Life is a game of snakes and ladders

First of all let us examine the game of snakes and ladders (or its later version: chutes and ladders.) According to Wikipedia, the original conception of the game was as a morality lesson: “where a player's progression up the board represented a life journey complicated by virtues (ladders) and vices (snakes).” In this sense, one could draw a parallel between snakes and ladders and life. However, now I see this in a different light. Snakes and Ladders is a zero choice game- a game so lucky heavy, that a computer can play it as well as a person as well as an eggplant. All that is required is to roll dice, (though the eggplant probably would have difficult with that.) And is a 100% luck, zero-choice simulation reflect what life is. I would argue no.

Snakes and Ladders was invented in India and it signifies the journey of the soul from embodiment to final liberation. As you can see that there are ladders of good thoughts and deeds that take you closer to your goal and then there are snakes of ignorance, evil deeds and sin that plunge you back again and again into being born. The dice is the Karma and its laws that act as your destiny based upon your own deeds and thoughts. Life and snake ladder both are games. Life is full of ups and downs, so the position of the dice is in the game. No matter how much you work harder, luck always matters to achieve success in this game of life and in the game of snake ladder.

Success hugs you in private and next time Failure slaps you in public, So upliftment by ladder and drop down by snake does in-game. One of the most important goals in counseling, particularly in existential and reality therapies, is to help the client understand that they have a choice in their lives. Sure, luck plays a role in what happens to you, but each person has options as to how to respond. It is often an easier thing to blame others when life isn’t going well. And in some sense, that is valid. The actions of people in our lives invariably affect us. However, we are ultimately responsible for our response. Life is not rolling a six and moving six spaces (possibly sliding down a snake.) Life is rolling the die and making the choice: Given that I’ve rolled a six, how many spaces do I want to move?

We all start our journey aiming to reach at the top (100). Sometimes unexpected failure happen(the snake bite) but that fall somehow teaches us like how to roll back after falling down, while sometimes we get unexpected success (the ladder climb) that we equally Cherish. Up and down but the game goes on and at last we reach to 100. Now the interesting part, what game teaches us is its all about the journey which makes the game interesting, those ups and downs, falling back and getting surprises, At the top game stops!

The similarities are very obvious. You usually climb in balance but you are suddenly thrown out and then you regain balance with effort, get miracles but again some obstacle comes in. It's because life is a learning game. The learning comes through overcoming the obstacles... You fall in terms of money but you gain in terms of patience or perseverance. It's the energy you gain that carries over to your future lives.

Life is a game, so snake ladder is. Life as well as snake ladder game is played in good competitive environment. Life is full of ups and downs, so position of the dice is in the game. Sometime it’s harder to decide to try harder or walk away, So some moments of snake ladder game are. No matter how much you work harder, luck matters to achieve success in both life and in snake ladder game. Success hugs in private and next time Failure slaps in public, So upliftment by ladder and drop down by snake does in game. Success comes after a lot of effort, persistence and patience, so completing the snake ladder game demands those.

Ladder is being, snake is not being. Ladder is motion, snake is rest. Ladder is light, snake is darkness. Ladder is day. Snake is night. Ladder is birth. Snake is death. Ladder is yes, snake is a No. Ladder is origin, creation, snake is dissolution, destruction. Ladder is hope. Snake is disappointment. Ladder is health. Snake is disease. Ladder is male( yang) , snake is female (yin). Ladder is war, snake is peace. Ladder is injustice, snake is justice. Ladder is aggression. Snake is peace. Ladder is manifest, snake is un-manifest. Ladder is courage, snake is fear. Ladder is youth. Snake is old age. Ladder is joy snake is grief. Ladder is deficiency. Snake is replenishment. Many such similarities can be given. Cheers!