Golf-Woods promises to wear Buddhist bracelet forever (Reuters)
March 22, 2010
By Simon Evans
MIAMI, March 21 (Reuters) – Rehabilitation and religionwere the two themes Tiger Woods was most open about discussingin his first television interviews on Sunday since revelationsabout his marriage infidelities emerged last November.
Woods has long been connected to Buddhism through his Thaimother and he said his detachment from the religion had beenbehind his fall from grace.
“Going against your core values, losing sight of it,” hesaid when asked how he lost control of his life. “I quitmeditating, I quit being a Buddhist, and my life changed upsidedown.
“I felt entitled, which I had never felt before.Consequently, I hurt so many people by my own reckless attitudeand behaviour.
“I quit doing all the things that my mum and dad had taughtme. And as I said earlier in my statement, I felt entitled, andthat is not how I was raised.”
Although dressed in typically conservative fashion, Woodsalso wore a thin Buddhist bracelet, which he showed to GolfChannel viewers and said he would be wearing when he returnedto golf at the U.S Masters on April 8.
“It’s Buddhist, it’s for protection and strength and Icertainly need that,” he said, adding that he began wearing thebracelet before he went into rehabilitation and that he intendsto wear it for ever.
Woods raised his religion in his set-piece televisedapology last month, though prior to the scandal he rarelymentioned it.
Given a number of celebrities in the U.S. have ‘discovered’religion at times of crises, Woods may find some scepticismabout his readiness to be publicly associated with Buddhismnow.
But in an interview with Reuters in March, 2008, where hediscussed his family life, the golfer was asked directly if hewas a practicing Buddhist.
“I practice meditation—that is something that I do, thatmy mum taught me over the years. We also have a thing we doevery year, where we go to temple together,” he said.
“In the Buddhist religion you have to work for it yourself,internally, in order to achieve anything in life and set up thenext life.
“It is all about what you do and you get out of it what youput into it. I am always continuing to work.”
(Editing by Greg Stutchbury; To query or comment on thisstory email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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