Continuing my essay on retirement - Part 2 Why to retire? In accordance with Indian scriptures, the aim of human life is to fulfill four purusharthas which are Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha. The fulfillment of these four purusharthas correspond respectively to the following four phases in one’s life (The approximate period and duration of each is tuned a little bit to suit today’s times.) – I. Brahmacharyashram This is the first phase of human life which is meant for the fulfillment of Dharma purushartha, that starts from about 7 years of age and continues up to say, 25 years of age. During this phase, one is supposed to acquire knowledge and skills, that will equip one to live one’s subsequent life in a dharmic way, earning one’s living in an honest way, fulfilling reasonable desires and acting in a responsible and cooperative manner within the family/community/world at large, of which he is a part. II. Gruhasthashram This is the second phase that aims at fulfilling the second and third purusharthas viz. Artha and Kaama. It begins when we stand up on our own feet, say around 25 years of age and goes on up to about 60 years of age. During this phase, we are expected to earn our living in a righteous manner, raise and support our family, contribute to the peaceful coexistence of the community as a whole, as also to help the less privileged sections of the society that need help. This phase primarily consists of activities that are aimed at satisfying our bodily and egoistic desires as also to discharge our duties as a member of our family and community. III. Vanaprasthashram This is the third phase that prepares one for the fulfillment of the last and the most important of the pursharthas viz. Moksha. It begins when we have reasonably satisfied our bodily and egoistic desires, discharged our family and community responsibilities, and made reasonable financial provisions for our old age and when our next generation is ready to be on their own and take over from us. This may come about at some point between 45 and 60 years of age, depending upon individual circumstances. This phase is primarily of preparatory nature and consists of a transition from worldly way of life to one of ‘retirement’. During this phase, we should gradually hand over all our responsibilities to our next generation and prepare for a separate, independent and purely personal way of living the rest of our life. This phase should, therefore, be of a relatively short duration, not exceeding about 5 years. IV. Sanyasashram This is the last phase during which we should aim to achieve the last but not the least of the purusharthas viz. attainment of moksha. Let me clarify here the meaning of moksha as I take it to mean. It means liberation from the attachments to our physical body, our material belongings, our loved ones as also our ego. It means going beyond the world of objects as perceived by our five senses and getting the knowledge of who we truly are and what is the bigger purpose behind this Creation. This phase of sanyasashram should begin as soon as we think that we are at the end of Vanaprasthashram. This phase essentially is the complete true retirement. The meaning of retirement, in this backdrop, should be what is expressed by the sanskrit word, nivrutti – turning away from worldly thoughts/desires/actions (pravrutti) and engaging in spiritual pursuits. In the context of today’s times, sanyasa may not mean going to Himalayas or to a forest, but rather, taking a mental sanyas, even while remaining in the worldly surroundings. It should be akin to being like a lotus that is in the water but remains above it and does not get wet. In today’s times, many people would not like to ever retire. They want to keep active the way they are used to, till they are physically unable to do so or till they die. But then they will miss out on the most important objective of human life viz. striving towards attainment of moksha. Moreover, shouldn’t these people think at some stage that it may be time to stop doing what they have been doing for so many years and move towards another essential aim of their life? For example, we get bored of eating sweets after we have consumed a substantial quantity and then we crave for a little spicy stuff. In the same manner, after enjoying a material life for say 30 years, shouldn’t one feel like giving it up and doing something else, like seeking the knowledge of what is before and after this life, who is behind all this Creation and what is his purpose behind it? It can thus be seen that retirement is essential if we want to fulfill the most important aim of human life.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 04:56:44 +0000
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