Service Description

Leela is an ancient Indian board game, with its origins lost to time. Its original name, Jnana-Chaupada, translates to "Game of Knowledge" ("jnana" means "knowledge, wisdom," and "chaupada" means "dice game"). Leela was created by ancient sages as a tool for exploring inner states and understanding the principles of Dharma, commonly known as Hinduism. The game board consists of seventy-two squares connected by arrows and snakes, representing seventy-two fundamental planes of existence. These planes correspond to the knowledge contained in the Vedas, Shruti, Smriti, and Puranas, making the board a "periodic table of elements of consciousness." Playing Leela involves engaging with divine wisdom found in the teachings of Yoga, Vedanta, and Sankhya, which are integral to the Hindu tradition. As players move automatically across the board, each square represents a specific state of being. Landing on a square prompts the player to reflect on the ideas and concepts associated with that square until it's their turn to roll the dice again. This process engages the player's mind, intellect, and ego ("I" consciousness). Each player acts according to their karma, and the game ends only when the player fully understands its meaning and achieves Cosmic Consciousness. Rolling the dice allows the forces of karma to determine the player's next position on the board. Players navigate through different planes of existence, climbing arrows and descending snakes, striving to understand their Higher Self's intentions at each point. The creators of Leela saw it as a tool for developing an understanding of the relationship between the individual self and the Absolute Self. Playing the game with this perspective helps players free themselves from the illusions that entangle their personality and see their life as a reflection of the macrocosm. The number rolled on the dice is determined not by the player's identifications but by the interplay of cosmic forces, which, in turn, shape the course of the player's life game. The ultimate goal of Leela is to liberate human consciousness from the bonds of the material world and reunite it with Cosmic Consciousness.