World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 866

family and society'. A householder pays his debt by taking care of parents and creates safety of his future by investing the proper education with proper samskāras in his children.
The texts on code of conduct tried to imbibe how well-being of the society is achieved through the channel of each house-holder. It recognizes, householders as the basis of the society. Instructions for householders are purely on mundane level. Householder enjoys the joys of family life and struggles to retain them. Vaidikadharma allows him all the mundane pleasures as long as he has to perform his duties. The moment one's role as the householder is over, he is expected to look for higher goals and learn about how to detach himself from wordly ties and resort to the non-attachment to worldly affairs. Here, Vaidikedharma walks with individual and prepares him for the path of liberation. Even at this stage, liberation is very high goal.Āranyaka texts are the discussions and instructions for such householders to wean them from the worldly ties. The ashrama system tells us, if ideal life of man is one hundred years, then a householder's duration in the Vānaprastha is twenty five years, from the age of fifty to age of seventy-five years.During these twenty-five years, he is taught to live with least possessions and less attachment and repeated reflection. After these twenty-five years, when one is mentally prepared to receive the highest truth in this universe, ready to renounce the world, to seek the Supreme, one is ready to don the robes of monk. The students are introduced to these principles during their education. They carry the samskāras and the knowledge of these principles throughout their life as householders, Vānaprastha life and the fourth stage of life.When they reach the stage of renunciation and realize the truth regarding the oneness of this creation and its creator, their new duty begins from that point. These realized persons become the instructors in turn. They come down to the mundane level to transmit/transfer their experience and knowledge to next generation. This goes on perpetually. Intention behind all these great utterances, such as the creaction is not different than the creator', 'everything is the manifestation of the same divine' etc. carry very definite intention at its outset. They mean and want and expect to transfer this reality to the last level of the verious walks of life. That is why, the proper education with the samskäras at the earlier stage, dutiful life in the second stage, delegating the duties to others and start learning spiritual truth and finally to attain them is instructed. It is worthy to be noted that to inculcate and realize these highest principles stage wise instructions to be followed are given.
The convocation speech in the Taittirīya Upanisad has the highest moral value from the viewpoint of the whole mankind.Its teaches,'speak the truth'treat mother as the god' and 'treat the guest as the god'. why the Upanisad says 'as the god? When one prays, one never has the thought
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