Coronopadesam-Jara or Old Age!
Old Age is a Problem for Many!Some imagine they can still get a Nobel Prize!A few fervently hope their long felt desires to visit Swiss Alps, might happen one day!But in Old Age Contentment must be the foremost objective if we can live Happily & make others around us also to be Happy!
Sankara beautifully describes Old age:
“Angam Galitam Palitam Mundam Dasanavihinam Jatam Tundam Vrddho Yati Grhitva Dandam Tadapi Na Muncatyasapindam Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam”
“The body has become worn out. The head has turned grey. The mouth has become toothless. The old man moves about leaning on a Walking Stick. Even then he is unable to give up any of his desires/Attachments! O foolish mind! seek Govinda!” Sankara!
As our desires continue to grow,our anger also grows if unfulfilled!
Cause of all Anger emanates from Ahamkaram & unfulfilled Desires!
Einstein beautifully puts it in an equation:
Here Knowledge is not a Ph.D in Nuclear Science but Vivekam!
The more we lose our Temper,the more we look Ridiculous in others’ eyes,especially in Old Age!
Many of us don’t try to look inward & our inner purification is most important as we grow Old!
We might see people wearing white on white, but their mind may be dirty,impure, as we can see from their atrocious behaviour!
Thenkachi Swaminathan,the famous Tamil Narrator of ‘ இன்று ஒரு தகவல்’(Tit Bits for the Day)humorously describes about ‘How a perennial short tempered Professor is taught a lesson by a Poor Porter in an Air Port!’
The Professor was going for a conference to Japan and while checking in,he shouts at the Porter for handling his baggage,in a manner Professor doesn’t like.He loses his cool & shouts at the Porter,that everyone around felt it was not needed!The Porter,cool like a Cucumber,doesn’t immediately react, but methodically does his work.
An observer asks the Porter afterwards “I really admire your coolness despite the Professor’s shoutings..How come?”
“I am always cool & today also the Professor is going to Japan for his conference but his luggage is bound for USA!”
Thenkachi’s lesson for people, especially in Old Age,losing their cool!People will start losing any respect for such Egoists!
Everyone must try to seek Inner Purification,especially in Old Age…
Desires will start reducing ,anger will evaporate and in Swami Paramarthananda’s Words,you will achieve FIR:
Frequency of Anger will Reduce!
Intensity will be Minimized!
Recovery to Normal State will be immediate!
As Anger can never be eliminated,Though!
Sathyameva Jayathe!
Musings from Madampatti 