Buddhist teachings tell a story that the Buddha encountered “divine messengers” that changed his destiny. At 29, he left protected life in the palace and encountered old age, illness and death for the first time. Like young Prince Siddhartha, we may be out of touch with these realities, preferring to imagine we will live forever. But these messengers can shock us into seeing a path beyond the superficial and beyond our heedless reactivity to the 10,000 sorrows and 10,000 joys of life.
We face many of the same challenges that humans have always faced although history and culture have shaped how we think about aging in modern times.
In these times of existential threats, we can define anyone different from us as dangerous. Those who remind us of our own death can certainly pose a threat. For that reason, older adults may define themselves as “not old,” and take extreme measures to act and appear young. And many of them complain of feeling invisible – not seeing older adults is another way to deny old age, illness and death.
I recently heard a moving story about a dying woman who said that she gets to choose love over fear in every moment. That statement resounds with importance. We are all aging, if not actively dying, and if this dying woman found she had a choice, perhaps we can too.
I invite you to consider that there are hidden gifts that can come with aging. Although elders have reason to anticipate more limitations and suffering, and see their older friends and family suffering, in wealthier countries they tend to report experiencing greater happiness than when they were younger. What is going on here?
I began to sense that aging can bring real gifts during six-week tea and dialogue workshops I offered older adults during my internship in Lesley University’s Mindfulness Studies program. These elders were so open and direct, so supportive, so eager to really listen, and quite creative. They were also so appreciative of each other and what they had to offer each other that it turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Farmer and Farmer note that conversational skills may actually improve with age – older adults tell narratives that others judge to be more interesting than those told by younger people. Pipher found that older adults tend to value honesty. In his TED talk on “The Neuroscience of Social Intelligence” Bill von Hippel mentions that older adults may not censor themselves about what might be considered socially inappropriate topics. While this might be considered a liability in some situations, speaking the vulnerable truth provides access to our fundamental interconnection. According to the Committee on Future Directions for Cognitive Research on Aging, elders appear to be particularly sensitive to emotional aspects of situations, including interpersonal ramifications of problems (Stern & Cartensen, 2000, p. 31).
In Older and Wiser: Classical Buddhist Teachings on Aging, Sickness and Death, Soeng, Ambrosia, & Olendzki provide commentary on several Buddhist teachings related to equanimity noting that older adults may live more in the moment and may have learned the futility of wasting time and energy in overreacting. Aronson cites evidence that contrary to what younger adults might believe and fear, elders can actually experience reduced anxiety and increased life satisfaction. She notes older adults may no longer care what others think about them, bringing a new and most welcome sense of freedom.
With age can come enhanced wisdom and compassion – less judgment, less denial of reality, more appreciation for every precious moment and more choosing love over fear. Sharing tea with a sensitive, caring and wise elder (who may very well be an excellent story teller) even online seems like a very good idea in these challenging times.
Radiant Refuge 