Understanding the Fruitful Elderly: A Guide to Altruism and Wisdom : หน้า 164/207

The second type of elderly person is called “A Fruitful Person,” a philanthropist or altruist. Throughout their lives, these elderly people have diligently earned their livelihood, and are well prepared for their elderly years so that they can depend on themselves without help from others. Their behavior and manners are well adjusted; they know that they will not be a burden on their children. In terms of religion, they have diligently studied the Buddhist principles by being generous, observing the precepts, and practicing meditation. Furthermore, they have always taught and instilled their children with the correct understanding of life. The Lord Buddha called these elderly people “those worthy of their children’s reverence.” A family with a member like this will possess happiness as if it has “a worthy one in the family.” These elderly people always followed the principles of leading a simple life which include: 1) Doing one’s best to offer alms. That means they always accrue merit by offering alms to monks every morning in order to accumulate provisions for the next life. 2) Doing one’s best to strictly adhere to the Five Precepts every day. This is especially true of the fourth precept (not to lie), of which one should be most aware. On the eve of Buddhist holy days and during Buddhist holy days, they will keep the Eight Precepts. Doing so can reinforce them to lead their lives in a simple way. 3) Doing one’s best to meditate frequently. They meditate in the morning, after lunch, and before bed to keep their mind purified and radiant. These elderly people behaved well and set good examples for their children. In leisure, they instilled them with a moral education, story-telling, Dhamma-storytelling, and their own life experiences, all of which were valuable and useful for the little ones to follow. These good examples reminded and had an impact on their children, enabling the children to lead their lives in righteous and virtuous ways. Moreover, these elders will never interfere in their in-laws’ lives. They assume that these adults know how to handle responsibility in a family and to solve problems by themselves. They do not need their parents-in-law to assist in inconsequences. In the end, these adults will take their place and become the next pillar of support for the family.