Old School RuneScape has such a strong pull that even the spiritually enlightened among us can't resist hopping on and grinding out one of the game's many skills.
Ben Xi (in-game name) is an ex-monk of the Hare Krishna Movement, a Hindu religious organisation (thanks, GamesRadar+). Xi spent six years living as a monk at a temple in Wales before he moved out of the temple to, in his words, "play RuneScape." Xi's account is 20-years-old but he hasn't played in a long time. However, he admits his childhood was dominated by the MMO, and he says the game is part of his being.
"It's quite hard to quit RuneScape - I don't think anyone ever does quit RuneScape," he remarks. "It becomes a part of who you are, at least in my experience."
If there was ever a game that would lend itself to spiritual education, it might be Old School RuneScape. We've seen unbelievable feats of willpower, perseverance and dedication in the OSRS community. If you can't reach enlightenment by cutting yew trees in Prifddinas, then can your consciousness ever ascend?
In Xi's most recent video, he reads excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita, the...
