A life well lived Adi Shankaracharya
We often think of a long life as a good life but the fact is it is what we contribute in this life that we need to think about. There are many people who are hardly remembered after they pass on to the next world but people like Adi Shankaracharya shall always be remembered though they died at a young age in this physical body for they have left their teachings, knowledge and direction behind for all of us.
Learner and teacher through his life
He is said to have been born in the first half of the 8th century CE in present day Kerala.
In that era, there was a lot of confusion on the true meaning of Hindu Dharma and hence, Shankara played an important role in educating the people on its true meaning, established many schools and took part in many debates on the same. He looked for and found many gurus, traversing the length and breadth of India in the days where even travel was a huge challenge.
One thing he always had was complete clarity on his goals, which was the study of the scriptures. For this, he wished to pursue a life of monkhood to avoid any distractions.
He then went in search of a guru and according to a few sources, a young Shankara walked at least two thousand kilometers before meeting many spiritual greats and learning from them. He was an ideal student and was able to master almost all the ancient scripts in a short time to even their astonishment. He knew there were many fallacies so he started traveling across India, propagating what he knew. He took part in a number of debates pertaining to Hinduism and its beliefs, but managed to silence all his doubters with his intelligence and clarity.
Establishing mutts
He was soon accepted as a guru by many and established many schools known as mutts all over India. These did play a major role in reviving the teachings of Hinduism at a time when there were too many fallacies. It is said he passed away at the age of 32. We may say he passed on too early but his achievements could perhaps fill an entire encyclopedia. Though he passed on, his teachings survive and hence we could definitely call him an eternal guru and role model.
Eternal role model
He took on all challenges as opportunities and lit a lamp when the surroundings were dim. This is why Shankara and his thoughts are relevant not just for India and his faith but also for everyone all over the world. A study of his writings and thoughts is a task worthy for all with a spiritual bent of mind. If one does not have a spiritual attitude, one could study his life as an example of a remarkable human being.
As far as his time of demise is concerned, the time is irrelevant for he has made a mark for himself that remains relevant always for all human beings..This is what we could call an eternal life worth emulating by all eternally.
