The principle of Indian Vedic philosophy is to divide the life of a human being into four key stages. Each has its own balance:
- Brahmacharya Ashram (0 to 20 years old)
This first period goes from childhood to early adulthood. It can sometimes continue for up to 25 years. It is devoted to the study, to learning, to the preparation of human life from all its angles (family, work, relationships, etc.).
- Grahastha Ashram (20 to 40 years old)
Active life where one assumes oneself as an adult. The time has come to find your autonomy, to work, to earn a living, to live your sexuality, to get married, to have children. This is the age of responsibility within society.
- Vana Prastha Ashram (40 to 60 years old)
After fifty, one can prepare to put oneself on the margins of active life. Instead of accumulating possessions, one begins to distribute what one has earned during the previous period, to help others. The inner life takes on a more important place.
- Sanyastha Ashram
This is the moment when we turn inward to develop our spirituality, to reconnect with our soul.
And in the West?
The Western “way of life” is very recent and created after the 2nd World War (holidays, retreats etc.).
We are now discovering more and more the consequences of this “modern” approach which ultimately makes no human sense. Everything is done to create an ideal consumer, who utopically believes that he can finally live one day, when the hour of retirement strikes.
Or, the average Westerner will think of living “full” with “Bucket Lists” that aim to achieve “everything you want to do in your life”. Either way, a very selfish “I will, therefore I take” view that denies the existence of the mind. “I only have one life so I might as well live it to the fullest.”
Are the stages of Western active life based on productivity where the human being is seen as a machine:
- 0 to 25 years old: apprenticeship.
- 26 to 65: work, family money.
- 66 years old: retirement, illness…
Few seniors are happy, because aging is seen as a weakness, a stage of degeneration…
For Yoga, it’s the opposite!
Live like a Yogi
For several thousand years, Yoga has given us the keys to a happy and above all, flourishing life.
Orientals have understood that what matters is the development of our mind. We must become aware in order to free ourselves from the cycle of life.
Ashramas therefore gives us a direction to move forward in our life without getting lost. In themselves, these 4 stages of life are logical and have a meaning: to contribute to one’s human life while detaching oneself from matter, which sooner or later we will abandon.
In India, it is possible to meet former CEOs who have become Yogis, living on the streets, having abandoned all their belongings. This approach then gives full meaning to old age and our spiritual development.
And you, what stage are you in right now? We would love to hear about your experience in the comments. See you soon !
