List of games that Buddha would not play
The Buddha games list is a list of games that Gautama Buddha is reputed to have said he would not play, because he believed them to be a waste of time that distracted from seeking enlightenment.[1] This list dates from the 6th or 5th century BC and is the earliest known list of games. [clarification needed]
There is some debate about the translation of some of the games mentioned,[clarification needed] and the list given here is based on the translation by T.W. Rhys Davids of the Brahmajāla Sutta and is in the same order given in the original.[2] The list is also given in a number of other Buddhist works, including the Vinaya Pitaka.
- Games on boards with 8 or 10 rows. (Thought to refer to ashtapada and dasapada respectively.)
- The same games played on imaginary boards. (akasam astapadam was an ashtapada variant played with no board, literally "astapadam played in the sky".)
- Games of marking diagrams on the floor such that the player can only walk on certain places. (This is described in the Vinaya Pitaka as "having drawn a circle with various lines on the ground, there they play avoiding the line to be avoided". Rhys Davids suggests that it may refer to parihāra-patham, a form of hop-scotch.)
- Games where players either remove pieces from a pile or add pieces to it, with the loser being the one who causes the heap to shake (similar to the modern game pick-up sticks).
- Games of throwing dice.
- "Dipping the hand with the fingers stretched out in lac, or red dye, or flour-water, and striking the wet hand on the ground or on a wall, calling out 'What shall it be?' and showing the form required--elephants, horses, &c."
- Ball games.
- Blowing through a pat-kulal, a toy pipe made of leaves.
- Ploughing with a toy plough.
- Playing with toy windmills made from palm leaves.
- Playing with toy measures made from palm leaves.
- Playing with toy carts.
- Playing with toy bows.
- Guessing at letters traced with the finger in the air or on a friend's back.
- Guessing a friend's thoughts.
- Imitating deformities.
Although the modern game of chess had not been invented at the time the list was made, earlier chess-like games such as chaturaji may have existed. H.J.R. Murray refers to Rhys Davids' 1899 translation, noting that the 8×8 board game is most likely ashtapada while the 10×10 game is dasapada. He states that both are race games.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ McGonigal, Jane. SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver and More Resilient--Powered by the Science of Games, p. 37 (Penguin 2015).
- ^ Davids, T. W. Rhys (1899–1921). Dialogues of the Buddha. Pali Text Society.[full citation needed]
- ^ Murray, H J R (1952). History of Board Games Other Than Chess. Clarendon Press. p. 35.[full citation needed]