I enjoy competition!¹⁴

I enjoy competition! I have enjoyed competition all my life. Now I talk about “self-transcendence,” but I still enjoy competition. I take all my spiritual children as one family. If any group defeats another in a competition, I take it as oneness in the family. I do like competition, but when my children perform, I definitely take it as a family affair. If one country’s team wins, I never take it as an ordinary competition. I only see which country, on the strength of its oneness, has surpassed other countries. In this way I keep my philosophy intact!

We start with competition. If there is no competition, lethargy reigns supreme. If there is a competitive spirit, then one tries to perform his very best, her very best. If there is no competition, self-discipline is the most difficult thing! If there is some competition, then our inner spirit comes to the fore.

Again, we take everything as a oneness-experience. We are wise, so we start with a competitive spirit. Then it becomes all oneness and self-transcendence. This is how we make progress.

Personal self-transcendence means that if I now get up at seven o’clock in the morning, I shall try to get up at six-thirty or a quarter to seven. That kind of self-transcendence is good in any field. But there are many other things that we can do. We can shine in many, many fields if we have a little bit of competitive spirit. Again, our competitive spirit does not mean that we shall destroy somebody. Our competitive spirit we bring forward on the strength of our brotherly and sisterly feelings.