The Game of Life: Part 1 – The Good and Bad that Comes Our Way

We are often conditioned to expect that our efforts will yield corresponding outcomes — kindness will be met with kindness, and love with warmth. But life doesn’t always seem to follow this expectation. In moments of disappointment, we may find ourselves asking: “Why is this happening to me?”, “Why is this person so difficult…?”

The theory of karma offers a powerful framework to understand cause and effect relationships in life. BK Sister Shivani explains karma as a game — one in which we all play an active role. 

The game you are able to see 

Every event in life can be likened to a ball being thrown our way. There are two kinds of balls.

• White balls represent positive actions and thoughts – kindness, compassion, forgiveness. 
• Black balls represent negative actions and thoughts – anger, resentment, greed. 

Every player has a choice: to respond with a white ball or a black one. 

Cause and effect over multiple rounds

Every ball a player throws comes back, not necessarily immediately. A “fair game” strategy often used is  “tit-for-tat” –  responding to kindness with kindness, and rudeness with rudeness. In practice, though,  this approach often breaks down.

For example:

• Player A sends kindness, a white ball, to Player B, but Player B responds with rudeness, a black ball.

What is going on here?

According to karma theory,  this game is played in many rounds (lifetimes), we have an account with each player which we do not remember. The game continues till we have settled these accounts. So, if Player A sends kindness to Player B,  Player B may respond with rudeness because Player A has sent a black ball in a previous round. In fact, if there have been 4 blacks thrown at B, they will keep throwing as many black balls. In the meanwhile, A decides to retaliate and starts throwing black balls too and the game continues vigorously.  

What is the goal?

Sister Shivani suggests that each player in the game is an image of the Divine, entering the game with an incomplete memory of their original, pure nature. The goal is to rediscover this nature by radiating Divine qualities.

• Throwing white balls helps players ascend toward their true nature, fostering inner peace and joy.
• Throwing black balls alienates players from their essence, causing pain and suffering.

The game is “won” when a player consistently radiates positivity, regardless of the challenges they face.

Key Lessons for Playing the Game of Life

Embracing acceptance: From “Blaming others” to “The ball I send out”

When the negative becomes overwhelming and threatens to throw us off-balance, the theory reminds us to stay on course by pointing the solution to problems within ourselves. It reminds us that whatever ball is coming at us has been sent out by us earlier. If we keep choosing the right actions no matter the immediate outcomes, gradually we can change how the game unfolds. As the effects of the black balls wear off, the white balls today will transform into white balls tomorrow.  

“Retaliate” chooses the action based on “who did what” whereas “radiate” strategy chooses actions based on “the best of what we can be.”

From “retaliate” to “radiate”

The theory is a good reminder that our goal is not to settle scores with individual players in the game but to reach our goal.  Retaliation is a strategy that keeps tangling us with  players in the game. “Retaliate” chooses the action based on “who did what” whereas “radiate” strategy chooses actions based on “the best of what we can be.” Retaliation may give the temporary satisfaction of settling scores, but in the long term, it adds to the balance of black balls in our account, and makes the road to our goal longer. To win the game, we need to be able to ‘radiate’ white balls no matter what is thrown at us. Does that make us gullible? On the contrary, it may be the most effective way to neutralize balances, and move into net positive. For example, when Angulimala literally tried to stab The Buddha in the back, what did The Buddha do? He could have had him condemned to death, but instead, out of infinite love, made him his disciple.

From “scarcity” to “abundance”

Often, we feel that if others are being unkind, it’s impossible to respond with kindness. This belief traps us in a scarcity mindset, making us beholden to the people and events around us – an enervating, dependent, fragile and constantly disturbed state of being.

In contrast, karma theory puts us on the trajectory of a growth mindset by focusing on the positive, nourishing, energetic, and affirmative, making us truly independent, by connecting us to the Infinite within. This shift frees us from external entanglements, and the theory indicates,  is the road to true freedom and abundance.

From driven by “habit” to driven by “choice”

The trail of past actions forms samskaras — patterns of thought and behavior that influence how we play the game. Habits which make it easier to repeat the same choices and harder to act differently. For instance, some of us are easily disturbed by the behavior of another person. Some of us make a note but intervene only when necessary. Some others are least affected. A habit of throwing black balls reinforces negativity, while practicing white-ball actions, like kindness or forgiveness, rewires this programming over time. Though challenging, consistent effort to choose positivity can transform these ingrained tendencies, aligning us closer to our true Divine nature.

This overview offers a glimpse into how karma shapes our daily lives. However, the game of life is far more intricate, involving elements like the true and false perceptions of its rules, the effects of desires, the role of environment, the struggle to break free from our patterns — or those of others. These complexities will be explored in future parts of this series.

Audio comment – Bhikku Aruno

Listen to an audio comment from Bhikkhu Aruno. Bhikkhu Aruno is an Indian-Thai Buddhist monk ordained in the Dhammayut tradition, closely following the Forest monastic practices of Ajahn Mun.

Reflection 

Is there a habit of thinking or acting that you are trying to change? How does the knowledge of karma help you in doing that?