The Enduring Wisdom of Ancient Texts: Timeless Guidance for Life’s Profound Journey
Girish Jha, Coach and Guide, Eastern Wisdom . Blog for Silent-Generation
In a world increasingly characterized by impermanence and constant change, there exists a profound yearning for Wisdom that has stood the test of time. Those who have witnessed the sweeping transformations of a century—from the challenges of the Great Depression through global conflicts to our current technological revolution- understand better than most the value of principles that remain steadfast through changing circumstances.
Eastern Wisdom that has guided humanity for millennia offers precisely such enduring Wisdom. Today, we shall examine one such gem from the Bhagavad Gita, a text whose teachings have illuminated paths forward during humanity’s most trying moments, much as they can provide guidance in our individual journeys of aging with dignity and purpose.
The Timeless Guidance of the Bhagavad Gita
The verse of the Gita we shall consider (Chapter 7, Verse 1) contains profound instruction for finding clarity and purpose in any stage of life. In this passage, Lord Krishna addresses Arjuna with these words:
With your mind attached to Me, practicing yoga and taking refuge in Me, hear how you shall know Me completely and without doubt.“
we need to understand clearly Eastern Wisdom transcends all religions, cult, dogma and belief and guides the seeker towards self actualization, very much needed for SSilent Generation.
I. The Discipline of Directed Attention
Original Sanskrit: Mayyāsaktamanāḥ (mind attached to the Divine or chosen altar or highest aspiration)
It means the disciplined direction of one’s thoughts toward what is absolutely essential.
Those who lived through the rationing of World War II or the economic hardships of earlier decades understand profoundly the necessity of discernment—of distinguishing between the essential and the superfluous. This first principle speaks to that same Wisdom, suggesting that clarity emerges when we consciously direct our attention toward what is hugely significant.
In our younger years, our attention was naturally consumed by building careers, raising families, and securing foundations for the future. Now, in life’s later chapters, we have the opportunity—indeed, the responsibility—to direct our attention more deliberately toward matters of lasting significance.
This disciplined attention is not merely a mental exercise but a moral and daily practice. Just as our generation learned to conserve scarce resources during challenging times, we now can conserve and direct our mental and spiritual resources toward what truly matters.
II. The Steadfastness of Consistent Practice
Original Sanskrit: Yogaṃ yuñjan (practicing spiritual discipline)
It means committed engagement in practices that align with one’s deepest values.
The second principle speaks to something our generation understands : Persistent practice to drop and dissolve those acts, behavior and attitude that make one fall into impulsive nature and those behavior and acts that help rise in awarness.
This principle reminds us that understanding alone is insufficient—it must be paired with consistent practice. Those who maintained victory gardens throughout wartime or who saved diligently through decades of work understand viscerally that small, consistent actions accumulate into significant outcomes.
In the context of our spiritual and personal development, this same Wisdom applies. Daily practices of reflection, gratitude, or service—maintained with the same steadfastness we’ve applied to other life commitments—gradually transform our experience and our contribution to those around us. It also means to change our behavior, attitude, and dissolve past impressions that are not good.
III. The Wisdom of Proper Foundation
Original Sanskrit: Madāśrayaḥ (taking refuge in the Divine)
It means establishing oneself upon enduring principles rather than temporary circumstances.
The third principle speaks to the importance of a proper foundational truth that our generation witnessed firsthand as we participated in rebuilding institutions and communities that would endure beyond our lifetimes.
In spiritual terms, this principle invites us to ground ourselves in something more permanent than changing circumstances. Those who have witnessed how quickly fortunes, ideologies, and social structures can transform understand the Wisdom of establishing one’s life upon principles that transcend such changes.
This is not blind traditionalism but thoughtful recognition of what truly endures—the values of integrity, compassion, and service that have guided humanity through its darkest hours.
Practical Applications for Life’s Later Chapters
How might we apply these Eastern Wisdom principles to the particular challenges and opportunities of our current stage of life? Let us consider some practical approaches:
For the Challenge of Physical Limitations:
Directed Attention: Rather than focus primarily on what has been lost, practice deliberately directing attention toward capabilities that remain and the Wisdom gained through experience.
Consistent Practice: Establish modest but regular routines that maintain physical and mental well-being—a daily constitutional, gentle stretching exercise, or mental activities that engage the mind.
Proper Foundation: Ground your sense of dignity not in physical prowess but in the enduring qualities of character and Wisdom that cannot be diminished by physical changes.
For the Opportunity of Legacy-Building:
Directed Attention: Eastern Wisdom says at this age of life is a great opportunity to find Who AM I, by directing our attention to find Real-I replacing False-I.
Consistent Practice: Establish regular opportunities to share experiences and insights—perhaps through writing memoirs, scheduled conversations with grandchildren, or community involvement.
Proper Foundation: Recognize that the most valuable legacy rests not in tangible accomplishments but in finding who we are. Eastern Wisdom says we are of the nature of permanent happiness, love, truth and wisdom.
For the Challenge of Loss and Grief:
Directed Attention: While honoring grief, practice gently directing attention toward the gifts received through relationships rather than solely in their absence. Eastern Wisdom goes to the root of grief and discovers that it is based on intense attachment, delusion, and ignorance.
Consistent Practice: Establish small daily rituals that honor beloved memories while also cultivating continued engagement with present life to awaken to the Real-Self.
Proper Foundation: Root yourself in the understanding that the significance of relationships transcends their physical duration—that their impact continues to shape both your life and the lives of others.
The Practice of Wisdom: William's Journey
Consider the experience of William, who at 86 found himself navigating life after the loss of Eleanor, his wife of 61 years. Having survived the Depression in his childhood and served honorably in Korea, William was no stranger to challenges. Yet this loss struck at the very foundation of his daily existence.
In the difficult months that followed, William began learning Eastern Wisdom from a teacher to apply principles remarkably like those in our ancient text:
For directed attention, William established a practice of beginning each day by consciously recalling three qualities he had admired in Eleanor—her generosity, her appreciation of beauty, and her quiet courage. Rather than focusing solely on absence, he directed his attention who is the Knower, common in all beings.
For consistent practice, he maintained their tradition of afternoon walks, using this time to observe the changing seasons and acknowledge both his grief and his gratitude. “Consistency,” he later remarked, “provided a framework when everything else seemed uncertain.”
For proper foundation, William reconnected by being greateful to the existence who provdied such a great partner, and now is the right time to find our real nature in deep contempaltion and meditation.
Over time, William found himself becoming a source of quiet Wisdom for others experiencing loss. and that wisdom is our body is like guest room where we live in and then depart.
The Continuing Relevance of Ancient Wisdom
The verse concludes with a remarkable promise: that following these principles leads to knowledge that is both complete and free from doubt. While our modern sensibilities might approach such claims with appropriate reservation, there remains profound truth in this assertion.
When we direct our attention toward what truly matters, maintain consistent practices aligned with our deepest values, and ground ourselves in principles that transcend changing circumstances, we indeed discover a clarity that might otherwise elude us.
Those who have witnessed the dramatic transformations of a century understand better than most both the impermanence of external conditions and the enduring nature of certain truths. We have seen ideologies rise and fall, economies boom and bust, and technologies emerge and become obsolete.
Through these sweeping changes, Eastern Wisdom guides us to find our Real- Self, then realize it is an end of suffering.
As stewards of both tradition and hard-earned Wisdom, we could embody these principles for subsequent generations. In doing so, we offer not merely information, which is increasingly abundant, but true Wisdom, which remains as precious and necessary as ever.
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