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The twilight years - get back on track

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THE TWILIGHT YEARS - GET BACK ON TRACK
(Excerpts taken from the book titled 'THE GREAT HINDU TRADITION(an insight into Sastras, Rituals & Heritage)'

A retired Brahmin usually spends time reading the newspaper, watching TV, taking grandchildren to school and occasionally going to the temple. Most retirees who go through this routine are reasonably happy with it and consider it ideal – is it?
Brahmin not by birth alone: A person born in the dwijanma class does not automatically get the Brahmin stamp: he has to
earn it. He has to discover and reconfirm his identity through certain acts. One is born a Brahmin after many lives in different
jiva-rasis. The birth as a Brahmin enjoins on him the responsibility to lead a life worthy of a Brahmin, failing which he probably gets back to lower jiva-rasis and has to start afresh.

We often speak proudly of our grandfather or great grandfather and their adherence to our culture. Do we come across our selves as role models to our own grandchildren? If not, isn’t it time we did? During our service period or as a business person, many of us do very well: we show great attitude, total integrity and loyalty to our chosen profession, and even set great paths for our next generation to follow. But the purpose of our birth, the rare birth as a Brahmin, is not just wearing a poonal, going to temples, offering charities and being good to fellow-citizens. It’s much more.

The right start: During a Brahmin’s ‘earning’ period he could be excused for ignoring his religious duties. But a retired person is
hopefully free to spend time as he wishes: this is indeed the time to recover what he has lost so far in terms of his Brahmin identity. Except for economic compulsions, the Brahmin should cease his pursuit of the Mammon immediately on retirement. He should not seek extension of his services but instead concentrate on the daily observances required of him by the scriptures, the Sastras. What are these?

Religious acts:
• Perform daily nitya karmas such as Sandhyavandana and puja
• Chant Gayatri mantra 1008 times daily (Gayatri japa)
• Perform Panchayatana puja or Salagrama aradhana daily
• Perform Aupasana daily if you have the facility at home

Physical change
s:
• Grow a tuft, which is a Brahmin’s distinct hallmark and which you had to forgo because of work and society-related, often
imagined, compulsions.
• Avoid self shaving
• Do away with the moustache if you have grown one.
• Always wear the panchakachcham, again a distinct identity of a Brahmin.
• Never be seen wearing a single item like only the dhoti: your dress should include an uttareeya or a top – in other words
the dress must have at least two pieces Changes in habits and practices:
• Have the position of the poonal changed during ablutions and wash the mouth and legs thereafter, as per the rules.
• Pay more attention to sanctity, and things such as ' madi' and 'achara'
• Spare a significant chunk of time for some kind of public service
• Seek the guidance of a Guru to develop spiritual thinking

The lists above are illustrative and not exhaustive. You will get more ideas in due course, on your own. Put them into practice,
with due directions from your Guru.

Gurus & pseudo persons:
Preceptors who seek to educate common folk come in all hues – yogis, babas, anandas, gurujis
etc. How does one know if the guru one has sought is genuine? The selection of a proper acharya calls for great care and vigilance. We can listen to discourses and follow ideas given by any sage – as long as we do not neglect the daily observances, the nitya karmas. A ‘guru’ who asks you to discontinue all pujas and be at his beck and call is more likely to be a charlatan than a genuine coach. It is sad to see some people coming under the influence of the wrong persons and not performing even Siva puja or Salagrama aradhana. Our ancestors did not have this problem as they did not pay attention to anything other than what their own Mutts said. There were Siddha Purushas in those days too: and our elders respected
them and took their guidance, but not at the cost of neglecting the tradition. In fact Siddha Purushas also encouraged adherence to those values. But the present day picture, am afraid, is different and we need to be on our guard.

What will help us steer clear of such misguiding guides is the unswerving practice of karmas we are ordained to do:
• Start doing Sandhyavandana at the scheduled hours daily. Learn it properly from your Purohit: he will be glad to teach you.
• Remember that Panchakachcham is not a uniform to be worn only by Purohits – it is your prescribed dress as well.
• Go to temple regularly
• Offer Namaskara to your Guru chanting ‘abhivadaye’, wherever you happen to see him.
• Shed your shyness, your fear of being laughed at – this change is important for you to evolve as a Brahmin and it doesn’t
matter if you are being commented upon. To be honest, no one has the time to look at you and pass remarks.
• Set up schedules to learn Suktas and Vedas, and in general keep adding to your religious repertoire and routine.
• Some have the concern that these acts looks like flaunting your Brahminism - far from it! As long as you don’t do it for public appreciation but only because you are required to do it, you don’t have to worry.

Our cultural values and ritualistic processes are glorious. Let us not tire of these, but instead let us seek them in our retired life as a Godsend and shape our life accordingly. Retirement is not the time for tiring of Brahminism but achieving it. The following extract of an Anugraha Bhashana by Kanchi Acharya is very relevant in this regard.:

Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal: “I have been telling you about many rituals that are to be followed. You may worry yourself that you can perform only some of these. Don’t worry: do whatever is feasible, but do them regularly and diligently. And keep egging your mind about the ones you have left out. The mind will find a way to get you to do those as well.”

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One cannot say that all Brahmins are not doing the rituals properly. There are many
people, even while in employment, do the nithya karmas regularly despite the fact
of their being entangled in officialdom. There is no reason for them to postpone it
until their retirement. Chanting Gayathri and Sandhyavandhanam are done by most
of the people. May be Panchayatana and Aupasana may not be done regularly. It
all depends on the predecessors, who guides the youngsters in this respect. Salagrama
may not be there in all the houses unless the predecessors have followed it. One does
all other activities regularly including monthly duties and annual ceremony etc. including
Tharpanam daily during the period of Mahalaya Paksham. However, the above concept is welcome.
Thank you Sir for the input.

Balasubramanian
Ambattur
 
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