In ancient Indian tradition we had the system of these four ashramas. Initially it was the brahmacharya ashram when you gather yourself, that is what education was really about.
I don’t know if this concept exists anywhere in the world, even in India it has been forgotten now.
So, what are the first initial 20 years about? Getting a job? Getting a degree? Being good mannered? No its about making a solid basis, basis of strength, basis of character, basis of truth. Making the instrument nature develop its capacities which can be put to good use. It is the stage when the child is taught about dharma which is not a religious or doctrinal teaching but about the right law, the true way of dealing with the world and with everything. This is the first stage, to lay a strong and good foundation for the future, the foundation of dharma.
Next ashrama is the Grahasth Ashram. Here you have the experiences when you are a householder, when you are dealing with life in real time based on the understanding of dharma. It is dharma being applied in practice in our personal and collective life. It includes having children and family and wealth and house and objects but with dharma as a base. It introduces a sattwic element in the rajasic life impelled by desire alone. That is the time you are engaging deeply with the world. This is the age when we go ahead and meet the challenge of life.
After that we have the Vanprasth Ashram, when one is slowly withdrawing and entering into deeper and deeper states. One has seen life, wrestled with its forces, taken one’s share of pleasure and pain, joy and grief, sounded its limits. Then one begins to explore what else is there, beyond all that one has done or thought. One dwells in the company of sages and spends time in books that are uplifting and revealing. It is the age of transition through mid-life.
Then we have the Sanyas Ashram when one practices inner detachment seeking for the highest good, true freedom from ignorance and the lasting peace and joy and wisdom.
Now naturally we have to do it in a different way in our own time keeping the fundamentals into the mind. First equip yourself, don’t rush into action madly. If you want to do a great work equip yourself first. There are number of youngsters who have this urge to do something and then they rush into activity, that is not the way. You have this idea, hold it inside and now start equipping yourself in every way, inwardly and outwardly.
Then comes the next stage when you are realigning yourself, putting all those energies into a beautiful action, not just the action where one is living only for oneself. Even animals live like that, cats and dogs do it, they have a house, cat feeds the kitten and then has as many kitten and dogs have as many pups as possible, that is one kind of life.
But the true life is not this mechanical routine that everyone follows. It is to live consciously, to live truly and thereby to live fully. Do not be afraid of living, loving, conquering new domains but not for one’s own sake but for the sake of something beautiful, something larger. If not for God at least for the larger good of humanity. At least one can do this minimum.
Then a stage comes slowly you have to prepare those who are going to be next in line as you have to realise that it’s not your work. It’s an idea that has been manifested and that idea has to go beyond our bodies. So there are various ways of preparing it, set up systems, to prepare people to pick up those who can carry it on and slowly disengaging and entering into something still deeper. It’s not about retirement, it’s about logical succession.
Then you have the final part of the journey that is a preparation for the future in yet another life to follow upon this one. If one has lived rightly then one ceases to be afraid of death or the afterlife. Very often people say in old age, “there is nothing I can do.” Well there is something you can always do.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
