THE PERIOD OF OLD AGE

Point of No Return

MAN endures various different challenges and issues during the course of life, for example, sickness or illness, accident, loss of wealth or property etc. But, one completely different type of challenge that he must face is old age. Old age is just another name for the beginning of the end of life on this earth. Old age always happens at the point of no return and in every respect poses a serious challenge to every human being.

However, old age has a positive aspect to it—a gain that only results with agedness—and that is the discovery of one’s helplessness. Although this discovery can result in a partial manner through other means, in the complete sense it is only the direct result of advancing years.

This is because old age is always associated with deterioration and debilitation of the body. By nature, the human body is a wonderful machine that carries out a variety of functions without rest from birth. Some eighty different organs efficiently manage and perform various functions of the body systems that keep the machine running. The main organs of the human body are the heart, lungs, brain, liver and kidney.

With advancing age, these organs partially or completely cease function. The skin becomes wrinkled and less elastic. The joints become inflexible, muscles become loose, and bones become weak. At the climax of life, the failure of one or more of the critical organs results in death.


Humility is without doubt a result of the discovery of the ultimate reality. Without this discovery of the ultimate reality, the human personality is incomplete.

Humility is without doubt a result of the discovery of the ultimate reality. Without this discovery of the ultimate reality, the human personality is incomplete. And the human personality reaches its completion only when man reaches the evening of his life. Old age is the age of the greatest of discoveries, that is why it is known as the golden age in a person’s life. Unfortunately, what actually happens is that the elderly know and hold on to only one thing that they are being ignored or neglected and thus live continuously with a feeling of complaint.

Further analysis of old age reveals that although from the material aspect the human body is degenerating, the mind continues its function effectively. In addition, with age the mind gets better with the enhancement resulting from experience. Man develops the capability of a deeper analysis and can make better assessments of issues and situations. Before, he was just an informed person, with age he becomes a mature and wise person. He can make judgements and give opinions with greater maturity and wisdom. He is now in a position to give suitable advice to others in a rational manner. An old person is a mature human being and due to his experience he has the power to provide positive and effective guidance to others.

The greatest discovery for man is for him to discover his Creator. This discovery can occur at any and every moment, but in reality in his younger days man lives in heedlessness. He is only able to overcome this heedlessness when he reaches old age and when his organs start failing. This is the time of discovering one’s helplessness and this is the time for man to consciously discover his All-Powerful Creator.

However, in reality due to his unawareness, man in his younger days lives in heedlessness and in his old age lives in complaint. In this way, man loses the period of strength and also loses the second period of his golden age.

Old age is an age of maturity and wisdom, of knowledge and experience. It gives man the capability of superior reasoning and analysis. It increases his intelligence. The elder person is in a position to give others sound guidance and advise with wisdom. The elderly can be ‘giver’ members of society. If the elders were only to do one thing— write a book in which they relate their experiences in life—then every such person would leave this world being a ‘great giver’ to society.