On Sportsmanship
Posted by prajjwald on January 3, 2012
As a kid, I remember being told about good sportsmanship– the willingness to accept both victory and defeat graciously, and to act amicably with your opponent after the game. It entails of course, good behavior during the game. Further, with that sort of behavior to actually be pulled off, it implies, on the simplest level, a certain state of mind– treating the game as just what it is, a game, nothing more, nothing less. It implies a certain sense of detachment from clinging to victory and superiority, of playing the game the best you can, putting your all into it, and being willing to accept the results, however they turn out (and to try harder next time, if you want to).
Sounds almost religious, doesn’t it? 
It certainly reminds me of at least one quotation from the gita, for example.
Padma Devkota said
And what is the quotation from the Gita?
prajjwald said
The one I have perhaps quoted the most —
कर्मण्ये वाधिकारस्ते म फलेषु कदाचना
कर्मफलेह्तुर भुरमा ते संगोस्त्वकर्मानी॥
– You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action। Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.
Not completely in line with what I discussed in the post, but they certainly remind me of each other.