10. The Jain path
The Jain path is the path of spiritual elevation adopted by both, the shrawak/ shrawikas (lay people m/f) and the shramans and aryikas (ascetics m/f) It is called as the path of the 14-stepped ladder of spirituality shown on some Indus seals.
The Jain path begins with the game of ‘snake and ladder 
, (as illusion or misconception resulting in passion against steps of spirituality or by realization of truth) seen in Jain temples and ancient pictures and also shown on some Indus seals. The top of the game shows the zone of Sarwartha Siddhi; and above it is seen the arc of Siddhashila in the pictures, where the world of living beings is shown as a line or table of fragments of spirituality with the head of a snake (anger/passion) waiting for an occasion to swallow the soul. The moment when passion (the snake head) overtakes the soul it falls down to the tip of its tail to improve again and rise.
Triloka as a human figure
Snake-and-ladder game
Over time and through ignorance it has become a game for children through ignorance though originally it was a game of wisdom, self control, and self-observation by ascetics. Similarly people mistake another Indus sign of samayik, which is of great importance, as a game of shepherds calling it the bagh-bakari (tiger-and-goat) game! Actually that is a sign of samayik which is very important and begins with ‘chaturdik tri-awarti‘, to end it with dwadash (twelve) anupreksha, shown as rain sign.
Symbol of Caturdhik tri awarti