"I believe in Buddhism"- When Tiger Woods invoked his religious faith

Tiger Woods has been very vocal about his religious faith. He talked about it in several interviews. The 15-time major champion told Sports Illustrated in 1996 that he believed in Buddhism.

"I believe in Buddhism," said Woods. "Not every aspect, but most of it. So I take bits and pieces. I don't believe that human beings can achieve ultimate enlightenment because humans have flaws."

Woods mentioned that it's important to work hard in life:

"You have to work for everything in life, and you get out of it what you put into it. So you're going to have to work your butt off in every aspect of your life. That's one of the things people see in what I do on the golf course, but that's just one small facet of my life."

Despite his fervent devotion to his religion, Woods disobeyed two of Buddhism's most crucial precepts.

Lord Buddha's five precepts include, "Avoid intoxication," "Do not steal," "Do not destroy life," "Do not lie," and "Do not engage in sexual misconduct."

Woods, however, cheated on his wife and committed sexual misconduct. But after admitting his mistake, he publicly apologized to his wife and children for what he had done.

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"I lost track of what I was taught" - Tiger Woods accepted his mistake

Tiger Woods cheated on his wife, Elin Nodregren, when his career was at its height. He was overheard talking to another woman. He was soon found to be dating multiple women. Later on, Woods admitted his mistake and publicly expressed his regret for it.

In one of his interviews in 2010, Tiger Woods spoke about his religion while apologizing to his wife.

"People probably don't realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years."

Elin Nordegren and Tiger Woods (Image via Getty)

Tiger also opened up about the teachings of Lord Buddha and said:

"Buddhism teaches that a creation of things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. I lost track of what I was taught."

He talked about the time when he cheated on his wife. However, his religious faith helped him balance out his personal and professional lives. Speaking about spiritual life, Woods said:

"The importance of looking at my spiritual life and keeping [it] in balance with my professional life. I need to regain my balance and be centered, so I can see the things that are most important to me: My marriage and my children."

Tiger Woods with his Mother Tida (Image via All Sport)

In his 2008 interview, Woods also recalled that he mediated and visited the temple with his mother, as reported by the Times of London. His mother taught him about Buddhism.

Woods' mother, Kultida, was originally from Thailand, where she met his father, Earl, who was on military duty. His mother was a strong devotee of Buddhism, so Tiger Woods learned about the religion from her.