Perfection in retirement

Over a period of time, I find solace in the teachings of the sages of India as they really answer the hankerings of the heart and provide a solution to our worldly problems.  India is indeed the cream of human civilization!

On May 4, I had met a true representative of Indian culture in New Jersey and wanted to share it with you.  Mr. Vaasudev is a 72 year old gentleman and is visiting NJ for ten days from Vrindavan. I am guessing he will visit other parts of America also. He used to run a business in the Rajasthan state of India but gave it up to his son. He is a half-renunciant (vaanaprastha).  He talked about the Indian culture of the Indus Valley Civilization. He talked about how to deal with the most difficult time of life: one's death. He talked about summary of Indian philosophy: the mind, body and soul/self being three different entities..    This simple man seemed to have good answers to most of worlds problems: meditate, vegetarian food, no gambling, illicit sex, no intoxication.


He was talking of Srimad Bhagavatam. The stories were nectarean.  "pibata bhagavatam rasamalayam" --- "drink bhagavatam --- the temple of nectar".


Usually I get a kick in supporting universal love and compassion in India and abroad. So I and my friends tend to give small monetary donations to saintly persons when we meet them. Such people come, and do a whirlwind tour of various families where they talk and about hundred people gather.  Today, the host offered him a new cloth to wear: a dhothi. This person refused money and dhothi saying that as a policy he does not take anything from anyone as he is doing this for your love and love of Indian sages. He said he was just happy with good home food cooked with love and the love he gets from us. He said he was just happy that our American born kids seem to have essential Indian values: faith in the sages of India and elders; especially when people in India seem to have lost them.


I and my boys paid respects to his feet outdoors as he was leaving. Two Christian missionaries near by were amused and engaged me in a discussion.  The missionaries and I had a healthy discussion about these Indian values, Jesus preaching non-violence in the commandments, reincarnation etc. I gave them a 60 page book summarizing these.

The typical old people in my circle either retire to a comfortable life or do some charity in helping people find a job, education etc. My circle does not understand that it is dharma (righteous living) which is the most important principle in life. Without dharma, society just disintegrates as it is happening around the world.

I felt like this old man Mr. Vaasudev was teaching perfection of life: being an ambassador of Indian values without any monetary expectation. I pray that I grow up to be like him rather than just gratifying myself.


The topic of death was chosen because it is the only certainity in life and some of the people were elderly. My friend hosted this person at his home in honour of his father's 84th birthday today.


Mr. Vaasudev did ask for Guru-Dakshina (remuneration) for his efforts: give up meat-eating, intoxication, and increase the period of meditation.  He was able to get a about twenty people to either commit to starting meditation or increase their time per day.