We all play the Game of Life, whether we want to or not. A game played by the Creator, of whom we have no evidence. It is a complex game where the mind and soul clash. Material desires compete with spiritual growth, each pulling in separate directions. As much as our minds urge us to cling to material possessions, the wisdom of saints guides us to expand our perspective beyond the tangible world, asserting there’s a spiritual essence to existence. Unlike transient competitions and pursuits, life unfolds in a profound struggle between the mind’s faculties and the soul’s essence. The mind obstructs the soul’s path to fulfilment while the soul endeavours to realize its spiritual self; trapped by the mind in emotional desires, we do not realize that these are ultimately fleeting and illusory. 

Some people approach life with the purpose of only winning, trying to accumulate and attach as much wealth, status, and possessions as possible. The mind employs an array of thoughts as weaponry, including apprehensions about the future and reflections on the past, all aimed at diverting the soul from its course. As we progress towards soulful enlightenment, we inevitably encounter this mental apparatus. Yet, amidst this internal strife, we uncover an inner spiritual dimension that coexists within the physical realm, offering solace, insight, and a connection to the Divine. We navigate these realms through meditative awareness, discovering tranquillity, wisdom, and the ultimate truth.

The game begins with two players – the mind versus the soul. The game’s design is such that on one side, we have the cognitive mind reacting from borrowed knowledge gathered from outer sources, and intellectually, we get overwhelmed by emotional desires with identifications and attachments for its ‘me and mine,’ which we refer to as Ego. The other is that silent player witnessing the mind’s thoughts spontaneously, acting intuitively and intelligently at any moment. We refer to that as the soul. As life continues, the tussle between the material self and the spiritual persists.

The mind, on one end, manoeuvres with multiple strategies, wanting more and more, leading a life entirely of emotional desires to possess and accumulate physical and financial objects or to drink, eat, have sex, and be merry. The other, the soul, moves selflessly, checking and guiding the mind on a path of truth, love, and divinity.

The game matures when the mind becomes aware of the soul’s nature and experiences how to go beyond material desires in bringing the innate divine and the devil, the good and evil, positive and negative, towards their source of oneness from where they separated. Life is nothing but a movement of energy in unity and continuity vibrating in multiple frequencies, which is indivisible and can neither be created nor destroyed. There is no difference between the Creator and the creation; one requires self-knowledge to self-discover and self-realize; all that ultimately exists is that eternal one unified spirit of total awareness, enjoying the temporal game of life of illusions in dualities of this and that while the game is on.

The meaning behind this game of life is for all to comprehend that spirit is the sole determining factor, whether material or for spiritual living. We are spiritual beings going through human experiences. Nonetheless, both are essential – a good house, car, favourable bank balance, etc. but with spiritual insight primarily because material possessions and pleasures tend to demand more and more. We must counter this excessive lifestyle with a higher standard of life, which comes through contentment, clarity, and calmness if we wish to transcend into clairvoyance with peacefulness.

So play the Game of Life correctly – with joy, gratitude, and intent. Wisdom lies in the skilful balancing of both material and the spiritual, like a tightrope walker, where you balance the two ends of the pole of living in happiness and sadness, accepting both with grace and equipoise. Realize a state of mind worth working, playing, and living for yourself and the world. This realization is actualized only when you play this game of illusions, keeping strictly in mind that you should not be overly tilted on either side, whether material or spiritual. You are here not intending to be a saint or a sinner but to celebrate life in its wholesomeness. The key to success lies in balancing these forces, finding contentment amidst the clamour of wants.

Awareness of the soul’s role leads to fulfilment, transcending the game of duality to choose this or that. Eventually, life’s purpose is found in the journey, not by reaching a predetermined end. Embrace the adventure, play with wonder and purpose, and celebrate the richness of existence. That’s winning the game we all signed up for.

NAMASTE