LEELA – THE GAME OF LIFE
Leela (from Sanskrit लीला - game) is an Indian board game based on the philosophical concept of Leela and is a tool for observing the patterns of random events in a person's life. It is generally accepted as the most ancient transformational game of self-cognition, designed to gain wisdom.
Leela helps to find answers to disturbing questions, gain clarity in difficult life situations, resolve internal conflicts, regain strength and inspiration.
Leela helps to find answers to disturbing questions, gain clarity in difficult life situations, resolve internal conflicts, regain strength and inspiration.
Examples of different types of games from the East.
THE GIST OF THE GAME
THE GIST OF THE GAME
The seventy-two squares of the playing field, with all the arrows and snakes that bind them, represent the seventy-two basic planes of existence and their interconnections, and reveal to us the knowledge that is contained in the teachings of Yoga, Vedanta and Sankhya, which are the flesh and blood of the Hindu tradition. The creators of the game saw in it, first of all, a tool that develops an understanding of the relationship between the individual "I" and the absolute "I".
During the game, the player automatically moves through the cells of the playing field, each of which has a specific name, reflecting one of the internal states of a person. Once on a particular cell, the player receives messages from the master intended for cells, and begins to think about ideas and concepts related to the name of this cell. Thus, the mind, intellect and ego (sense of "I") of the player are involved in the game and internal transformations occur, which as a result lead the person into a state of connection with himself.
According to the idea of the creators of the game, passing through the game helps the player to free himself from the illusion that has tightly entangled his personality and see his life as a reflection of the macrocosm.
During the game, the player automatically moves through the cells of the playing field, each of which has a specific name, reflecting one of the internal states of a person. Once on a particular cell, the player receives messages from the master intended for cells, and begins to think about ideas and concepts related to the name of this cell. Thus, the mind, intellect and ego (sense of "I") of the player are involved in the game and internal transformations occur, which as a result lead the person into a state of connection with himself.
According to the idea of the creators of the game, passing through the game helps the player to free himself from the illusion that has tightly entangled his personality and see his life as a reflection of the macrocosm.
Earliest dated gyān caupaṛ map. Lucknow, India (1780–1782)
Leela's main rule: once started the game must be over!
The nature of the space game is simple - it is the discovery of new combinations. The game begins in cell 68 - "Cosmic Consciousness". According to the plot of the game, the soul is on a subtle plane and decides to go to the human body for experience. Passing level after level, descending on snakes and taking off on arrows, the player gradually finds answers to his questions.
The game also ends in cell 68, when the request with which the person came to the game is resolved, the soul connects with the Cosmic Consciousness, and "the ring, which serves as a symbol of the player on the field, is sent back to the finger of its owner."
The game also ends in cell 68, when the request with which the person came to the game is resolved, the soul connects with the Cosmic Consciousness, and "the ring, which serves as a symbol of the player on the field, is sent back to the finger of its owner."
HISTORICAL ROOTS
HISTORICAL ROOTS
The original name of this game is Jnana-chaupada (jnana - knowledge, wisdom, chaupada - dice; thus, the name can be translated as "Knowledge Game"). According to the creators of the modern version of the game, Leela was created by the holy seers of the past as a key to internal states and to study the principles of Dharma, the most important concept in Indian philosophy and Indian religions.
In world museums, you can see about 50 variants of boards for the game. They are found in India, Nepal, Tibet. There are many versions of the game: Jain, Hindu, Sufi, Nepal, Muslim versions. There is also evidence of Buddhist versions of the game. The Jain version is one of the oldest surviving and dates back to 1735.
Harish Johari
As happened with many things, knowledge and traditions that appeared in the East and then ended up in the West, Lila came to Europe. In 1882 she was brought to England and became very popular. Originally played by adults, the game was adapted for children in 1890 as Snakes & Ladders to teach children about cause and effect.
The modern Indian version of Leela was first described in 1974 by the connoisseur and keeper of the Indian tradition, Harish Johari, adapting the meanings of the cells and the meanings laid down in them for Western researchers.
Indian artist, sculptor, composer, singer, musician, teacher, philosopher, chef, writer, Harish Johari popularised the idea of combining the esoteric teachings of Hinduism with the scientific achievements of the so-called Western world, into one holistic philosophical and applied system.
The modern Indian version of Leela was first described in 1974 by the connoisseur and keeper of the Indian tradition, Harish Johari, adapting the meanings of the cells and the meanings laid down in them for Western researchers.
