasjustsomethingtodo.Butformeandoneortwoothersitwas,ofcourse,adeadlyseriousmatter.Sincenooneelsewasinterested,Ibecamethe‘captain’oftheScottishteamandIpickedthesideandgavetheteamtalk—atalkinwhichIexhortedmyteammatesnottoeatlunchbeforethegame.Awinningstrategy,Ifelt.Beforestartingthematch,GurucalledthetwocaptainstogethertoshakehandsandIdiscoveredthattheEnglishcaptainwasadisciplewhohadjustmovedbacktoLondonfromNewYork.Oncethematchstarted,Guruspenthistimewalkingupanddowntheedgeofthefieldtakinginthestyles(orthelackthereof)ofallthedifferentplayersonview.Now,thewayaninformalgamelikethisissetup,allthegoodplayers—or,atleast,theplayerswhothinktheyareanygood—playinforwardpositionsandthe

lessgoodplayersshoreupwhatpassesforthedefence.SincetheEnglishcaptainelectedtoplayingoal,thismeantthathewaseitherextremelyselflessornotverygood.Shortlyafterthekick-off,hedroppedaneasyshotfromoneofmyteam.AndIstartedtothinkthattheanswerwas—notverygood.However,hebarkedordersandtoldplayerstomovearoundthefieldanddidaverygoodjobofbossinghisteammates,sohewascertainlycommitted.Then,Inoticedthatthiscaptainhadamajordrawbackasagoalkeeper—hecouldn’tkicktheballfromhand.Everytimehehadtheballhewouldpretendtokickitupfieldandthenrolltheballouttooneofhisplayers.Myopinionofhimthenchangedfrom‘notverygood’to‘completelyuseless’—andthatgavemealotofconfidence.Inevitablythefeint-and-roll-outtrickbackfired.TheballwasrolledouttoaguywhowasprobablymeditatingonGuru.Iwasonitliketheproverbialwolfonthefold.Iinterceptedtheballandrantowardsthe

Englishgoal.Itwasaneasyshotfortheopeninggoal.Ijustslippeditpassedhimandpunchedtheair.England0Scotland1ButbeforeIcouldreceiveplauditsfrommyteammates,thevoiceoftheEnglishgoalkeeperwasheardloudandclear:“Badluck,justpastthepost.”Icouldn’tbelievemyears.Post?Whatpost!Therewasonlyabundleofjacketsandtheballpassedametre(atleast)insidethem.PerfidiousAlbion.InaninstantallthenumberlessinjusticesperpetratedbytheEnglishontheScotsflashedthroughmymind.Thiscouldn’tbe;Ihadtoappealtoahigherpower.Nowthishigherpower,atthatprecisemoment,wasn’tmyGuru,hewasn’ttheLordoftheUniverse,hewasn’ttheAvataroftheEra.Hewasthereferee,andthereforethelegitimateobjectofmyprotestations!Thiswasaradicaldecisiononmypart.IthastobeunderstoodthatIhadneverspokentoGuru.Never

initiatedaconversation.Guruhadrarelyspokentomeandwhenhehad,Ihadansweredinwordsofonesyllableorjustsmiled.Butthiswasfootball!IranstraighttoGuruandmanagedtostopmyselfonlyabouttwofeetawayfromhim.Iwasmad(probablyinallsensesoftheword).IscreamedatGuru,“Thatwasagoal,itwasAGOAL,itwasmilesinsidethe‘post’!ItwasaGREATSHOT!ItwasaG-O-O-O-O-O-AL!”Lookingback,atthatprecisemomentintimeIfearImayhavelackedalittledecorum.Nowfortunately,Guruhadpreparedhimselfforthismomentovermanylifetimes,destroyingignorance,killingasuras,surpassingtheCosmicGods.Hewasmorethanreadyforthisoutburst.Hesmiledhisimperturbablesmile.Thenhesaid—loudenoughfortheEnglishgoalkeepertohearhim—‘Yes,itwasagoal’.England0Scotland1(confirmed)Iranback,ecstatic,tomyteammates.However,Ihadmiscalculatedtheeffectofmyactionsonthem.None

ofthemwantedtomakeeye-contactandoneofthemwhisperedtome,“YouknowthatyouwereshoutingatGuru.”ButIwasunaffected.Justicewasdone—andiftheHeavenshadfallenitwasontheEnglishgoalie,notme.Iwasdelightedandshoweditbyscoringacompletelyuncontentioussecondgoal.Eventuallyweranoutwinners4-3.LosingacoupleofgoalslateonasmoreandmoreofmyplayersslippedawayforsomelunchcausedmedeepregretthatIhadn’tcoveredmoreoptionsduringmyteamtalk.Lookingback,Ican’timaginehowIhadthenervetospeaktoGurulikethat.IholdontothefactthatIwasbeingcompletelysincereinexpressingmyfeelingsand—well—itwasafootballmatch.WheneverIthinkaboutit,though,Ican’thelpbutshudder—justbeforeIsmile.

