Guest guest Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Question from Steve: We often read of saints and sages of India who are reported to be of very advanced age. However, in the West, the general "knowledge" is that people rarely live past maybe ... 120 at the most? How do we account for reports of Saints living to 300 years? Is it because the Saints themselves do not talk about their origination, and the local people make up a story? Has anyone lived, in recent time, in your opinion, to the age of 300 years, years as we count them here in the West? What is going on with the stories of extreme longevity? How do we understand that? Swamiji's response: Some of it has been documented, some of it is a tradition, some is made up. Ram Nath Aghori, Deoriya Baba, Trailinga Swami have been documented. Babaji is a tradition. In fact, every sadhu in the Himalayas is called Babaji. And there is a whole bunch of modern myths that rely on the gullibility of the village people. What is more important than how long we live, is how well we live. So we in our tradition do not put much emphasis on those stories at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 8, 2005 Report Share Posted October 8, 2005 Swamiji, Yes, how well we live is most important. It is because I feel I have not lived so well, for so many years, I sometimes pray for a long life -- not for my enjoyment, but so I can have productive sadhana before old age. steve , "Nanda" <chandimaakijai> wrote: > > Question from Steve: > We often read of saints and sages of India who are reported to be of > very advanced age. > > However, in the West, the general "knowledge" is that people rarely > live past maybe ... 120 at the most? > > How do we account for reports of Saints living to 300 years? > > Is it because the Saints themselves do not talk about their > origination, and the local people make up a story? > > Has anyone lived, in recent time, in your opinion, to the age of 300 > years, years as we count them here in the West? What is going on with > the stories of extreme longevity? How do we understand that? > > Swamiji's response: > Some of it has been documented, some of it is a tradition, some is > made up. Ram Nath Aghori, Deoriya Baba, Trailinga Swami have been > documented. Babaji is a tradition. In fact, every sadhu in the > Himalayas is called Babaji. > > And there is a whole bunch of modern myths that rely on the > gullibility of the village people. > > What is more important than how long we live, is how well we live. So > we in our tradition do not put much emphasis on those stories at all. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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