For a commoner, one from masses… four ashramas (stages of life), were detailed in Sanatana Dharma. This was only to act as a guideline. If someone desired cutting short any journey, one was free to do so. Lord Krishna awakened his kundalini when very young. Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa started in search of God quite young. Maharishi Ramana also started in search of God very young.
One seriously interested in path of spirituality could not go through all the four ashramas (stages of life). One could cut short any journey whenever desired. This does not mean one could run away from family responsibilities leaving everything midway. Many people who lined hermitages in Haridwar, Rishikesh and Varanasi exactly did that. Spiritual path never advocates people shunning their responsibilities.
Scriptures of Hinduism advocate journey to God Almighty could be taken at any stage of life. I did not want to leave things to chance for later stages of life. I started in pursuit of God six years of age. As my mother did not permit me to leave confines of home, I indulged in yoga meditation while living in family.
Normal human beings could spend 25 years of their life practicing Brahmacharya Vrata. Which simply means… living life as a child, as one should! The child was always carefree, leaving all responsibilities in hands of ones parents. After we have completed our studies, we could settle down in life, get married. 25 years were minimally required in Grihastha ashram (family life) until our children grow up and settle. Once we are done away with basic family responsibilities, between 50 to 60 years of age we must enter Vanaprastha ashrama. Contemplation on God was the central point of Vanaprastha. One could do it while living in family but in yesteryears people went to jungles (forests) to pray to God.
After completing age 75, one must retire from family life forever. One must take sanyasa (renunciation) from day-to-day activities of family life. In present times one could practice sanyasa even while living in Grihastha ashram. I have done it all my life. Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa practiced it. Maharishi Ramana however went to Arunachala to contemplate on God. As the means, we could do accordingly! In the whole game of life we were all the time free to set our own goals, our own paths! God Almighty never interfered at any stage of life.
By: Vijay Kumar “Atma Jnani”… The Man who Realized God in 1993 – (Ref. 161022)
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