Stages of Life

     There are four life stages in a Hindu male’s life, and each Hindu generally goes through three “ashramas” or stages, for the fourth one is rare to come upon. Women are also included in the four stages, for they play a vital role, however the women are supposed to be dependent on males. The four stages are as follows: The first stage “Brahmacharya” is also known as the Student Stage. The second stage “Grihastha” is also known as the Householder Stage. The third stage “Vanaprastha” is also known as the Hermit Stage. The final, but rare stage is “Sannyasa” or the Wandering Ascetic Stage.

The student stage lasts until a person is 25 years old. In that time a male goes to live with his guru (spiritual teacher) and gains spiritual knowledge as well as practical knowledge. He prepares for his future, his social life and his religious life and his family. I think this is a cool idea, leaving home to go live with a guru; it’s what every teenager wants to do! Twenty-five years is a long time to be a student, but in our society today people go to school for much longer, and at different stages in their life too.

A guru and his students

The Householder Stage begins when a man gets married. He now must earn a living and support his family. Isn’t that a wonderful thought, having a man to provide for you and support your family? I know women have a right to make a living as well, but the thought of always being taken care of is nice. This stage in a males life usually lasts until they’re 50.

A Hindu Family, the parents are currently in the Household Stage

Now this is where things get tough, the Hermit Stage begins when a male becomes a grandfather. Now he must relinquish all physical, material and sexual pleasures and retire from his social and professional life. He leaves his home and lives in a hut in a forest, spending his time praying. Now luckily, he is allowed to take his wife, however he is supposed to maintain little contact with his family. No wonder no one wants to do this stage, imagine living your life one day, then with the birth of a child, your life automatically changes. I can see this stage causing serious psychological problems… some people just don’t adapt to change well.

A Forest Hut

The Wandering Ascetic Stage is very rare and you will discover why. A man is supposed to be totally devoted to Brahman; he has no home and no attachments. He has to break all his worldly ties and his only concern is reaching Moksha. Now personally, I think this is a bad idea. How dangerous could it be to break all your worldly ties and to have no home? Not only could I not complete this, I can’t even imagine myself doing this. It is deeply spiritual, and I believe that if you are truly ready to reach Moksha and end your reincarnation cycle, then you should complete this stage. I also think there should be limits on this stage, such as if a man is extremely sick or delusional. Nevertheless, these are the life stages of a Hindu male. I think it would help keep life organized, no worries about the future because you know what is going to happen.

A Wandering Ascetic