Cricket woes and a possible Samurai remedy

Our cricketers are going through a difficult time. However, I still believe they will bounce back. They have been at the butt end of many jokes and cartoons spreading on social media. Without being despondent they should follow the philosophy of a famous Samurai warrior of Japan who was losing one battle after another. In addition, he was beset by many other problems. So he prayed, but not to ask for a victory at the next battle, but his prayer was “Dear God please send me more and more troubles so that with each one I will become stronger and wiser and finally be able to overcome all my troubles and be victorious.” The story is that he kept on losing a few more battles but gradually became successful and finally was recognised as a great warrior.

I hope our cricketers will look at it the same way and gain experience and wisdom from each loss and finally become world champions.

This story was told to me by one of our Japanese Directors when I was the MD of a manufacturing company where the Japanese were the major shareholders. It was in 2008 when gas prices were rising rapidly, recession beginning in the West, our buyers in Europe and the US losing business and consequently ordering less, inflation rising exponentially and raising our wages monthly because we were on a monthly cost of living adjusted wage structure, our gold and platinum pigment prices rising rapidly, cash flow reducing because buyers could not pay us on account of shortage of dollars in their banks or a credit squeeze in their countries. It was the worst of times. When gas prices increased for the third time in six weeks I sent an email to the Japanese and said I have had enough. Gas was our biggest cost. The Japanese Directors sent me this story and suggested that I print this Samurai prayer and fix it on my wall. It actually helped. I began to look at all those difficulties as new learning experiences. All those difficulties helped me become stronger and perhaps even wiser. I probably improved my adversity quotient substantially.

Sunil G Wijesinha Colombo 5