AS RECEIVED:"*What is Maturity? *-* by Adi Shankara.*
*Maturity is:*
· When you stop trying to change others, *instead focus on changing
yourself.*
· When you *accept people as they are.* (Change the changeable. Accept
what you cannot change)
· When you understand *everyone is right* in their own perspective.
· When you learn to *"Let Go".* (Forgive and forget easily. Do not keep
things in heart.)
· When you are able to *“drop expectations"* from a relationship and
give for the sake of giving. (Do good for the sake of Doing Good. GIVE for
the sake of Giving, expecting nothing in return).
· When you understand whatever, you do, however you do, *you do for
your own Peace.*
· When you *stop proving *to the world, how intelligent you are.
· When *you don't seek approval* from others.
· When you *stop comparing *with others.
· When *you are at peace with yourself.*
· When you are able to *differentiate between "need" and "want"* and
are able to let go of your wants.
*Last but most meaningful!*
*When you realize that for Peace & Happiness only material things only are
not enough!*
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
KR The one above is in circulation in linkedin, FB, WA and even
speaking Tree since 2014. That is another motivational speech to quieten
the majority to control the mass upsurge sensibly as today Rahul charges
against Modi , reversing the game ploy, once got hit by his ignorance. The
thoughts of mine as taken from the verses of ADI SHANKARA bHAJA GOVINDAM,
VERSE 15 AND 18 will highlight how exactly the qualification of maturity is
highlighted by Adi Sankara. As B G was quoted conveniently so too this
one in my humble opinion. Now anothe BG by Adi shankara:
When intelligence matures and lodges securely in the heart, it becomes
wisdom. When that wisdom is integrated with life and issues out in action,
it becomes devotion. Knowledge which has become mature is spoken of as
devotion. If it does not get transformed into devotion, such knowledge is
useless and tinsel. To hold and to say that Jnaana and Bhakti
knowledge and devotion,
are as different from each other as gold is from baser metal is to expose
one's ignorance. Unless the senses are controlled, knowledge will not
obtain a fort-hold in the heart. Wisdom will not come into being. How is
one to restrain the native impulsion of the senses? The heart cannot be
chastened if desires and attachments are not eschewed. Its attachment is to
be completely extinguished and if the mind should be released from it, the
mind must be turned towards God. { Kanchi mutt}
Bhaja Govindam Verse – 15
अङ्गं गलितं पलितं मुण्डं, दशनविहीनं जतं तुण्डम्।
वृद्धो याति गृहीत्वा दण्डं, तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशापिण्डम् ॥१५॥
angam galitam palitam mundam dasanavihinam jatam tundam,
vrddho yati grhitva dandam tadapi na muñcatyasapindam. – 15
The body has weakened; the head has turned grey; the mouth has become
toothless; the old man moves about with his staff. Even then, he does not
give up his bundle of hopes and desires.
This is an observation of an old man, “angam galitam”, whose body has
become old and decrepit. “Mundam” is the head. The head has become bald or
grey, “palitam mundam”. This is how we grow to be in old age. Slowly, the
limbs become loose and the body becomes weaker and weaker. The hair starts
turning grey. “Tundam” is the mouth and “dasanam” is the tooth.
“Dasanavihinam” means toothless. The mouth is rendered toothless,
“dasanavihinam jatam tundam”. The teeth start falling one by one. That is
how the old age comes upon us. Vrddha is an old man, whose body has
ripened. “Yati grhitva dandam”. With age, his spinal cord has become
weaker, and he is not able to keep himself straight or sustain the weight
of his body. Therefore, he requires a staff in order to support himself.
Vrddho yati grhitva dandam, this is a picture of a tottering old man
leaning upon his staff. There is nothing wrong in becoming an old person.
To be old is not his fault; this is the way of life.
In India, we always respect old age. We always respect maturity, and
maturity can be there because of age. An old man is called “vayoH vrddhaH”,
one who is mature in age. Tapo vrddhaH is one who is mature because of his
tapas or austerity. We respect them also. “Jñana vrddhaH’, is one who is
mature on account of jñana, or wisdom. An elderly person, naturally,
deserves our respect. However, we are told, “ tadapi na muñcatyasapindam.” How
sad it is that even though he has grown so old, and therefore incapable of
really enjoying the sense pleasures anymore, “tadapi”, even then, “na
muñcatyasapindam,” this old man still does not give up the bundle of hopes
and desires. Pindam is a heap or bundle.
What is meant by growing in maturity?
What is called growth in life?
What do we call success in life?
How do our scriptures look at success in human life?
The success is growing in inner maturity, growing in inner
purity, growing
in inner freedom. As you go along in life, you discover a greater and
greater freedom, a greater and greater degree of self-sufficiency, and a
progressively greater sense of satisfaction with oneself. You are able to
say, now I have lived enough in this life, let me now proceed to the next
step. As we go along in our life, we keep dropping what is minor and keep
picking up what is greater. This is how we grow. All the growth at the
level of the body is fine, but what is meant by inner growth or emotional
maturity?
What is it?
Emotional maturity is to grow in inner composure or inner equipoise, our
inner balance and inner cheerfulness. It implies becoming free from
reactions, becoming free from likes and dislikes, desires and fascination.
