A perspective on the 4 Asharams in Sanatan Dharma.
Background:
As per the common knowledge around Sanatana dharma, life is divided into 4 Asharams:
- Brahmacharya (0 to 25) - Learn
- Grihasthasharam (25 to 50) - Earn and get married
- Vanaprastha (50 to 75) - Retirement, getting ready for the last leg of life
- Sanyas (75 to XX) - adjusting to the new reality of life, which is the oncoming death.
Perspective/Interpretation: I feel that the generation which is in retirement today (our parents) were most accustomed to the 2nd asharam. They got married early, faced big responsibilities early on. Accordingly, their biggest problem is adjusting to Vanaprastha.
Our generation, I feel, started out with the overwhelming sense of living. Hence, we were ready for Vanaprastha, the minute we started working. Just to complete all the burdens of earning and maintaining a marriage, and rest.
The generation subsequent to us, seeing our exhaustion might be more inclined to extend their Brahmacharya period, where they retain their child-like curiosity, excitement, pleasure - and actively choose to not get bogged down by life's responsibilities, which seem to them, made up.
The most preferred Asharam keeps moving in cycles from one generation to another, with every generation layering in the prejudices and shortcomings of the previous generation with their own solutions.
Would love your perspective on this!
Your understanding of Asharams is like a Bollywood movie - dramatic, over-simplified, and far from reality. Life isn't a scripted play, it's a cricket match with unpredictable googlies.
That's not my understanding that I described above. It is just the summary notes for anyone who would be unaware about the concept.
I can write essays on the Asharams and it's implications on modern life. But my aim was not to highlight that.
Once you include "unpredictability" in the mix, everything can be questioned and hence nothing can be theorised.
Study where human behaviour is critical (economics, psychology, finance etc) always have theories ASSUMING something and building from that.
You're spotting cultural cycles like hotshot investors spot financial cycles. Very interesting perspective.
I already prefer Grihasthashram (I think you meant that instead of Vanaprastha) for our generation. Next gen will prefer Brahmacharya
Thank you! @AITookMyJob
Most people I've met in my generation, tend to be more exhausted than ever and are dying to leave the life of obligations, vying for that sweet, sweet retirement life.
However, it may be different for different groups/individuals, for sure.
Lovely write up Very aligned with the approach
