Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Amma Vodi – March 24, 2018 – Hyderabad
Compiled by: Smt Hira Duvvuri
Advice to the elderly: We are alive only for a limited time. First problem faced by most people in old age is falling in the bathroom. Hold on to walls or railings. Don’t feel shy. Avoid falls. While on the staircase, hold the banister for support. Eat moderately. Do not stuff yourselves with food. It is difficult to digest. Digestion weakens with age. As youngsters, we could even digest rocks. Not now. Be careful. Stop eating before you are completely full. Eat steamed idlis. This is my advice. I am not here to teach you Vedanta. This is practical Vedanta. Please follow. Idlis are easy to digest. Ragi ganji also is good. Old people who are here, are lucky. Many have come away here to avoid harassment from daughters-in-law. You must cooperate with the staff here. Even your own daughters do not treat you this nicely. Your own son you gave birth to, will not serve you. How do you expect a daughter-in-law to treat you nicely? The grandchildren will only approach you for receiving favors for themselves. Relatives are only there for manipulating you for their benefit. They only pretend to have affection. But such pretense cannot be sustained daily. They fail. The staff here are your relatives. Even if they receive a salary, they are not obliged to treat you affectionately. Vijaya aunty lives in a nice bungalow. How is she obligated to serving you? She has wonderful sons. The couple can live wherever they choose. They simply have the blind faith the Swamiji is pleased with their services here. That is why they serve. There are many devotees who are unhappy in their own homes and that is why they have decided to stay here. To be eligible to find accommodation here, is difficult and rare. It is a good fortune. You once lived well, no doubt. But you are living well here now. You get all required services rendered to you in a timely manner.
Sri Guru Datta