Chapter 4 4. Believe in Buddhism and get married

In the 1987-88 season, I played 27 games in Fiorentina and scored 6 goals.I scored fewer goals, mainly due to pain.I seldom go to training, and when I play I'm usually exhausted after 10 minutes.It is no accident that I started to believe in Buddhism during this difficult time. New Year's Day in 1988 was a symbolic day for me.This is the beginning of a new year and the beginning of a new life for me.At 7:30 in the morning on New Year's Day, I knocked on Maurizio's door.He is a friend of mine in Florence. He is a Buddhist and has been persuading me to convert to Buddhism. I'm originally a Catholic, and I used to go to church as a child to go to mass, but I didn't have a deep Catholic faith, and when I stopped going to mass, I realized it was just a habit of mine.Under Maurizio's repeated insistence, I became curious about Buddhism, and began to shyly go to bookstores to find some Buddhist books to read, and finally decided to give it a try on New Year's Day in 1988.

Like many people, Maurizio spent the night celebrating New Year's Eve and only went to bed three hours ago.He opened the door sleepily and said, "It's you, what happened?" I replied, "I must start believing in Buddhism, right now, if you don't agree now, forget it." Maurizio couldn't believe all this. He said: "You are crazy, you should be tied up. When not, but now? You have the devil in your head." Of course he did not refuse my request, in 1988 On the cold morning of New Year's Day, I opened a new page in my life. Since then, I haven't stopped.I meditate and chant sutras at least twice a day, at least one hour each time.In any place, in any situation, I never stop.

The basis of Buddhism is revolutionary, karma, and each person is responsible for what happens to them.When I was injured back then, the question I often asked myself was: "Why is it my turn?" Buddhism allows you to look at the problem from a different perspective, life is the truth of suffering.I have a lot of injuries and it is very easy to think of stopping playing football.But then I realized that life is a challenge, and Buddhism taught me to be constantly challenged. Buddhism made me seek enlightenment, gave me strength, and helped me avoid getting lost.For example, when I was in Vicenza Boys, we played very well, sometimes thousands of people came to watch the game, but in the end it was only me who played well.A few years ago, I read in the newspaper that one of my teammates at the time had been arrested for drug use.I suffer, for this friend, and for myself: another man has lost his way, and I have not been able to help him.

It is easy to get lost.If it wasn't for Buddhism, I'd probably be blacksmithing with my father right now, or worse, addicted to drugs or other vices. During this period Andrena moved from Caldogno to live with me in Florence.She has also been a great comfort to me in times of grief. Andreina was my childhood neighbor and I fell in love with her when I was 15.It was the night of July 24, 1982. My friends and I played football until 9:30 in the evening.Andreina rode a motorcycle through the stadium three times. When she was about to leave for the third time, I took off a ring she was wearing and told her that I would not return from Vicenza in three weeks. Put on this ring so you can't help thinking of me.

When I went to train at Vicenza, I fell in love and couldn't help it.When I got back to Caldogno, I found out that she did the same.So we got engaged.That was August 16, 1982. On July 2, 1989, I married Andreina. On July 1, I played for Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup qualifying play-off against Roma. After the game, I returned to Fiorentina to pick up some things and then returned to Caldogno.In the evening, a friend who played the guitar and I sang a serenade under the window of Andreina's bedroom, and we didn't go to bed until 7 o'clock in the morning. Three hours later, we had our wedding.I was extremely sleepy, halfway through the wedding feast, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

The wedding was held in a Catholic church, and I was criticized that, as a Buddhist, I shouldn't have done that.I know it's a contradiction, I'm doing this for Andréna and my parents, they care a lot about it.If we were getting married now, we wouldn't be having a church wedding, certainly not.You know, I had only believed in Buddhism for more than a year at that time, and my family members were suspicious and opposed, and so was Andreina. But then one day, I saw her chanting behind me, almost hiding there.She has understood how Buddhism can help me.Since that day, she hasn't stopped.Meditation and chanting have become our common life needs.