Playing Monopoly

“So what are you up to?” he asked

“Just playing Monopoly.” I replied

“What? I don’t see a board game going on. It’s just you and I having coffee. Are you ok?” my friend said to me.

“Sure I am. I’m just fine, and so are you.” Observing his reaction, I followed my statement by saying; “That was an interesting move you just made. Good play.”

He said to me, “but I’m not playing any game. There’s no cards in my hand, no playing board on the table, no dice in my hands. So please. Enlighten me; and what do you mean exactly by “good play” in this supposed game of Monopoly?”

“I meant “good play” for Questioning me like that. I mean it’s a very common reaction to something you don’t understand; and I’m sure that at first, it does seem crazy;, but let me explain myself further. It’s my move now, ok?”

“uhhh ok. I’ll humor the crazy man.” He said with a slightly puzzled look on his face while smiling wryly at me; all with the anticipation of a good laugh. “Go ahead” he continued, while sipping his coffee. “I could use the entertainment anyway.”

“Well I said; it’s like this as I see it…

We can choose to roll the dice to take our turn in the game of being incarnated in this realm, in this existence. It’s a choice we make, just as everything is ultimately a choice.

When we’re here, we’re here with a purpose and a plan with lessons to learn for ourselves, and lessons to teach others. It’s a game, it’s life, but it’s also a school; a place of learning; and just like any game, incarnated life has rules of things we must follow (breathing, eating, sleeping, etc) if we are to be incarnated here and play the game. Some people play the game very well by materialistic standards. They become very rich in the material sense; (but that doesn’t mean they are wealthy; which is another matter entirely); but that doesn’t mean that they have taught or learned everything they should during this game, this incarnation. Lessons not taught and lessons not learned will be repeated until completed. In this material world, the game can be all about the ego, obtaining material riches, and the clichéd “Keeping up with the Jones” and listening the anonymous “They” that permeates so much of our society; or you can rise above it and play the game on a different level entirely. This doesn’t mean that you can avoid certain rules of the realm, like not eating, sleeping, or breathing, and you’ll still require money to live in our society, shelter in which to sleep, etc; however, you can transcend the ego and it’s self-centered need for survival. You can choose to not only do that, but you can also choose to transcend the need, want and desire for material things beyond your own self-interest. This is not to suggest that you live in destitution or go broke to live in poverty, giving away everything you own; instead I am saying look at the reasons why you own things and how you may better utilize them as tools for the benefit of mankind. When you do these things, you are still playing the game, but on another level entirely.

While one person may choose to acquire material goods for their own perceived status and personal reasons; another may choose to acquire the very same things, but for entirely different reasons – to help others. This is not to say that one is “better” or “worse” than the other, only merely different methods of playing the game on different levels. Be not of this world, but be in it. Be not of the past nor the future; but instead be of the now, in full focus of the present moment, in perfect clarity of mind, thought, action and deed. Be. Just be.

So now my questions to you are:

If you realize that you are now in this game, how are you playing it?

If you realize you are now in this school, how are you learning from it?

If you realize you are now in this school, how are you teaching it?

If you realize you know all of these things already, yet you live life thinking that you are somehow outside of it all, or that you only do these things at certain times instead of all of the time, I ask you this: Why?”

So now as I stop here and look at my friend across the table from me, a twinkle forms in my own eye and with a knowing wink I say, “Your move.”

…and the game rolls on.

Copyright © 2009 Ron Schreiner All Rights Reserved

Monopoly is owned by Parker Brothers®/Hasbro® – All Rights Reserved