Imagine just for a moment that you aren’t really human. Your body is a golden spine surrounded by spheres of energy…
You float into an arcade and approach a machine with the title “World of Measure” and a moment later you are born into human form. Remember, we are just imagining this, don’t take it too seriously.
During the game, all recollection of your true self is frozen in state, but you soon realize that your saved profile from your last turn is applied to each new life, this profile is titled Karma and ensures that your successive experiences in World of Measure are cohesive. Your golden spine does recall the progression of lives and sees them for what they are, a collection of experiences that form an extended story of this world with each life impressing new learning opportunities saved within your Karma. A thread of play that forms an extended narrative.
As you progress through subsequent lives you become more aware of skillful game play. You learn to not become attached to the character’s avatar, abilities, the objects, or skills of the game. The advanced player just enjoys the experience of the moment and allows the game to reveal itself as it is played. The best players don’t get overly involved in the drama of the story lines or point totals. After each life there is time to pause and laugh at the absurdity of the idea of attack seeming so real and the stakes seeming high, what were we thinking? So ridiculous! It seemed as though the fear of destruction and the end of consciousness was actually possible while in the game. In between experiences there is even a sleep transition where awareness fades for a moment; we learn it provides a needed rest during play.
Our skill continues to increase and we become aware of our reality outside of the game while playing. We stop trying to collect possessions in each life as we know that they are ephemeral and a distraction from the grace of the sport. We use what is needed in the moment realizing it is all just a cloud of particles that are constantly changing form. The master players learn not to be distracted by the simple desires that are coded into the script and they learn to appreciate the beauty in the design of every moment as it reveals itself to the senses. We find joy in helping other players along, for their experiences enrich our own in surprising and unexpected ways. For the more experienced players even lives that seem lesser, shorter, more challenging are navigated with adeptness and artistry of coordination. A seasoned and confident participant is not distracted by interactions that seemed unpleasant in the beginning, they are now just part of the experience; a different sensation. As we continue, we relax until each life has revealed itself and we can see the benefit of the experience in its completeness. After all, it’s just a game.
Zen Momentum 