It means becoming free from dependence, in as much as a desire represents
dependence. When my mind desires something, it shows that I am dependent on
that object for happiness or security. I expect to get some happiness or
some security out of that. Otherwise I would not desire it. Thus, a desire
represents a dependence upon that thing for my happiness or security. A
desire is a symptom or manifestation of an inner dependence or an inner
bondage. A desire represents a kind of slavery. As we go through a variety
of experiences in life, it should result in a satisfaction that I have
enjoyed this life, that I have gained the pleasures and don’t need them
anymore. This is because as I enjoy, I keep discovering an inner
satisfaction, an inner maturity. He is ready to give up the pleasures of
the householder. He is now ready to take up a life of austerity, prayer,
and worship. This is what we call vanaprastha asrama, or going to the vanam
or forest.
Today, people don’t retire. If he is in business or industry, this
man does not hand over control to his children. Nobody really retires these
days. I may not go to work, but all decisions must be made with my
concurrence. Control is difficult to give up because I am seeking security
from that. I feel I will be nowhere once I give up my position of power. I
will be nothing and will not be respected. Therefore, I am seeking security
from the respect, regard, and power that comes from controlling people.
This shows my inner insecurity. So maturity is to discover an inner
security as we go along in life. When I am past living the life of a
householder, I am ready to give up my inner insecurity; I am ready to give
up those crutches to which I was holding on so far for my happiness and
security. I am ready to retire to a forest because the need for those
crutches is no more, and I can now dedicate myself to prayers and worship,
meditation and austerities.Then one matures from vanaprastha asrama to
completely renounce even that, and the fourth asrama becomes the life of a
renunciate. So sannyasa or renunciation is the goal of life as presented by
our scriptures. The life of a householder is, therefore, nothing but a
preparation for renunciation.
As we will see later, in the 18th verse,” kasya sukham na karoti
viragaH”, there is real happiness only in renunciation. As I discover that
renunciation, a little inner fulfilment, I become freer*. It does not
matter if my body grows old. *That is a biological phenomenon. I cannot
stop it. It would be nice if I keep my body in fit condition, but a day
will come when my teeth will fall, when my hair will turn grey, regardless
of what I do. There is nothing wrong in it. I need not feel bad about it or
ashamed of it. Today, we don’t even want to accept the fact of old age. I
can’t stand this grey hair, and I do whatever I can to color them black. If
the teeth have fallen, I put in some false teeth. There is nothing wrong in
looking good, but why do I have such hesitation or shame in appearing as I
am? Because, again, I do not accept myself as I am. Maturity lies in all of
these respects. These are the facts of life and I learn to live happily
with them.The observation here is that this old man has not achieved this
maturity that comes with age. Not that every old man is like that, or that
every sadhu is like the one described in the previous verse, but this
observation is presented for people who are not yet old and are growing
old. “Tadapi na muñcatyasapindam, this man’”, who is leaning on a staff
because he cannot carry his own weight, still has a tremendous burden on
his head of a variety of desires, expectations, hopes, and cravings. “Bhoga
na bhukta vayameva bhuktaH” ; this man has spent his entire life seeking
pleasures and fulfilling his cravings. Therefore, the cravings have grown
more and more powerful even though the fellow has become weak and is
incapable of even enjoying what he has, or incapable of giving expression
to his cravings. *This is a very miserable state of affairs.*
Therefore, here is a warning: lead your life intelligently and do not
put yourself in a situation where inwardly all your powerful cravings are
there, and outwardly you are incapable of fulfilling those cravings.
Maturity comes only when one is really vedantic and a bhakti man, who
relinquished the desires; not one who feels envy embedded with the desire
to prove, his vacant nothings; not one who springs upon the people known
and unknown to him, with anger unmanageable; not one who is utterings of
bad words heaping on one who is known and unknown to him, with a bias.
These guna out of Karma vibaga, will destroy one’s name however great,
he/she might be. Lack of Maturity is a kind of misbehaviour against the
Matured persons, who seek only good things for everyone; but showing
maturity against the immature, is an unwarranted fear or compromise, in the
name of peace-keeping as China will never change but we have to; so too
people. The certainty of Law is not required where the people are matured;
the existence of administration of law is only to break the back of the
roguish immature people. And maturity attained as renunciate or after the
vanaprastha, is universal, as such, have nothing more lose anything, after
that status.
K Rajaram IRS 11 9 23
On Mon, 11 Sept 2023 at 13:12, Capt Ravi Kant Mahajan <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
> *What is Maturity?* -* by Adi Shankara.*
>
>
> *Maturity is:*
>
> · When you stop trying to change others, *instead focus on changing
> yourself.*
>
>
> · When you *accept people as they are.* (Change the changeable.
> Accept what you cannot change)
>
>
> · When you understand *everyone is right* in their own perspective.
>
>
> · When you learn to *"Let Go".* (Forgive and forget easily. Do not
> keep things in heart.)
>
>
> · When you are able to *“drop expectations"* from a relationship and
> give for the sake of giving. (Do good for the sake of Doing Good. GIVE for
> the sake of Giving, expecting nothing in return).
>
>
> · When you understand whatever you do, however you do, *you do for
> your own Peace.*
>
>
> · When you *stop proving* to the world, how intelligent you are.
>
>
> · When *you don't seek approval* from others.
>
>
> · When you *stop comparing* with others.
>
>
> · When *you are at peace with yourself.*
>
>
> · When you are able to *differentiate between "need" and "want"* and
> are able to let go of your wants.
>
>
> *Last but most meaningful!*
>
> *When you realize that for Peace & Happiness only material things only are
> not enough!*
>
>
> ******
>
>
> * Capt.Ravi Kant Mahajan *
>
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