Game of Life

Life is an interplay of a complex matrix of several components. There are some goals to achieve, some aspirations for the sublime, some emotions in play, some sentiments and relationships at work — and the components can be many. There is joy and happiness where there is synergy of these, but there is also disappointment and frustration when there is no union among them. It is a game being played by all, either unknowingly or consciously. Play you have to, then why shirk away from it?

What the game is

This is a game in which we go through various states during meditation in particular and life in general. We have behaved like cats and dogs, snakes and foxes, lions and jackals, eagles and sparrows at various points of time. The game aims at evaluating ourselves — what is the true self of man, and what is the true goal. The Divine, in its infinite wisdom, has given various forms of expression to itself; some relations carry affection, some love, some enmity, some jealousy and some sharing.

There is a Divine potential in us, and also the Divinity that has expressed in lower forms within us. The attempt of any serious person is to see that the Divine resource is improved and the human and animal resource is put down. It is a challenge to know yourself. Various symbols are used to express the characteristics we carry; not all of them come to our knowledge at the first go, so the game has to be played again and again.

Snakes and ladders

The Game of Life is all about snakes and ladders. Symbolically, in life we are bitten by the snake of Lust, the snake of Greed, the snake of Jealousy, the snake of Ambition, the snake of Covetousness, and so on. Ladders have always been considered aids for moving on to a higher plane — assistance from a friend, a neighbour, an unforeseen opportunity, or help from various sources.

Remove the ladder and life is a misery; remove the snake and life is no challenge. Very interestingly, when we have fallen prey to a snake there is a ladder by its side — as a Guru to help us or a friend to save us. Spiritually, aspiration is a ladder while attachment makes us slip. Aspiration, symbolically represented by fire, makes us move on the path by burning down the weeds and bushes; our attachments, represented by water, make us slip down from a higher stage to a lower one.

The two dice

The game is played with a pair of dice: one is our Effort and the other is the Divine support to our effort.

• Our effort is either −1, 0, 1 or 2 — a negative result (−1), a positive result (1 or 2), or many times no result (0) in spite of the effort.
• Divine support is 0, 1 or 2 — affirmative (1 or 2) or no response (0). There is never a negative support to humanity; the Divine, by principle, can never be negative towards creation.

To enter the game you should be 0 and the Divine should be 1. Considering the patience such a result requires, the game allows entry after five trials by seeking Divine intervention at the entry stage itself — the first lesson being that our life in this form is a Divine blessing.

Playing the game

After completing the journey in the first 88 cells, negative results begin to appear on the dice, because the negative traits of a sadhaka beyond this stage are detrimental to progress and make him slide back. Any slide should be viewed seriously and reviewed. There are two or three big snakes in the last stages, where the fall is very steep; if one perseveres even after falling twice, Divine intervention may be sought to be transported across these dangerous snakes.

The game has to be played many times by all, right from childhood, so that one becomes aware of oneself — not only to improve oneself, but more importantly to become capable of helping others on the path.

Play the Game of Life online — snakes and ladders of the spiritual path. Prefer the original? View the classic 2011 version.

The game can also be downloaded for offline play on Windows: the full version includes audio and puzzles (347 MB); the light version includes puzzles only and does not require audio support (14 MB). Contact isrcimperience@gmail.com to request the offline installer.