When we are asked how old we are, we generally calculate our age from the date of birth to the present year and reply: I am 25 years old or 53 years old or 77 years old etc. When asked how much we have lived our age or number of years till now – we have no answers to give. The days and nights of our lives flow endlessly and we eat, drink, work, sleep, study, play and suffer through with short moments of happiness sprinkled now and then. There are a few significant moments in our lives that we remember – the day we won a match or a competition, the occasion of our engagement or marriage, the moment we got a huge contract, etc. More than happy moments, the instances of pain, being insulted, disappointed or being depressed come to our minds.
The average human life span is about 70 – 90 years. We are born, we study and acquire knowledge, we learn a profession, we work and earn wealth; we marry, have children, take care of them and other members of family; we get them married off and our life ends. Our lives are filled with desires and longings, we are born again and again and undergo the same things – study, work, earn, marry, fulfill desires, suffer and finally die. What do we have to show for the number of years that we have lived? A few moments of happiness, years of continuous work and stress, lots of disappointments, pain and misery?
The days, weeks, months and years of this lifetime and countless lifetimes disappear like dreams without any value or significance. We really start living only when we experience Divinity within us and know it to be all encompassing. Buddha used to measure people’s age from the time they became enlightened. He did not count the previous years of their lives.
One day, Buddha was sitting with a powerful king and having discussions on dharma. The king was presenting his doubts which were being clarified by Buddha. At that time, a monk entered the room. He was old – almost seventy five and walked slowly due to his age. He bowed to Buddha and the king and said: O king, my apologies to you for interrupting your talks. I have waited for a long time for your talks to end but cannot wait any more. I have to travel to another village and I must leave right now. Else I cannot reach before sunset. Please permit me to disturb you for a moment and touch the feet of Buddha and ask if there is any message for me. I may not see him again and who knows what happens tomorrow.
The king smiled his consent. The old monk bent and touched the feet of Buddha. Buddha asked him: How old are you? And the old monk replied: Four years!
The King could not believe his ears and decided to satisfy his curiosity. He said: What? Four years? Respected Sir, the weight of your bones and skin indicate you are at least seventy five years old!
Buddha smiled and addressed the king: You do not know how we count our age. In my sangha or community, we count only the years we live as an enlightened being. Before that, all the years of our lives are full of darkness, nightmares, dreams and misery. Such years are not worth counting. In the ordinary world, the age of this monk is seventy five. But as far as I am concerned he is only four years old. I was asking him whether he remembers that or not. And he does. Buddha blessed the old man and sent him off as his remembrance was correct.
Let us not waste our lives in endless search of contentment and peace in this material world for we will not get them. Let us go within ourselves and find the eternal truth of life. Let us work sincerely with the SitaRam mantra, meditation and following the teachings of the Guru so that we have some years of life which are really worth accounting for!
