Spirituality at what age

Lalitha
I have also read some books by Swami Sukhabodhananda and really very inspiring.
I am not as surprised as your colleagues reaction regarding its for a later stage in life! Many people think that way!
By thinking on an spiritual angle you show your maturity. You would not believe it when i say people who come to my local temple are more interested in what dress someone else is wearing and their jewels etc.
The priest would be conducting an important puja while women aroundme would gossip so loudly.
What can one do about it? That is kali yuga for you.
It is said in the Puranas (hope I am not mistaken) even when Krishna was here on earth not everyone went to see him nor did everyone accept him as Lord.
Who better an example than Kamsa and Duryodhana?
To everyone their own path their own way what say?! Maybe like many rivers converging into the ocean people though their different paths might reach the Lord.

 

Lalitha,
Your friend has given the mentality of many, that spirituality is reserved for old age..where their duties are done and no other work, so concentrate on the Lord..
You know, one of the Azhwars has mentioned that "I don't know whether I would be able to remember you at the time of death, or on those days I am sick. Let me remember you from now on..."
(appodaikku ipodhae solli vaithen..)

:thumbsupto your path on spirituality..
The younger the better, isn't it!

sriniketan

 

Dear lalita
True so many people think that these are all for older age group not realizing that one dont know what will happen in future.
As Yudhisther correctly said to Yaksha that this is the most surprizing thing that people see death every time but act as if they are immortal.
Sprituality is a tool to live life with quality whatever the age may be and more so in present times thats what I think.

 

Dear Lalitha,
I understand your frustration with your colleague. But, one thing... Spirituality cannot be compelled into anyone. She is having a notion that Spirituality after 50+ years may be wrong -yes... It can be. By and large most people (youngsters - I’m one too) think the same way...

When I tell my friends that I did pooja, rituals, etc... They are asking me. Are you kind of joining any chinmaya mission ... or Are you Nuts?? Following all these in this young age etc... Which I hate....<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" oreferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"> Rantbonk<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><vath o:connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" o:extrusionok="f"></vath><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype>. What if I do pooja t this age? What if I’m spiritual?

So, just ignore such comments. A day will come for realization and after that; a day will not be spared for them.

 

Dear Lalitha,

Yes, it is a comman notion that to be spiritual, there is an age.But no...I disagree.As aishu mentioned...it cannot be compelled into anyone.

Haven't we heard elders asking pregnant women to see, hear or think good ...its because, her thoughts and consciousness is fed to her child..the seed for that is sown then itself..it gets recorded into the child..and no matter what..the kid will grow with those trait...
Same is the case with spirituality. If recorded when in womb..knowingly or unknowingly by mothers, we are certainly going to catch it..when the opportunity comes our way.
Not sure, what my mom or mil observed when myself and dh were in their respective wombs...we got to meet one spiritual guru..and we have been into meditation.Well it was first my dh who was involved in it and after marriage I too am too into it.People are surprised as to how we can be so involved at this young age.....

You are right..we cannot compartmentalize our life for most things...

 

Lalitha,

Good one. Frankly, The truth is, anyone can become a spiritual person as every human being has a soul, spirit, physical body. But I guess it all depends on that individual, when the time is right and when it is meant to be.

Hmm.. reading the posts here, I am kinda confused...

Being religious is different from spiritual, me thinks. A person can be very spiritual, but not religious at all. A person being very religious and following all traditions not necessarily be a spiritual person. It is just a form of grouping our energy to seek that awareness, knowledge about the attainability. Its just one another way.

Being spiritual is a guide to every action of our lives, enhance our coping skills, social skills, sense of purpose of this life, self-esteem, respect, respect of other lives and even problem solving. You listen to your spirit, the sense that evokes the happiness, sadness, pain, fun, remorse, hatred, revenge and what not. Those you bring all these under their control, those who dont have any debates in their heads will sure find it hard to be spiritual. You need to cleanse physical, mental, emotional stress from your body.

So it all depends when you want to listen to yourself and start working on that journey. There was this south American priest at a very young age of 10 they say. So age is not a limit.

 

Dear ILites,

I have also had the same experience. Whenever I approach the topic of spirituality which is of great interest, some of my young friends (I am on the wrong side of 50 and a grandmom!) remark "Aunty, at your age, you are doing the right thing by spending time on spiritual matters. Anyway, you will be having a lot of free time for all this, not like us who have to look after our children's needs, studies etc". There are others who realize that spirituality is quite different from being religious and doing pujas all the time. It is a state of mind where one has to look at the purpose of our existence and aspire to the Higher Consciousness and ultimately to Eternal Bliss. I strongly feel that it is our good Karma that has given us the ability to differentiate between materialism and spirituality in this lifetime.

My GITA is the book "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahamsa Yogananda. Whenever my mind is disturbed for any reason, I have found the answers to my questions by opening the book at random, it seems as if Swamiji is ever present for me.

Hope to have some replies to my post,

Padma Srinivas

 

Hi Lalitha,

Yes, sadly today many people have this wrong notion that spirituality is just a 'time-pass' activity for old age !! Many also confuse it with religion & rituals like reading the scriptures , doing bhajans etc. & make fun of youngsters who indulge in them.

We are all made of the same consciousness -- we are all waves arising from the same ocean -- some are big ones, some are small waves ; some roll on the ocean for longer time than others before finally going back into the ocean...
Each wave begins with the ocean & ultimately goes back deep into the fathomless depths of the mighty ocean !!! Just like a wave cannot run away or be separated from the ocean, we mortals cannot be separated from spirituality ------ just this awareness & knowledge is necessary to kindle the peace in us.

We are all not human beings in this world, seeking out spiritual practices .... we are really spiritual beings going through the stage of human experiences -- !!

Pity those who think otherwise and waste this precious gift of life , running after material pleasures, even without realising the true meaning and value of our existence.

Regards.

 

Nice observation, Lalitha! and I also feel like nandu when she says that being spiritual is totally different from being religious.I also feel that being religious is a step towards spirituality.As far as I am concerned, whenever I visit any spiritual organization, I happen to see equal mix of young and old,which has astonished me!
But in your experience, may be,she is not ready yet! Time has to come in everyone's life, when he/she naturally turns to spirituality.That is why we find that there is a child who is a saint, and very old who remain opposed to anything spiritual.A saint has once mentioned, that, one has to go through stages of samskaras before attaining 'mukthi', and it is like a process, which has to be passed.Before that, may be, one cannot find the real taste in anything spiritual!