Indian artist, sculptor, composer, singer, musician, teacher, philosopher, chef, writer, Harish Johari popularised the idea of combining the esoteric teachings of Hinduism with the scientific achievements of the so-called Western world, into one holistic philosophical and applied system.
As happened with many things, knowledge and traditions that appeared in the East and then ended up in the West, Lila came to Europe. In 1882 she was brought to England and became very popular. Originally played by adults, the game was adapted for children in 1890 as Snakes & Ladders to teach children about cause and effect.
The modern Indian version of Leela was first described in 1974 by the connoisseur and keeper of the Indian tradition, Harish Johari, adapting the meanings of the cells and the meanings laid down in them for Western researchers.
The modern Indian version of Leela was first described in 1974 by the connoisseur and keeper of the Indian tradition, Harish Johari, adapting the meanings of the cells and the meanings laid down in them for Western researchers.
Harish Johari
Indian artist, sculptor, composer, singer, musician, teacher, philosopher, chef, writer, Harish Johari popularised the idea of combining the esoteric teachings of Hinduism with the scientific achievements of the so-called Western world, into one holistic philosophical and applied system.
LEELA BOARD
LEELA BOARD
The playing field is a numerologically balanced, perfect rectangle. It consists of eight horizontal rows that go from bottom to top. In Hinduism, eight is the number of the manifested universe, which consists of five great elements - ether, air, fire, water and earth - and three forces: mind, intellect and ego.
The field also contains nine vertical rows. Nine is the number of the Absolute, the Higher Consciousness, it completes a series of fundamental numbers from which all other numbers are built, and thus nine is the number of completion.
The field also contains nine vertical rows. Nine is the number of the Absolute, the Higher Consciousness, it completes a series of fundamental numbers from which all other numbers are built, and thus nine is the number of completion.
The cells of the field are named in Sanskrit. At the moment, the language categories of Russian and Sanskrit are very different, and there simply cannot be a direct accurate translation into Russian. Therefore, players are invited not to focus on translation, but to try to understand the essence of a particular concept.
There are arrows and snakes on the field - this is a way to navigate the field, a way to return you to certain states. Arrows are benefactors that lift you up. Getting to the beginning of the arrow, we rise to its tip. Snakes are vices, getting on the head of a snake, you go down to the tip of its tail.
Everything on the field is neutral! All cells of the field are neutral. Insignificance is not bad. And Superpower is not good. There is also nothing wrong with falling on snakes - just try to understand the messages that the game brings you.
There are arrows and snakes on the field - this is a way to navigate the field, a way to return you to certain states. Arrows are benefactors that lift you up. Getting to the beginning of the arrow, we rise to its tip. Snakes are vices, getting on the head of a snake, you go down to the tip of its tail.
Everything on the field is neutral! All cells of the field are neutral. Insignificance is not bad. And Superpower is not good. There is also nothing wrong with falling on snakes - just try to understand the messages that the game brings you.
Modern version of the game. Leela's author's field of the OMKARA school.
The author of the field is the artist Ekaterina Skobleva.
MASTER'S ROLE
MASTER'S ROLE
Throughout the game, the master carries out the process of players moving around the field, and also conveys the meaning of the comments and the meaning of the cells to the players, and helps in difficult moments. Only the player has answers to all questions, the task of the host is to facilitate the game process.
Key principles of playing the game by Leela's Masters:
Key principles of playing the game by Leela's Masters:
1
Careful and environmentally friendly attitude towards the players.
2
Creating and maintaining a comfortable and efficient play space.
3
Ensuring that the game process is completed by each of the players.
In preparing this section, material was used from the following sources:
1) Schmidt-Madsen, J. (2019). The Game of Knowledge: Playing at Spiritual Liberation in 18th- and 19th-Century Western India. Det Humanistiske Fakultet, Københavns Universitet.
2) Harish Johari. Leela. The game of self-knowledge. Transl. from English. - K .: "Sofia", Sh., 1999. © 1980, 1993 by Harish Johari
1) Schmidt-Madsen, J. (2019). The Game of Knowledge: Playing at Spiritual Liberation in 18th- and 19th-Century Western India. Det Humanistiske Fakultet, Københavns Universitet.
2) Harish Johari. Leela. The game of self-knowledge. Transl. from English. - K .: "Sofia", Sh., 1999. © 1980, 1993 by Harish Johari