蜜芽传媒

Good morning. The only speech at my school鈥檚 prize days that I enjoyed or even remember was given by Ronnie Lamont, a school old boy who鈥檇 just returned from being beaten four times in a row by the All-Blacks during the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand and Australia in 1966 . I recall him joking that New Zealand has twelve million inhabitants 鈥� ten million of them are sheep and the rest play rugby 鈥搉o wonder they鈥檙e so good.

The plaudits for the current All-Blacks team are even more effusive 鈥� are they perhaps the greatest team ever 鈥� at any sport? This is an incredible turn-around from ten years ago when New Zealand rugby was in the doldrums. Part of the success has been attributed to the ethos applied by the national team鈥檚 coaches: Steve Hansen, and before him, Graham Henry that: 鈥淏etter people make better All-Blacks鈥�.

This motto certainly has some resonance in Hindu teaching 鈥� that the route to success starts with dharma 鈥� we first align our intentions and principles with the right mental and spiritual qualities. This psychology, it鈥檚 said, nurtures the most effective actions which are naturally conducive to success. Dharma is the focus; and success is the happy by-product of actions based on that single-mindedness.

And, one incident on Saturday 鈥� which epitomised this spirit of 鈥渂etter people鈥� 鈥� nearly stole the show from the All-Blacks鈥� historic victory. Fourteen-year-old Charlie Lines had run on the pitch and been crunched to the ground by security staff. But All-Blacks鈥� centre, Sonny Bill Williams, rescued him and then gave the lad his own solid gold Cup winner鈥檚 medal.

It seemed to me an unbelievable act of generosity. There鈥檚 a part of the conversation in the Bhagavad-gita, when Arjuna asks: What are the symptoms of those who have reached transcendence? Sri Krishna replies: They have risen above all petty desires for personal gain and aggrandisement; and their minds find satisfaction in devotion to God and love towards others.

My father gave me a medal presented to his father 125 years ago for being first in all of Ireland in school mathematics. I treasure that as a connection with a grandfather I never knew. A bit of me worried that Sonny Bill had denied his own grandchildren a valued family memento. Fortunately, the International Rugby Board had similar concerns and kindly awarded him a replacement medal.

Even so, Sonny Bill鈥檚 gesture has ensured that his descendants and perhaps many more may remember, that even in the moment of his greatest sporting achievement he was willing to gift away his prize with the words: 鈥淥nly takes one thing to change someone's life. Enjoy it Charlie bro鈥�.

Like the old Hindu proverb says: They who give鈥� have all things: they who withhold鈥� have nothing.

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