TheVenezuelanEpiphanyAsIclimbedoverthewall,readytodropdownintothehoteldriveway,therewasGurusmilingatme.Henoddedhisheadalittleaswell.IwassureheknewhowIfelt.Glory’sThrill.AftertwoorthreeCelebrationsofvanquishingallbeforeus,ChinmoyLionswereovertakeninabilityand,moreimportantly,ingoal-scoringprowessbytheMeditation-Flames.GuruformedtheteaminOctober1976inNewYork.Ishouldhaveseenthiscoming.Meditation-FlamesplayedintheUNleagueandhadsharpeneduptheirskills,theirfitnessandtheirteamworkplayinggoodteams,withplayersfromeverycontinentonEarth.Moreimportantly,theyhadGuruascoach.Ontheotherhand,ChinmoyLionsscrabbledaroundplayingtheoddbouncematchbetweenCelebrationsandeventhenwestruggledtoplaymorethanfiveorsixaside.Wewerestuck.

Soitwasnosurprisethatwehadtosettleforsecond-best.Except,ofcourse,itwashardtotake,though,becausefootballwasourbirthright.ThepassinggamewasinventedinScotlandandmostofourplayerscamefromGlasgowandEdinburgh.ThenadirformewasamatchonGamesDayin1978or’79.Wewerelosingfive-nilandplayingwithoutanypassion.Withtenminutesleft,GurucameonandplayedforusagainsttheMeditation-Flames.Weplayedtwelveagainstelevenand,eventhoughnoonecouldtackleGuruandhehadafreerunontherightwing,weneverlookedlikewewouldbescoringagoal.Asfootballplayerswemighthavetreatedthisasatemporarysetback.Re-grouped.Doubled-downandfoughtback.But—actually—therewasabiggerproblemthanMeditation-Flames.Running.Assoonasplayersstartedtotrainforlong-distanceruns,playingfootballwasshunned.Whenyouarein

yourteensandearlytwenties,itiseasytoshrugoffnigglingfootballinjuries.Butonceyoureachyourlatetwentiesandearlythirties,thegameisn’tworththecandle,forseriousrunners.So,Ifoundmyselfcarryingthetorchforfootballmoreorlessonmyown.EncouragedbyGuru,theformerLionstookuprunningataprodigiousrate.TherewasstilltheoddbouncegameandthetournamentatGamesDayand,ofcourse,theChristmasTrip—butrunninghadbecometheGoldStandardforspiritualexerciseandfootballwasyesterday’snews.Iwasn’tmuchofarunner.Goodoversprints,Ihadnogumptionandcouldneverbuildupthestaminatoregisterdecenttimesatmiddleorlongdistance.That’snottosaythatIdidn’ttry.Irantwomilesadayforawholeyear—butunconventionally.IworkedalotatnightmanagingeventsatThirdEyeCentreandsometimesIalsohadtobeinearlythenextday.So,IhitontheideaofgoingoutforrunsafterI

hadfinishedwork,whichmeantatabout11:40atnight.Iranforaboutfivemiles(tobeonthesafeside)andgotbackhomeat12:20orthereabouts.ThismeantIhadruntwomilesononedayandtwomilesthefollowingday.SobyrunningfourtimesineightdaysIwasabletoclaimtohaveruntwomilesaday.IdecideditwasprobablyinmybestinterestnottoexplainthisindetailtoGuru.But,really,whatIwantedtodowasplayfootball.GivemeaballandIcouldrunafteritforever.MyfirstattemptwastopersuadeThirdEyeCentrethattheyneededafootballteamtopromotetheactivities.IcameupwiththenameThirdEyeCentaursandmanagedtoorganiseafewgameswithateammadeupofmystaffand,ironically,somediscipleswhowere,forashorttime,nostalgicforthegame.Thatteamdidn’tlastlongandtheArtsCentregotapoorreturnforthemoneylaidoutonuniforms.However,oneofmystaffbecameawareofmydesiretokeepplaying.HehadalreadyorganisedaSaturday

