varṇāśrama

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 20 Here we continue and complete our list of no-risk practical items that vānaprasthas or aspiring vānaprasthas can adopt. Wear tilaka, always For a Vaiṣṇava to wear tilaka is one of the sixty-four standard practices of devotional service. As stated in The Nectar of Devotion (Chapter Six): One should decorate the body with tilaka, which is the sign of the Vaiṣṇavas. (The idea is that as soon as a person sees these marks on the body of the Vaiṣṇava, he will immediately remember Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya said that a Vaiṣṇava is he who, when … [Read more...] about The last ten no-risk steps for vānaprasthas

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 19 Here we continue our list of no-risk practical items that vānaprasthas or aspiring vānaprasthas can adopt. Perform a ceremony to solidify your determination As far as I know, the śāstras don’t mention any ceremony for adopting the vānaprastha āśrama. No ceremony is required. Nonetheless, in some cultures it is common to perform a yajña or similar ritual before all sorts of undertakings—starting a business, for example. In such ceremonies, one expresses one’s determination and seeks blessings from God and saintly persons. So one might … [Read more...] about Still more no-risk steps for vānaprasthas

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 18 Here we continue our list of no-risk practical items that vānaprasthas or aspiring vānaprasthas can adopt. Simplify your eating In the Bhāgavatam we read that when kings like Pṛthu Mahārāja went to the forest they would live on roots and berries and leaves and so on. And again that’s an example we can’t follow. But we can simplify our eating. We read in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books that rich eating is for the gṛhasthas, not the sannyāsīs.1 Similarly, it’s also not for the vānaprasthas. When the vānaprasthas simplify their eating, that’s … [Read more...] about More no-risk steps for vanaprasthas: Simplify eating and sleeping

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 17 As we know, kings and sages in previous ages used to go to the forest and dramatically detach themselves, living a life of severe austerity.1 We’re not going to do that, because it’s no longer possible or advisable.2 But there are things we can do. Some of them involve some risk. We say, “Now I’m going to depend more on Kṛṣṇa and less on material security.” That requires confidence and conviction. It requires courage. But there are also things we can do that don’t require any risk at all—and may even reduce the risks we already have. No-risk … [Read more...] about Practical steps for vānaprastha life

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 16 As we’ve read, Śrīla Prabhupāda taught that when we’re mature in years, accepting the vānaprastha āśrama is imperative. It’s a must. Yet how one accepts it may vary. Different devotees may be at different levels of advancement. They may come from different cultural backgrounds. And their circumstances may differ. Some men may retire with their wives, some without. Older women, too, will also have their own individual circumstances. Also, some devotees may join as vānaprasthas directly from the world, others from a long life in ISKCON or another … [Read more...] about Flexibility in approaching the vānaprastha āśrama

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 15 From what I’ve gathered from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions, a man might live in the vānaprastha āśrama in any of six ways. Śrīla Prabhupāda doesn’t specify these as being six prescribed systems. Rather, these are ways I’ve gleaned from what Śrīla Prabhupāda has said in various places. In fact what I’ve gathered starts with three ways: (1) one may retire to a holy place; (2) one may sometimes travel, especially to various holy places, then sometimes return home, and then travel out again; or (3) one may simply travel, without returning home. A … [Read more...] about Six methods of vanaprastha life

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 14 Now, one might have a bad son or a mean wife, but what if the family members are all good devotees, pleasing and helpful in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? In a family of devotees, Kṛṣṇa is in the center of everything, and everything is devoted to him. Yet even such devotees are meant to retire from family life. As noted before, Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement there are many young couples engaged in the Lord’s service. Eventually they are supposed to take vānaprastha, and after the vānaprastha stage the husband may take … [Read more...] about Why loosen attachment to a devotee family?

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 13 In our later years we may naturally feel less and less satisfied in family life. Our married life is no longer full of youthful joy. Our job may seem a slog. Family duties may feel burdensome, our days and nights humdrum, the husband-and-wife relationship stale (or worse). I may be overtaken by the feeling that I’m not going anywhere and my life is empty. Or there may be family tension or turmoil or disasters. Past fifty (and even before), all this is natural. The Vedic culture takes account of this and provides a way forward. Instead of … [Read more...] about Making the best use of family unhappiness

The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 11 It occurs to me (late) that I ought to provide a Table of Contents here to let you know what’s in The Vanaprastha Adventure. Here you go: Introduction: What are your plans for your retirement? What is the vānaprastha āśrama? The importance of the vānaprastha āśrama Do it at fifty Historical examples Pretentious or premature vānaprastha life Planning early The gṛhastha āśrama, for spiritual culture Financial planning with retirement in mind Thinking about health Making the best use of family unhappiness Why … [Read more...] about The Vānaprastha Adventure: Contents