[1] What if a student defeats the teacher?
While it seems ‘natural’ to have some sense of indignation or jealousy, should each teacher not have great rejoice instead, for having finally trained someone to be greater than oneself? Why would great teachers want all their students to remain lesser than oneself?
[2] Who should one compete against?
From the beginning to the end, is there anyone out there to compete with, other than oneself? When one wins, should there not be conquering of the ego to prevent the rise of arrogance? When one loses, should there not be conquering of the ego to prevent the rise of defeatism?
[3] What is true victory?
The true victor is the one who conquers his or her ego spiritually and totally, be him or her a winner or loser in the worldly sense. When a teacher loses to the student, the teacher should be the student of humility. When a student beats the teacher, the student also has to learn humility.
[4] How can everyone win equally?
In the Buddha’s teachings, the ultimate goal is to inspire one another to be equally perfect spiritually. There should be no sense of competition; only mutual encouragement and co-operation. Although the ultimate match is against oneself, there is no egoistic self that exists in the first place!
[5] Is a game ever just a game?
As long as there is one person’s ego involved, even a simple game is never just a game, merely for fun and amusement. It can become complicated as a contest of egos. Every game becomes a spiritual test then. Will one’s ego be defeated? Or will it win, to make one the loser?
[6] Who can die undefeated?
Even for champions, loss is a matter of time in worldly competition and other matters. The harder it is to win something worldly, the harder it becomes to lose it, although victory and loss only matter when the ego is attached to. The way to never lose is to lose the ego.
Related Article:
What Is The Buddhist Perspective On Playing Of Games?
https://thedailyenlightenment.com/2025/08/what-is-the-buddhist-perspective-on-playing-of-games
