(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 22 December 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 9.19.19)
Vanaprashta is not as scary as it seems. The spirit is that we simply dedicate the rest of our life to preparing for the next! Up to fifty years old, we can work on this life but then after fifty, we start to work on the next and that is the big change actually. Fifty is the warning that your time is running out; your number is up.
“Well, I’m still young!” The mind goes like that. I also think that I am not so old for my age (laughter). But then, this last journey, I was in Johannesburg in transit at the airport, I got into the bus to take us to the plane and these young people stood up for me to offer me their seat! And I was thinking, “God, it’s gone really bad now.” First time that has ever happened to me. I must look really old; it is getting pretty obvious. I didn’t realise that. So, it creeps upon you, little-by-little, old age and although you may think that it is not that bad, everybody else does think it! Anyway, I took the seat… what to do! It was comfy, I must say.
So time is running out! One has to get very serious about spiritual life therefore no more expanding the facility in this world. Wind it down and simplify…
