6 Mar 2012 - QA 5

Why do we take birth and what is the point in taking birth and dying, and then again taking birth?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Do you know games? I don’t understand why you play games.
Why do you play cricket?
Somebody runs and throws the ball, then someone bats and throws it again and then to catch it so many people run behind it. What is the meaning of it? If they want a ball, then give one ball each to all of them, matter over.
If someone from another planet comes to see a football match here and he is sitting in a stadium and watching a football match; someone is kicking the ball from here to there, and someone else from there to here, people are running, falling and jumping, getting tens. He would not understand what is happening? He will think, ‘For one ball so many people are running; 22 people! Just give one ball to each of them, let them go sit in the goal!’
If any civilization in this world has given an answer to this question, it is only the Indian civilization. India has said, ‘Life is not a struggle, it is a game, a leela.’
If life has been addressed as a game in any civilization, it is only the Indian civilization. This is the game of God - people taking birth, dying, then coming again; the flow of karma is happening, the waves of knowledge are going on and in between devotion arises and cleans up karma. Then knowledge and ignorance casts its shadows sometimes and to wipe out ignorance God again creates different kinds of activities. This is all our own forms.
God is not somewhere distant. It is here, right now, inside you and inside me!