The
concept of a journey through life’s phases leading us to wisdom is seen in the traditional Hindu tradition of four stages
of the life cycle, called “Ashramas.”
Ashrams are places where one
cultivates one’s spiritual life. All
stages of life in the Vedic worldview are meant to prepare a person spiritually
for the transcendent. Hence the stages
are appropriately named “ashramas”
for they are places in our lives, in which we fulfill the tasks of living in
such a way as to ultimately lead to transcendent wisdom. This structure is both
a guideline for action and an acknowledgment of biological realities but it is also
a psychological and spiritual guideline that supports faith development and the
natural rhythms of the maturing and evolving psyche. The four ashramas are:
For more detailed explanations of each ahsrama see the separate pages. My interest in these phases of life is not merely historical, cultural or anthropological. My study of this cultural/spiritual tradition is for the purpose of finding a model for living modern life in congruence with both psychological and spiritual evolutionary forces throughout the life span. Even in India, from whose tradition this model originates, the phases are seldom formally acknowledged or put into practice in modern times. There has been a general degeneration of the traditional culture. With the western consumer influence, there is a further deterioration in living traditional values, although there is an ongoing revival taking place in India to find new meaning in ancient traditions. Being a westerner who was trained by an Indian guru, I see the challenges of modern life as an opportunity for people to reshape the structure of life, not by blindly following an old tradition, but recognizing the truths and wisdom inherent in them. We need to find ways to live old traditions in the light of today's emerging culture and infusing our lives with meaning through them. The trend to globalization has opened the doors to merging traditions from many cultures with modern knowledge.
- Brahmcharya Ashrama
- Grihastha Ashrama
- Vanaprastha Ashrama
- Sanyasa Ashrama
In Satguru Sivaya
Subramuniyaswami's Merging with Siva, he writes:
``There
are two traditional paths for the devout Hindu of nearly every lineage. The
first is the path of the renunciate. The second is the path of the householder,
who guides human society and produces the next generation. The ancient rishis
evolved well-defined principles for both, knowing that unmarried aspirants
would most easily unfold by adhering to principles of nonownership,
noninvolvement in the world and brahmacharya, while married men and women would
uphold the more complex and material family dharma. Though the principles or
guidelines for these two paths are different, the goal is the same--to
establish a life dedicated to spiritual unfoldment, hastening the evolution of
the soul through knowledge of the forces at work within us, and wise,
consistent application of that knowledge.``
For more detailed explanations of each ahsrama see the separate pages. My interest in these phases of life is not merely historical, cultural or anthropological. My study of this cultural/spiritual tradition is for the purpose of finding a model for living modern life in congruence with both psychological and spiritual evolutionary forces throughout the life span. Even in India, from whose tradition this model originates, the phases are seldom formally acknowledged or put into practice in modern times. There has been a general degeneration of the traditional culture. With the western consumer influence, there is a further deterioration in living traditional values, although there is an ongoing revival taking place in India to find new meaning in ancient traditions. Being a westerner who was trained by an Indian guru, I see the challenges of modern life as an opportunity for people to reshape the structure of life, not by blindly following an old tradition, but recognizing the truths and wisdom inherent in them. We need to find ways to live old traditions in the light of today's emerging culture and infusing our lives with meaning through them. The trend to globalization has opened the doors to merging traditions from many cultures with modern knowledge.
