Baseball fans out there know that history was made yesterday: New York Yankee Mariano Rivera set the all time record for career saves. I (and, remember, I am a Daoist Yankee fan...) was lucky enough to listen to the final inning on the radio. A great day for New York. And for those Yankee aficionados out there: if I heard correctly, announcer John Sterling was so excited at Rivera's achievement that he forgot his signature "The Yankees Win!" send off...
In any event, Riveria is widely respected and is a humble man of few words. He finds solace and meaning in his Christian faith, but his approach to life is consistent with certain Daoist values as well. Take this passage from today's coverage in the NYT:
Afterward, the 41-year-old Rivera was as selfless as humanly possible. When one reporter — Sweeny Murti of WFAN — asked him a question about celebrating his achievement, Rivera responded by pointing out that Murti had just become the father of a baby daughter and should be congratulated himself.
It was that sort of gesture by Rivera that made Manager Joe Girardi so pleased that Posada and Rodriguez had steered him back to the mound to get his moment alone with the crowd.
“It was a great idea on their part to let Mo get his due,” Girardi said. “Mo doesn’t ever really want to talk about what he does.”
He never want to talk about what he does... now, where have I heard that before?...
Sincere words are never beautiful and beautiful words are never sincere. The noble are never eloquent and the eloquent never noble. The knowing are never learned and the learning never knowing.
A sage never hoards: the more you do for others the more plenty is yours, and the more you give to others the more abundance is yours.
The Way of heaven is to profit without causing harm, and the Way of a sage to act without contending. (DDJ, 81)
His lack of words reveals his Daoist nobility...
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