Vānaprastha Adventure

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 12 Along with old age (and birth and death), during retirement we can expect to undergo disease. This is unavoidable. It comes with the body. If we have “disease karma,” disease will come, no matter what. That said, as with financial planning there are sensible things we can do. First, of course, we can try our best to live a healthy way of life. As mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā (6.17), we can reduce our risk of bodily troubles by living in a regulated way—eating not too little and not too much, sleeping as much as we need but not more. In … [Read more...] about Thinking about health

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 9 As Śrīla Prabhupāda often instructed, one should mold one’s life in such a way that one will be always conscious of Kṛṣṇa. Gṛhasthas (like the members of all the other āśramas) should do this. A gṛhastha’s home should be a place of spiritual culture.1 Though gṛhasthas have some license for sense gratification, enjoying sense gratification should be a less important part of their life.2 In the home of an ideal gṛhastha, Kṛṣṇa is in the center, and everything done is for the service of Kṛṣṇa. Such a home, filled with chanting and hearing of the … [Read more...] about The gṛhastha āśrama, for spiritual culture

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 8 One of my students asked me, “If vānaprastha life is meant to start sometime around the age of fifty, shouldn’t we be planning for it from the time we enter the gṛhastha āśrama in order to have an easier change?” Actually the planning for the vānaprastha life should begin even earlier. For progress on the road of varṇāśrama, the first stage is brahmacārī life. A brahmacārī may stay brahmacārī or go directly to sannyāsa. But often the brahmacārī marries. And for married life, training as a brahmacārī provides the best foundation.1 Too often, … [Read more...] about Planning early

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 7 While being keen to accept life in the vānaprastha order, we should avoid becoming pseudo vānaprasthas. One should not adopt the identity of a vānaprastha merely for false prestige. If one identifies oneself to others as a vānaprastha, one should adopt the consciousness of a vānaprastha and follow the duties of a vānaprastha. One should not merely call oneself a vānaprastha yet continue to immerse oneself in family affairs, social occasions, mundane entertainment, and mundane interests. In particular, one should not call oneself a vānaprastha … [Read more...] about Pretentious or premature vanaprastha life

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 6 The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam presents historical examples of great souls who accepted the vānaprastha āśrama. Though we may not live the same way as them, their path can serve to instruct us. Here I will only mention some of them. But we can go to the Bhāgavatam to read further. We have already mentioned King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who at the end of his life gave up his illusions and left for the forest for spiritual realization.1 He was able to do this by the grace of Vidura, who himself had turned his back on political life and set out on pilgrimage.2 While … [Read more...] about Historical examples

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 5 Śrīla Prabhupāda, throughout his books, says that by the age of fifty (or shortly thereafter) one should accept the vānaprastha āśrama. As Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “The system of varṇāśrama-dharma, or sanātana-dharma, prescribes retirement from family encumbrances as early as possible after one has passed fifty years of age.”[1] Śrīla Prabhupāda often quotes the statement pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet: “After the age of fifty years, one must go to the forest.” This means accepting the vānaprastha āśrama. One need not go out to the middle of … [Read more...] about Do it at fifty