Success in Life

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The Four Stages of Life

 

In our grand Indian culture they conceived of life in four stages: the

preliminary stage, the development stage, the flowering or blossoming

stage, and the culminating, fruitful stage. The satisfactory growth of

the latter three stages truly depends upon the management of the first

stage.

 

The Student Stage

 

The supreme value of the student period is incalculable. Student life

is the most precious life. The way in which you utilise this period

will decide the nature of the coming years that lie ahead of you. Your

happiness, your success, your honour and your good name all depend

upon the way in which you live now. In this present period, my dear

student, you are preparing your future. Remember this.

 

I wish you to be great. The world has put its faith in you. Your

elders keep their hope upon you. Now is the time for you to wisely

mould your life, your character, your physical health, your entire

nature in any way in which you make up your mind to dos o. And you

must do this now.

 

It is like the laying of the foundation for an important building you

wish to construct. If this building is something very important to

you, then just think how much more important its proper foundation

becomes in your view. The strong and continued existence of the

building depends certainly upon the foundation. This is the stage you

are now in.

 

Let your preparation be wise, correct, and of such a kind that will

lead to your true welfare, supreme good, and lasting happiness. You

should acquire knowledge of subjects not only like History, Geography,

Mathematics, etc., but also about human nature, the science of

self-control, the art of developing a pure mind, the duties of men and

women, and the proper relationship between you, the world and God.

 

Thus, the first 25 years of human life should be dedicated to

acquiring good health, perfect character, self-control, and all that

is necessary for you to know in order to live life righteously, to be

financially independent via some trade of profession, and to thus

attain lasting satisfaction and happiness. I shall mention briefly

about the second, third and fourth stages and then take up the

important question of how you can manage your present stage in a most

beneficial way.

 

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