Jammin' With Janera

Janera Jepson, who blogs here, has another Wednesday Wickedness post up-ten thoughtful questions derived from statements of famous people. And with another Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals tilt around the corner, who better to provide the questions than the Zen Master himself, Lakers coach Phil Jackson.




1. "Always keep an open mind and a compassionate heart.” Do you ALWAYS keep an open mind?

I think so. I like to think so. Like all humans, I am hidebound by prejudices of all kinds. For example, if you were to tell me, "Rush Limbaugh says that...", I would immediately be prejudiced against the truth of the statement. I don't think that would let me deny facts-but as my father used to say, "If Richard Nixon told me it was raining, I'd go look out the window first."

2. “Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength.” Who is the wisest person you know? Who is the strongest?

Without question or doubt, long gone and hard to find, sitting in the clubhouse with a ten shot lead, my wife. Period, end of story, you can put it on the board, yes.

3. "Yes, victory is sweet, but it doesn't necessarily make life any easier the next season or even the next day." Do you think a successful day at your job makes the next day better or not?

No. My work life has very little continuity. I can have a fantastic day followed by an unspeakably vile one, and vice versa.


4. "...True joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way." How would we tell by your behavior if you are having a bad day?

I get very, very quiet, with clipped and monosyllabic responses to questions.

5. "I gave it my body and mind, but I have kept my soul." Do you have days when you feel you gave it your all, but may have compromised your values?

Yes, I'm ashamed to admit. I've made decisions that were easy for me that I knew were going to wind up causing a headache for someone else, instead of wading in and fixing them myself. Thankfully, I haven't done it very often.

6. "Your problems never cease. They just change." What do you feel is your biggest problem at the moment?

My job. I am having an enormous amount of trouble completing all that is expected of me without spending a lot more time there than I am being paid for.

7. "My dad always had this little sign on his desk: "The bigger your head is, the easier your shoes are to fill." He really drilled that in." Does your ego sometimes get in your way?

Once in a great while.

8. "There is a saying that I love...It says: "There are no Zen masters, there's only Zen." "Zen master" is a contradiction in terms. You don't master Zen." Do you believe in Zen? If yes, can it be mastered? Yes. No. (How's that for Zen?)

9. "You can not teach competitiveness." Do you believe you could teach someone, like your child, to be competitive? No. You either are, or you're not.

10. "Home is where the heart is, right?” Obviously Phil didn't originate this quote. He said it when asked if he'd retire after this season. Do you believe home is not a place but rather a state of mind?

Home is the place where, if you go there, they have to take you in.