[Advaita-l] vanaprastha in community

[Sunil Bhattacharjya]

Dear Michaelji,
 
Vanaprastha is the  stage of retirement from the household responsibilities and is  the stage of trying to understand the spiritual aspects of whatever Vaidic karma  one has been doing   as a householder, studying the sacred texts, having spiritual discussions with the Guru and the other Vanaprasthis.  Vanaprasthis do not have to give up the fire rituals etc. Only in the next stage of  Sanyasha that one gives up  the  family  and the samsara  as well as the fire rituals and  one  cannot stay in one place for long. 
 
Regards,
 
Sunil K. Bhattacharjya

--- On Sun, 6/14/09, Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:


From: Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk>
Subject: [Advaita-l] vanaprastha in community
To: "advaita vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2009, 4:17 AM


Months without questions, and now two at once !

Q: does the tradition speak of  vanaprastha as entirely to do with personal
moksha; or is there a wider view of it ? i.e. does the prescribed
dissociation with institutions or organizations, still have a spiritual or
social connection with the community ?

The idea of vanaprastha as social isolation feels to me as lacking something
vital..

I hope this question makes some sense..

Michael



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