IS AGE AN ISSUE?!! WHY DISCOURAGE US YOUNGSTERS?

[upsydownyupsy mv ss]

I often hear people saying to me, 'This is not the age to think about god and meta physics stuff. You'll have a lot of time when you are old'. How many of you agree with this? I don't. I think spirituality is good for all ages and must be taught in schools from a tender age, because I feel the tender minds can absorb it easily. Many people who had achieved great feats achieved them at a tender age, right? I need comments and discussions on this matter please. By the way, this is my first post after days and days trying to figure out how to post a new message.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam upsy:

I don't think anyone would discourage you or anyone else simply because of age alone. After all, we really don't know soul age by chronological age. I am a retired teacher and always took the stance that the students could each teach me a thing or two. And often they did, in part because I had that stance.

On the other hand, ignorance is not just the monopoly of the senile. It can happen to anyone, some of us more than others. So I think it depends on tone a lot: how questions are asked, what level of cynicism or pride is hidden within the words.

We have a lot of youngsters on this forum who speak very wise words.

So welcome and have at it. Only time will tell how others view you. I think you yourself may have jumped to a bit of a conclusion there.

Aum Namasivaya

[sambya]

thank god you have understood the basic fact yourself , without anyones help . be deaf to what the idiots say and strive hard for god .

here's what ramakrishna paramahamsa had to say in this respect --
" if a parrot is not taught raam - naam throughout its life can it be taught once it grows old ?!! no . it has to be taught from childhood . "

dont worry about what people say . its all the same everywhere . its like being stuck inside the well of material existence . the moment they see one of them trying to get up , they all join in unison to pull you down . this shall continue throughout your life .

pray to god to help you not get trapped in maya .

[sambya]

Vannakkam upsy:

I don't think anyone would discourage you or anyone else simply because of age alone. After all, we really don't know soul age by chronological age. I am a retired teacher and always took the stance that the students could each teach me a thing or two. And often they did, in part because I had that stance.

On the other hand, ignorance is not just the monopoly of the senile. It can happen to anyone, some of us more than others. So I think it depends on tone a lot: how questions are asked, what level of cynicism or pride is hidden within the words.

We have a lot of youngsters on this forum who speak very wise words.

So welcome and have at it. Only time will tell how others view you. I think you yourself may have jumped to a bit of a conclusion there.

Aum Namasivaya

hello eastern . actually what the original poster is saying seems to be quite a problem in indian societies . although im not sure whether he's from india or not .

since childhood i have heard comments like " why should you be doing all these puja-path now ? thats the job of grandmaas and grandfathers . now you should study , marry and settle in life "


just last month when i was travelling by train to haridwar i met with a young copassenger(of same age as me) who asked for some songs which i had in my handset ( mobile phone ) to be transferred to his through bluetooth faclity . as i was doing that i asked if he would like some bhajans ? to this he gave the oft heard reply " bhajans at this age ? i shall take them once i grow a bit more older ! " .

similar things have happened to most of my spritually incined friends too .
actually a decent living and a happy marraige with a stable family is what most indians consider the end of the world !! hahaha . hence there is this conception that dharma is for old age .
or maybe this conception is a remnant of now extinct vanaprastha system where elders went to forest during there their last years .

[saidevo]

namaste upsy.

You will always have your spiritual abilities acquired in the earlier births to start with. This will be known to you at the right time by personal hints of wisdom.

The point is, most Hindu elders are laukika--worldly, finding no time in their daily routine to read Hindu metaphysical truths, so they tend to discourage others. In fact, in the very first Ashram of Hindu life--brahmachArya--the young student was taught the Vedas, UpaniShads and other Hindu secular literature like KAvyas and NATakas in our old gurukula system, so age is certainly no bar to learn the higher truths.

It's really good that while most young people take to video games, movies and other such entertainment stuff, you want to learn the Hindu metaphysics. The HDF is a good place to interact. Welcome, and keep learning with us by interaction.

[satay]

namaste sambya,

since childhood i have heard comments like " why should you be doing all these puja-path now ? thats the job of grandmaas and grandfathers . now you should study , marry and settle in life "

Yes, I have heard that too. See if we look at it from the parents point of view or elders' pov, they are right too. The thing is from teen age to sixty or so is supposed to be grishta ashram. A person is supposed to be doing his duty to the 'society' by working, getting married and having children. If you are too attached to God during this time there is a danger of becoming a split personality and for confusion. Isn't it? I think this is why parents or elders usually discourage youngesters to get into this.

I am not saying that I agree with their pov but I think that's what their reasoning is. Anyway, for people like me who are not living in India I think we have to and we must expose our children to God in general and to hinduism in particular at an early age.

2 cents.

[sanjaya]

Hmm, I'm not sure where this idea comes from. My parents have taught me about Hindu spirituality for as long as I can remember. It's true there are certain things we should be doing in every stage of life. But what's the point of life without God?

Granted, as Satay said, there's a danger of becoming a bit too religious. I think we can all agree that zealotry is never a good idea.

[smaranam]

Namaste

My aunt gifted the Bhagavad Gita to me. I was elated and waiting to read it. Then immediately after had to travel somewhere and it was missing. There were many other things on the mind , and appearantly someone had borrowed it to read - or i forgot to take it with me.
It was much later that i accidentally found it in a closet.

I asked my mother why did she not tell me ? She said something i don't remember, but i got the feeling that even after she discovered it, she did not think it was important to tell me that my Gita was found.

She is a devoted person , and always made our faith strong, but not exactly a Gita fan. I think at the time she believed it was not good for young people to read the Gita, lest they get 'influenced' by it.

[Eastern Mind]

Smaranam, Satay, et al: So why the parental sadness, or almost disdain for a person wanting to renounce the world, delve within, and seek the Self-God? Why is grihastha dharma so important. I'd think I'd be grateful if one of my children wanted to turn inward to yoga? What are the historical factors here? I personally even pray for the opportunity in the next lifetime to hear about the choice before puberty. What is it about sannyasins that is seemingly so disdainful? Did the Brits or Christians do another number? Is it the stronf family attachment, and Mom just not wanting to let her little boy go?

Aum Namasivaya

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~


namasté

ādi śaṅkara was born ~ 650 CE ( now there are others with different dates, but let's go with this one).
At the age of 2 it is said hew could speak, read and write saṃskṛt; He wrote his first book at the age of 7; It is said by 8 years of age he mastered the veda-s.

Such for youth that is blessed.

praṇām