Life, a happy journey

There are two fundamental questions about life. Why do we live? How do we live? Let us look at the second question first. There is a reason for this. Even if we don’t know the answer for the first question, we have to live. Further, as a child when we start our life we don’t have the maturity to ask, “Why do we live?” But life journey has already begun. So, we have to do a lot of things in the beginning without knowing why we do them. If we have chosen a right way to live, that will take us to the right destination. The purpose of life will be revealed in due course. Now let us think of the best way to live.

The way has to be natural, smooth and time tested. Let us look at a river. It starts some where in a mountain and flows to wards the ocean and merges with ocean. In fact the river originates from the very same ocean. This is a natural cycle. When it flows from the mountains to the plains, it is useful to the plants, animals and human beings. Vast land is irrigated, enough water is provided for animals and human beings. There is a purpose, naturally carried out, useful to living beings. There are different stages in this cycle. Before the river merges with the ocean at the end, it serves a purpose during its journey. It is naturally accomplished.

Ancient Indians divided life cycle in to four stages in similar natural way guided by Veda. They are Brahmachari (student), Grihasta( house holder), Vanaprasta(hermit) and Sanyasi (renunciation, monk). Each stage is called ashrama (shrama means effort). This system is designed beautifully to make our life meaningful and enjoyable till the end. There is no mental stress, no conflicts in this system. Each stage of this cycle is well defined with boundaries to make the flow smooth like a river and finally reach its destination.

Brahmachari (student life)

Now days, the main objective of our educational system is employment. In the vedic way of life, there was ‘Gurukulavasa’ where the student was given over all training to make him fit in to the society. The objectives of Brahmachari life:

1. Refinement of the student; Help the student to become a cultured human contributing to the society and individual growth.

2. Develop discipline; train the student in rituals, worship. This makes the person physically dynamic and mentally alert

3. Values; teach the student important values which have been time tested such as respect to elders, teachers and parents. He is well prepared for the next stage of Grihasta

Grihasta (house holder)

This is an important stage. As the river flowing in the plains feeding the entire living beings, a grihasta supports all others. He is the main earning member of the family and the society. Luckily family life is still alive in many parts of the world in some form or other. Some of the objectives of this stage:

1. Basically this institution is to protect dharma (righteous way of life) and carry it forward to the next generation. Material perspective is secondary. In the present world everybody wants to be economically independent in the family. Then the very purpose of family is lost and each tries to live independently in a given place. This does not make a family. Such family will disintegrate in a course of time.

2. As per vedic system, family is sacred; God has given this bondage. When we live together each having a defined role, we learn tolerance, accommodation, forgiveness and other important values. Therefore husband and wife can live together till the end.

3. In a harmonious family, the children grow well with healthy mind. Most psychological problems of the present society are due to disharmonious family.

4. The role of father, mother and children are very well defined. For example, even though the husband is the earning member, he cannot do any ritual without the wife. He has to consult the wife for any decision. When each member of the family does his/her duty, it automatically fulfills the need of the other member.

There is no conflict.

Vanaprasta (hermit):

Generally withdrawal from any activity is difficult. We do not want to leave anything until we are forced. That is why we keep many unwanted things with us. This stage is training for gradual withdrawal from active life. This is a turning point.

1. After middle age the body slowly weakens. Even if the mind is fast, the body does not cooperate as before. Most of us do not accept this weakness and try to speed up with the mind. Therefore many fall prey to serious physical illness and subsequently the mind. Hence this stage prepares us for withdrawal from active life. Vana is forest; vanaprasta literally means going to forest and leading a secluded life. What a great concept! We practically see now that the youngsters sending signals of non interference and yet the parents have no mind to withdraw.

2. In a way, rejection by busy young people is good. There will be time for introspection. Slowly one has to start the enquiry of the self, visit religious places and get into the company of noble people who can guide us to go to the next stage of sanyasa.

Sanyasa (renunciation, monk life):

1. This need not be always physically giving up everything. One needs to mentally give up all possessions. Anyway the day is not far away that everything will be taken away. In vedic way of life, this sanyasin is happily ready to hand over his body before death threatens.

2. In this stage he takes up serious study of scriptures and understands the purpose of life.

3. Whether every one reaches the stage of self realization or not, the system takes us to the end in a smooth way to face death willfully without any resistance.

Vedic way of life prepares us step by step towards the end even without our knowledge.First we learn good values and discipline then get in to lot of actions and understand that these actions alone cannot take us to the destination. Then we withdraw and look inwards and begin self enquiry. Therefore in ancient Indian system, questions were raised after some maturity. Otherwise we will be wasting time on just arguments.

Why do we live?

Let us look at the first question now. After lot of righteous activities in Grihasta ashrama, one starts the enquiry of self. Now the question,”Why do we live?” makes sense (A few may ask this question and understand at an early stage, that is an exception not rule). Our whole life is an effort to get liberated from bondage. We are in continuous search to know our real nature. Every one of us wants to live happily, all the time. Of course we would like to live as long as possible, probably an endless one. Vedanta, the end part of veda gives us the answer. That is why Veda is considered as our sixth sense (instrument of knowledge). Mundaka Upanishad beautifully explains the purpose of this life journey,”Just as when various rivers with different names fall into the ocean, they lose their separate identities and become the ocean itself, so also the jnanis (wise men)lose their names and forms and become one with Paramatma, the Supreme”. The aim of Vedas is to help one obtain liberation whilst living in this world itself. That is the glory of Vedas. Anything else that we acquire in this world is temporary, it will leave us. Liberation alone is permanent, once got cannot go away. Vedic way of life takes us through this happy journey and reveals the secret of life.

-Arasu Ramanujam