teamthatplayedintheUniversityLeagueandheinvitedmetojoin.Ijumpedatthechance.Finally,Iwaspartofateaminaleaguewithregularfixturesandreferees.Weplayedatgroundsalloverthecity.Itseemedtorainduringeverymatch.Ononeoccasionwecouldn’tstartthematchbecausetherewasanironbedframeinthecentrecircle,aquarterofamilefromthenearestroad.Ittooksixofustomoveit.Ourgoalkeeperwasnicknamed‘TheCat’—notbecausehewasparticularlyagile,butbecauseheseemedtobeasleepeverytimetheoppositionmountedanattack.ThenameofmyteamwastheUltramontanesbecauseithadstartedlifeastheCatholicSocietyteam.Otherteamschosemoreinterestingnames.MyFather:Didyouwinthisweek?Me:No,welostthree-niltoTwoOtherGuys.

MyFather:Youlosttotwoguys!!Whathappened?Me:That’stheirname—thereareelevenofthem.MyFather:WhydotheycallthemselvesTwoOtherGuys?Me:Sopeoplelikeuscanhavethispointlessconversation.Ilovedit.Itwasahardslog,butgraduallyIimprovedandgotuptospeedwiththerestoftheteam.Thebestwemanagedwastoavoidrelegationbytheskinofourteeth,butitwasmorethanenough.Iwasfulfillingmyfootballingambitions.Almost.TheChristmastripthatyearwasinVenezuelaandIjoineditafterplayingforfourorfivemonths.Atoneofthehotels,therewasafootballpitchontheothersideofthedrivewayfromthehotelentrance.Youcouldonlyseeitfromtheupperfloorsastherewasawallat

groundlevel,aboutsixfeethigh.Earlyoninourstay,aroundtwentyofusclimbedoverthatwallforagame.ThisgamewasunlikeanydisciplegameIhadplayedinbefore.Iwasincommand.AllthoserainyGlasgowafternoonssuddenlyborefruit.Indefence,inmidfield,onthewing,Iwasjustthatfractionofasecondfasterthantheopposingplayers,weavingmywaythroughtheirranksanddeliveringpassestomyteammateswithaflourish.Bychance,thedisciplewhowascaptainoftheMeditation-Flameswasplayingoppositeme.HewasaverygoodplayerandhadbeencrucialtothesuccessintheUNLeague.Butonthisday,Iwasabletowinourhead-to-headbattleswithabittospare.Iwasagodamongmortals—orperhapsjustaslightlybetterplayerthanIhadbeenpreviouslyintheseencounters. ThecoupdegracecamewhenIscoredwithmy‘trick’.Everyattackingplayerhasatrickortwo—goodplayershavealotmorethanthat. Mytrickhadonlyworkedonceortwicebefore.Inessenceitwentlikethis:I

wouldrunatthefullbackbutslowdownasIgotnearhim.Thismeantthathewouldstopandblockmebystandinginfrontofme.Whenthishappened,normally,hisstancewouldbewidesothathecouldrunwithmeregardlessofwhetherIwenttohisrightorleft.Iwouldthenpoketheballthroughhislegs(anutmeg,intheparlance)andacceleratepasthim,hopingtherewerefewyardsbetweenmeandthegoalkeeper.Then,withoutlookingup,Iwouldflicktheballintothefarcornerofthenetbeforethegoalkeepercouldrushouttonarrowtheangle.Likeeverythingelsethatday,itworkedlikeacharmasIknewinmybonesitwould.Formethatmatchcouldhavegoneonforever.Whenthegamefinishedwestartedclimbingbackoverthewallbut—justintime—theplayersrealisedthatGuruhadtakenupaspotontheothersideandwasseated,talkingtodisciples,directlybelowus.Wehastilymovedfurtherdownthewallandthendroppeddownoutsidethehotelentrance.Guruwasamusedatthesightofalltheseboysappearingasiffrom

nowhereandhewatcheduscomeoverthewallwithsomeinterest.AsIwasabouttodropontothetarmac,Gurusmiledandnoddedatme.IswearheknewhowIhadplayed.ItwasthewayIhadalwaysimaginedplayingwhenGurufirstgaveusthenameChinmoyLions.IrememberedtheprideIfeltthen.Forme,footballhadcomefullcircle.

“Goal”,apoembyAdarshaTheexplosionofjoywhentheballarcsinunderthecrossbarbeyondtheflailingarmisasparkofthatEternalDelightKindling—butnotyetcaughtalightintheheartofmankind.(fromtheauthor,Adarsha:“Thispoemliterallycametomeinadream.”)