AGING IS JUST GROWING SPIRITUALLY

Recently, on my sixtieth birthday I received a message Beauty is never lost as we get older. It just
moves from the face to the heart. Very apt indeed! This made me ponder over the Why and how
of this apparently simple statement. Yes. As teenagers we worried over small pimples. As youth, we
caught up with marriage and in middle age with makeup always trying to look better. Only when we
notice bags below our eyes, lines across our brows and a few greys amidst our thinning hair - we feel like
glorifying our heart, which can remain forever young. I am not suggesting that it is entirely wrong to
wait till such time; but it is absolutely right to shift to spiritual life at least at this juncture.

There could be practically genuine reasons for the delay in the above welcome shift. We might
have been busy as students with our grades in examinations, as employees with our pay slips and as
parents rearing our children. It is only in old age that we get the real time to do what we really want to
do. If we handle this with a healthy lifestyle supported by a spiritual attitude, retired life, believe me,
can be the best part of our lives. It is a new beginning when we are free from daily work -routines,
commuting to work-places, time-bound targets and most important of all, from the race for status and
money.

At the same time it is important to understand the physical and mental challenges that we are
facing with advancing age. Many retirees find it difficult to deal with identity loss, health and family
issues in spite of having financial security. The reason may be awareness of our own mortality - as our
body declines, mind often bleaks and as we watch our contemporaries pass away. Health problems are
common in old age. A quality diet and regular exercise we must practise. Loneliness and changing
relationships are the major concerns of the elderly. Spiritual outlets help this natural but delicate
transition.

While many seniors prefer to devote themselves more to the practice of spiritual disciplines such as
prayer, meditation and yoga, some visualize spirituality in the form of community service. Religious
retirees are happier, not only because of their beliefs, but for the social aspects of being in a like-minded
community. Happiest senior citizens are those who brush aside all their grievances and get involved in
community service.

Traditional retirement plans address our life up to death through health insurance and various
financial tools to ensure maximum benefit and minimum tax. But the most important question we have
to address ourselves is how do I plan to spend eternity? Our multiple philosophies preach that goal of
life is emancipation (Nirvana) and not materialistic success in life. We are taught to identify ourselves
with Nature respecting all animals, trees, rocks and rivers which come from the Creator. So by default,
we tend to become more spiritual as we age. That may mean more rel igious in the commonly
understood sense or a feeling of oneness with the Universe in an individual sense. I am not looking to
discuss religion and spirituality in depth here. No matter how we define spirituality, it is an aspect we
cannot ignore after retirement. Like religion, spirituality is also based on faith. A good life-style and a
strong faith will keep us going longer.

Faith is nothing but believing something which cannot be proved; but deserves to be accepted
considering other input. On the other hand, spirituality is a term which encompasses everything good
that we cannot see, or feel or sense by our organs but only by our reason. Spirituality and inner courage
are like the two faces of a coin. That is why we see Bhajans, prayers and spiritual discourses happening
even in hospitals meant for the terminally ill. The inner peace achieved and salvation attained by these
means cannot be provided by any amount of medication.

All said and done, it looks like work is worship slogan might have been justified in our prime time.
After retirement we need to flip the same to read worship is work. Worship again has a very wide
meaning here to include not only worship of idols, but of humanity, Nature, art and the like as long as
the concerns are spiritual. Aging, therefore, is nothing but growing spiritual. Retirement is just a
smooth realignment of thoughts so that materialism can be diffused to the background with growing
spiritualism. Thus we can stay, in our hearts, FOREVER YOUNG and enjoy eternal bliss!

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