Basketball with Metta World Peace (video)

Trudy Goodman-Kornfield (insightla.org); Amber Larson, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

I'd call Metta World Peace [formerly Ron Sandiford-Artest] a real "alchemist," except there was nothing magical about the hard work he did to transform his troubles into triumphs with the help of therapy,  Buddhist meditation, and yoga.

He stepped out of where he came from into where he wanted to go without abandoning his roots or friends. Metta learned how to harness the energies that serve his goals, but he had to struggle to work through the emotions.

How he found the courage to believe in himself and use his experience to help others is a compelling story, one that is ultimately about love – Buddhist metta or "lovingkindess."

I have transcribed and edited the following words from a meditation video Metta made with WE RISE in May, 2020:

Metta World Peace, #37

“When I was a younger kid, emotions would get the best of me, and didn’t have the tools to understand how to deal with the emotions. When a controversy is about to happen, How do you ‘take five’ to make a good decision? On the basketball court, if you let your emotions get the best of you, you’re not going to be focused on the task at hand. I started to really take on meditation, therapy, yoga, and other holistic approaches so I could always be relaxed and calm… Meditation is very important, and all these tools were essential for me having a successful NBA career. In 2011, I changed my name to Metta World Peace. My name is inspired by Buddhism, by people being supportive of me and walking with me down this path of trying to find myself.

Ron Artest wasn't always about love (metta) or peace: fights, cheap shots...

Man, I have changed so much.

“I wanted to reach back and be part of something that I was as a child, in the purest form. Metta (‘lovingkindness’) was something I really wanted to accomplish, the same way you have goals on the court…. I’m very proud that I had the opportunity to have the exposure to meditation, therapy, yoga, and my singing bowl… If more people had these tools, when something is going wrong, there’s something you can fall back on if you’re feeling depressed or you have a lot of anxiety… meditation and yoga I really love. I still meditate. I talk with my therapist to this day when I need to. Metta World Peace is a place for me to go when I feel my emotions are getting the best of me. Meditate, soak it in, stay in the moment, stay present.”

Giving Grief Meaning (Dulan)

It was a joy to welcome this professional basketball player and inspiration to InsightLA’s annual benefit, a day of Buddhist teachings and practices to see us through hard times and happy holidays. I had the honor of speaking with Metta and friend Lily Dulan, who is launching her new book, Giving Grief Meaning.

Lily and Metta each discovered their own way to transform loss and grief into compassion and peace. Both Metta and Lily embody Hamlet’s wisdom: “To thine own self be true.” With a bit of metta and mindfulness, we can, too!

Love, Trudy Goodman-Kornfield, founder of InsightLA