Homelessness was a blessing in some parts of the Vedic societal systems.

For those persons preparing for leaving this world , which is  obviously  very entangleing for the mind and senses , with wives  , children ,  housing , bank balance  , careers ,  social status positioning and the like , even in older age there is no escape ,  as the whole process starts all over again with  the grandchildren and their lives ,  its ever entangling  . And so it was ,  that the Vedic cultures encouraged complete renunciation from material affairs and a leaving of homes to live wherever might be convenient ,  no fixed abode was favoured towards the end of life . An absorption in the spiritual dimensions was developed particularly in Gaudia Vaisnavism ,  which meant meditations on the eternal affairs of Krishna ,  Radharani , and the village life of Vraj . The Goswamis of Vrndavana , in their literature ,  having been instructed by Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu , have  left so  much to meditate on as the activities in every detail of Krishna and Radharani’s life has been revealed by them .

So leaving everything behind of materially entangleing affairs , taking up the activities of the spiritual world , because after all , at death , there is no choice,  everything of our material affairs are taken away . There is no escape from death , it’s imposed upon us all . In order to prepare and to absorb thd mind in spiritual affairs , its was recommended to live a life of a beggar with no fixed abode . Because the mind and senses could then  became fixed with no deviations ,  fixed in a   spiritual realm by  the constant practice of spontaneous and unmotivated devotional service through meditation and entering the pastimes of Radha Krishna with attitudes of service and friendship . After some time of fixed practice and meditation , ones  spiritual position and services were revealed , even though situated supposedly in the material world.

In a life of  strict renunciation , one learned to become fully dependent on Krishna,  the mind and senses no longer engaged in the matters of the material world that immediately grab everyone’s attention.

This kind of life would be totally abhorrent to the western thinker , who in old age cling on to their memories and families right to the last moments of life . However preparing for the inevitable change is better than hoping against hope that a little more family pleasure might  be aquired….actually the destination of the soul for those absorbed in family life is to once again return to the material world , to take up another family for those so absorbed , and thus samsara , the repeated births and deaths . Lord Krishna Himself in Bhagavad says, “Think of Me ,”  I will rescue you from repeated births and deaths.

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