Earning mode to Learning mode.

What makes life more interesting to live? What is it
that every Human being wants to live? What is money
for? What is education for?

Well, here I go again with more questions that keep
resonating in me day in and day out. This time I am
going to try and make it more mundane and sound more
like a normal person. Ahem, this is in attempt to
honor some of my friends, who read my blogs and
comment, “Well it was a decent read, but what are you
trying to say?”

When I reach out to people who are perceived to be
successful, to get an understanding of what life is
all about, the common response is “Life is about
taking up challenges and by that learn more.” If that
was so, what is the use of money and formal education?
Well, honestly I believe they are the prime tools that
put you in the seat to face these challenges and
acquire knowledge. Ultimately, what we yearn for in
life is some recognition. An individual’s worth is
measured by the difference he brings about to the
immediate society he is associated with. It could be through
money, it could be through service. The end quotient
remains the knowledge he acquired through the process
of reaching out to the society.

Incidentally I was reading RS blog, NRI babble and
yet another article on Hindustan Times, Are NRI’s Non
Returning Indians. Pulling both these articles into
the context we have here, why would we really want to
stay in the US? Earn more?!?!?! Great!!! So, what
happens if you earn more? You have this power and
vision to aspire for more?
Excellent!! Then again this contiues as a cycle until
it hits a platue when we realize life is not all about
earning money, the focus slowly shifts to acquiring
knowledge (well, for most of us it should). This is
when we shift gears, change our approach to life and
start engaging ourself in projects that shows visible
change in the society we associate with.

• Gandhi did this when he was in his late 30’s
• Bill Gates did this when he was in his early 40’s
• Vivekanada did in his late teens
• Mohan Bhargava in Swades when he returns to US from
his India visit just to quit his job to go back full
time to get associated with the immediate society to
learn more.
• Well, my next door uncle is in his 60’s don’t know
when this change will occur on him.

This paradigm shift is what is documented by Manu in
his Varashrama Dharma as a shift from Gruhastham to
Vanaprastham. A sense of liberation from just held by
your family to reaching out to the society (in those
days it used to be the forest) to acquire more
knowledge.

So where am I? Debating, if I should really experience Gruhastham to
appreciate Vanaprastham and Sanyasam!!!