Ashrama dharma

'Dharma' is defined as anything that is of universal acceptance, the 'sat'. There is nothing besides it. Let's take for instance this 'ashrama dharma'. Whether one likes it or not it happens. Our childhood passes even before we really understand and enjoy it. Childhood (balya) is spent in playfulness, followed by youth (youvana)- a confused state of living; however, it goes in studies and play. By the time we  understand what is happening we step into a responsible world and take on social and familial responsibilities and life goes on. Whether one gets married or not, the sansara is there! Finally, the old-age is lurking and we stand face to face with the realities!

  What do we learn from all these? Where is time to even think about it? There is no time to sit quiet and take a deep breath. Forget about all these; now one stands in a dazed condition. There is no clear-cut path, say, 'sat-nyas', sum-nyas, or sanyas. 'sanyas' is a way of life not generally permitted to everybody unless one is trained and initiated into it. Even a Swamy of a Matha or monastery is not really qualified for real sanyas unless he is ripe mature enough to understand what is life. A person who has remained a celebate. brahmacahri, (say, 'unmarried') is not really qualified, at all! One must undergo all family responsibilities and experience life fully; then only he is allowed to step into renunciation, sanyasa. Otherwise it is a farce. The vasanas, karma-kleshas, prarabhda, etc do not allow to enetr the right path, the real sat-nyas. That is the meaning. At best, one can eneter vanaprashtha ashrama. Here again, one need not ru away deserting the family responsibilities, and there are no forests left! The real meaning is just to retreat. One should gradually withdraw from mundane trivialities of life and sit quiet. The last lap of the journey in old age will be painful unles one is trained by a Guru to take it easy and merge into transcendental meditative mode as much as possible.

  However, everybody gets in to vanaprashtha ashrama whether one likes it or not, after say, seventy years of age. This is the logical conclusion of a jive that has spent its life and is waiting in the wing for exit. The interests in worldly affairs (loukika) automatically drop off (of course, not to one and all, but only to a few sensible mature persons). Most of the people really take no interest in serious spiritual pursuits. many still indulge in mundane things. Onloy a few blessed ones get a spiritual guide and take to practces such as sadhana chatushtaya- dhyana, satsang, nidhidhyasana and dharana or meditation as much as possible; and, thus one prepares himself for the onward journey to higher realms shedding off the mortal remains. This is really the true meaning of ashrama dharma.

  People have no choice here. Those who indulge in childish pranks even in old age, or those who behave immature will suffer. They waste the beautiful gift of human life-form given to them. They take repeated births and may be, they revel in it!  

 Let's examine some of the secrets that are inherent in these different levels of our existence, one by one.

(to be contd.)