An interactive tool for self-evaluation using the metaphor of snakes and ladders in spiritual life.
Let’s get familiar with the Game of Life and play.
What is the 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 the play, some sentiments and relationships at work, and the components can be many. Several of these things are at play. There is joy and happiness where there is synergy of these, but nay there is also disappointment and frustration when there is non-unison in these components. It is a game being played by all either unknowingly or consciously. Play you have to, then why shirk away from it.
Is it a Game among Humans?
The evolutionists dote on the emergence of present human existence from a unicellular being. How true it is when we find in ourselves the memories of our past existences. The tail of the monkey is a vestige but the mind plays monkeyish several times. The slothful snake which is always loyal to Newton’s First Law now finds its safe abode in us, for we alone were determined to eliminate them from their homes. Be happy to find that we were wise enough to retain the eye of the fish and so its slipperiness too. The jackals are now few in jungles and many amongst us. So it is not exactly a game confined to human life alone but it tries to stretch itself to all forms of existence.
So What is the Game up to?
This is a game where we go through various states during meditation in particular and life in general. We have been behaving like cats and dogs, snakes and foxes, lions and jackals, eagles and sparrows at various points of time. The game aims at evaluating ourselves as to 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; all interactions are between expressions of the Divine — some have affection, some have love, some have enmity, some have jealousy, and some have sharing. In all forms of life these things are expressed. The game here gives an interesting transaction with so many forms that we thought could be useful in evaluating ourselves, and for this the game has to be played again and again.
Somebody calls us a Jackal? Is it offending you?
There is a Divine potential in us and also the Divinity that has expressed in lower forms in 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. The aim is for spiritual development. It is meant for people who are serious about life; however, those who are not serious may also play to develop such seriousness. If somebody calls us a jackal we may feel offended, but if we know that and confront it then we can overcome that and grow into the next level of being. It is a challenge to know yourself. Various symbols have been used to express various characteristics that we have got. It is not that all the characters will come out to your knowledge at the first go; the game has to be played again and again to know more about ourselves so that we come out of it.
Do you know that Jackals and Dogs coexist in us?
As you play the game you will understand that while very many good traits have developed simultaneously, we come across several negative factors of our life which are all not very much perceivable or explicit in the beginning. The fall is something that may happen at any time to the lower plane, but with the help of some master you will be able to move to a higher plane or maintain stability.
If positive and negative coexist, how do we move on in the Game of Life?
The spiritual path is chalked out in such a way as to be progressively evolving to higher planes of consciousness, starting with the Earthly consciousness in which the majority of human beings live, and we go through various stages and reach the super conscious state of feeling of Oneness with all.
Game of Life is all about Snakes and Ladders.
The concept of snakes and ladders is an age-old one. Snakes have been considered as a creature which is venomous and makes us fall unconscious; symbolically in life we have got various occasions where 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. The ladders have always been considered as aids for moving on to a higher plane. You do get assistance from a friend, from a neighbour, some unforeseen opportunity and help from various other sources. We find that we lift ourselves up and develop certain traits and characters or behaviour which get certain social recognition. The game naturally involves some snakes and some ladders. The game has been designed in such a way that we get enough ladders and enough snakes as we move on. Remove the ladder and life is a misery; remove the snake and life is no challenge. The game is made very interesting and lively by the Divine by providing us ladders and snakes. Very interestingly we find that when we have fallen a prey to a snake there is a ladder by its side as a Guru to help us or a friend to save us. Miseries never come together nor does Happiness; whenever we lose something we gain something, and when we gain something we lose something. Life is like that. Play it.
Spiritually, aspiration is a ladder while attachment makes us slip.
Aspiration on the spiritual path, which is symbolically represented by fire, makes us move on the path by burning down the weeds and bushes on the path. Various positive traits acquired during the journey act as ladders to reach higher states. For example, in the initial stages, through service we get to develop faith, and at later stages through constant remembrance we become a prapanna. Whereas the Gurukrpa which comes to us through Pranahuti kindles the aspiration in us, thereby becoming a ladder for us. Our attachments to various things, which usually result in developing an attitude of possessing, make us slip down the path from a higher stage to a lower stage. Water usually represents attachment.
The Game of Life is also a Game of Dice?
The game of dice is an age-old one. In the game of dice one fails to forget the great Emperor Nala and the famous King Dharmaraja of the Mahabharata. Both of them have played the game of dice and lost kingdoms, fortunes, and near and dear ones; but by playing their game well in life by developing proper virtuous conduct, never swerving away from the righteous path, they were able to win their game of life.
What does a pair of dice signify?
The Game of Life is played with a pair of dice: one is our Effort and the other is the Divine Support to our effort. Our effort can be positive or may be negative for a particular cause, and many times not relevant — so much so that many of our actions in life, bordering on stupidity, do not help anybody, least of all the person concerned. The dice has been designed in such a way as to reflect our attitudes in life as positive, negative, or indifferent. It is wisdom to accept whatever comes. As far as the Divine is concerned it either chooses to support or waits for the opportune time, but it is never negative.
How to play the Game using Dice?
As discussed earlier, this game is played with two dice. One dice is our effort and the other dice is the Divine Support to our effort.
Our effort is either −1, 0, 1, or 2, and the Divine Support is 0, 1, or 2.
Our effort gives us either a negative result (−1), a positive result (1 or 2), or many times no result (0) in spite of the effort.
Divine Support is either affirmative (1, 2) or there is no response (0), but there is never a negative support to humanity. The definition of the Divine by principle can never be negative towards humanity or creation in general. At best there is no response from it to our efforts and the reasons for it are inexplicable to our reason.
For you to enter into the game you should be 0 and the Divine should be 1. But considering the patience required to get such a result, the game is designed in such a way that you are allowed entry into the game after 5 trials by seeking Divine intervention at the entry stage itself. This is to be understood as: the Divine is ever willing and ever kind to give us an opportunity of life itself, should we seek for one to evolve. The first lesson that is learnt is: our life in this form is a Divine blessing.
As we move on the path we find several ladders and also several snakes which give us either a jump or a fall correspondingly.
After completing the journey in the first 88 cells, we will encounter negative results on our dice because the negative traits held by the traveller or sadhaka after this stage are detrimental to his progress; in fact they make him slide back on the path. Any slide on the path should be viewed seriously by the traveller by reviewing all the negative states he had.
At some places the player has to get 1 compulsorily to get further movement on the path. It is advisable for the seeker to take note of that cell in real life. Can you identify the cell?
There are two to three big snakes in the last stages of the game. The fall from these stages is too steep. If one perseveres with the game even after having fallen from these stages twice, then the Divine intervention is available to be sought for one to get transported across these dangerous snakes.
The game has to be played many times by all, right from childhood, so that one is aware of oneself — not only for improving 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.
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.
Prefer the original? View the classic 2011 version.