Life’s Journey Explained: The 4 Stages of Life in Hinduism

Continued from Part II: Preparing The Mind For Meditation

Find it HERE.

The Way Of Life Vs. The Goal Of Life

Attaining liberation is the goal of a Sanatani. Here’s how you get there.

Way of Life:

• Dharma: Refers to duty, righteousness, and moral principles. It encompasses one’s responsibilities and ethical conduct.
• Artha: Relates to material well-being, wealth, and prosperity. It involves pursuing economic goals and financial stability.
• Kama: Represents desire, pleasure, and enjoyment. It encompasses emotional and sensual fulfillment.

Goal of Life:

• Moksha: The ultimate goal, often associated with spiritual liberation or enlightenment. It transcends the cycle of birth and rebirth, leading to freedom from suffering.

Spirituality In Action

On our path, this is how we live our life starting from childhood to old age. How does the above path like in action?

The Art Of Detachment

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Why Detach? 

We strive all our lives to build a perfect life around our position and power in the society, so why should we renunciate everything?

Let’s observe how a tamarind lives its life. When it’s not ripe, its green in color and sour to taste. Its fused with the seed during this state. Once it ripens, it becomes brown in color and sweet to taste. The symbolism is that attachment to the pit makes it sour, and detachment makes it ripen and sweeten.

There’s a beautiful Tamil shloka that describes this well. So the question of why should one detach?? So that we’re able to attach to our higher goals, we must detach from the lower goals.

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How Can One Detach? 

In Kapila Gita, there’s a shloka that explains it. How must the mind be withdrawn??

bhukta-bhogā parityaktā
dṛṣṭa-doṣā ca nityaśaḥ
neśvarasyāśubhaṁ dhatte
sve mahimni sthitasya ca

If you recognize the downside of desiring material pleasures, our mind starts to withdraw from them naturally. And when we subsequently give up that desire, we can become independent and stand in our own glory. This independence is achieved through devotional service, where one transcends material enjoyment and engages in loving service to the God. The ultimate independent being is a devotee who attains true independence by serving the God.

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Even the Gita has this shloka that helps us understand that concept.

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ESSAY SOURCE: This essay has been adapted from the teachings of Swami Aparajitananda in a spiritual discourse workshop in Atlanta in Nov, 2023.

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