In the past, those who sought enlightenment retreated to the mountains. Monks would cut their hair, leave their homes, and cut ties with the secular world.
However, in the 21st century, people are trying to get closer to enlightenment on the grass, without taking off their suits and with their smartphones in hand. On the golf course. It is a modern-day “silent dojo” where people can come face to face with “their own minds,” “nature,” and “this moment” through the training known as a round of golf.
The space and serenity of a Zen temple
Time flows differently on a golf course than in other sports. There are no cheers or commentary. Unnecessary conversation is avoided, and silence is the basic ritual.
It’s just like the main hall of a Zen temple. On the tee, everyone except the player hitting the ball waits quietly. Players must synchronize their breathing and read the wind. On the green, players are required to be so sensitive that they are even mindful of the sound of their own footsteps. This “culture of stillness” is very similar to the Buddhist practice of “stopping,” or training to stop the mind.
The scorecard is a “resume of the heart.”
In Buddhism, there is a teaching that says “bonno soku bodai.” This is the idea that human desires and anger themselves are the material for training and a guide to enlightenment. It’s the same in golf. Your tee shot curves. You go into the bunker. You miss the putt. Each time this happens, the anger, regret, and attachment that well up within you – it’s all about “how you handle them.”
Behind the numbers on the scorecard is a record of every single movement of a person’s mind.
In other words, it’s a “mental resume” for the day.
Golf courses offer the option to become a monk within
Originally, becoming a monk did not mean a physical move, but a change of mental attitude. It is a process of temporarily leaving home, work, and relationships and going inward. For modern people, this “temporary departure” can be found in a Saturday morning round of golf. Putting away your smartphone, talking less, not blaming others, breathing in harmony with nature, accepting and adjusting yourself to failure – all of these are Buddhist training items themselves. In other words, you can “monk your mind” without becoming a monk. And as a “place” for this, golf courses are just too well-prepared.
Don't overlook the "dojo" in your daily life
The essence of Buddhist training is to “discover Buddhahood in everyday life.” Walking, standing, eating, breathing – being conscious of all of these things is the path to enlightenment. Golf is a walking sport. While being with nature, you face your ego with every shot. The structure itself is very similar to Zen training. It teaches us the importance of putting our heart into the “form” of our swing, routine, and putting.
"Enlightenment" can be seen through the club
There are no Buddha statues on golf courses. There are no bells, sutras, or mokugyo. But there is certainly a “sense of a dojo” there. – Be aware of your breathing, – Observe the fluctuations of your mind, – Let go of attachment to the result, – Value harmony with your surroundings, – Put “awareness” into each and every shot. If you can do all of this, then you have become a monk. It’s not the place. It’s not the clothes. Buddhist training can be fully achieved with just one club and on the grass.