Ramanisblog

Tag: Varnasrama Dharma

  • Meaning Of Asrama Hinduism Four Stages of Life

    One goes through Life.

    IT is a dynamic process, where the environment changes, relationships are acquired, lost, brushed aside, wealth earned lost and retrieved.

    One is after something and after acquiring it he loses interest in it, be it things people or relationships.

    Man hopes, despairs and hopes.

    Values change, both individually and at the social level constantly.

    Though born alone and shall depart alone, one acquires Name, Fame and Relationships,

    Only to Go alone, finally.

    In the process, one changes and his position undergoes change.

    If one were to classify these changes broadly to accommadate people of all Races, Religions, Faiths, Economic and social status, one can suggest ways to realize the Reality or God.

    For realization is by the Individual and hence it depends on his Dispositions, Varna Character.

    Your disposition towards things change as your Station or position in your changes.

    No one remains the same from Birth to Death.

    IT is the Universal Law.

    Change.

    If you do not change, you perish.

    IT is Survival of the fittest and adaptation to circumstances and environment.

    As one’s attitude to things and people change with changing circumstances, one has to take into account this while suggesting means to realize Self, Really or God.

    Hinduism classifies Stages, Stations of one’s Life.

    Irrespective of one’s Race color, Religion, Economic Status, one has to go through the following stages.

    Brahmachari a, the Celibate State, Stage,

    Gruhastha, Married Stage,

    Vanaprastha, Retired Life and

    Sanyasa, The Stage of Renunciation.

    These are the four stages of Man.

    Each stage has its specialities.

    Accordingly each stage has been prescribed a method for Realization og Self, God.

    These stages are called Asrama.

    Asrama means a place one takes refuge in.

    IT also means Station.

    That is a status or stage in one’s Life.

    This is the meaning of the term Asrama used in Hindu texts, including the Vedas, Bhagavad Gita.

    This is the term used along with Varna as Varnasrama Dharma.

    While Varna addresses Dispositions of individuals in general, Asrama denotes the stage at which the individual finds himself in Life.

  • What Is Varna of Varnasrama in Hinduism, Explanation.

    The term Varna means Color in Sanskrit.

    The deeper meanings are Hues, Dispositions.

    Sanskrit is rich language with words meaning different concepts based on the subject that is dealt with and the context in which words are used.

    While discussing mundane subjects like Physics, Varna means Color and when dealing with aspects of color, it denotes Hues, refinement of colors.

    While dealing with philosophy, Varna means disposition.

    Human beings have various Feelings, emotions, drives and dispositions.

    Dispositions are those which impel one to Act or Feel.

    These Dispositions are both Genetic and Acquired.

    In the case of Acquired Disposition, it is called Vaasana , a general term meaning Olfactory Sensation.

    In this context, it denotes the acquired tendencies/dispositions which are the results of Actions performed by the Individual.

    In Hinduism both Free Will and Determinism are accepted.

    So these Dispositions make one act and feel

    Some actions are the result of Dispositions or Vasana, which are the outcome of actions performed in this birth and some due to actions performed in earlier births.

    This factor is called Varna.

    Human beings are impelled to Act.

    This action springs from Dispositions.

    Disposition is the tendency to lean towards something or some action.

    Some tend to act emotionally, some rationally.

    Some like certain things, are disposed to certain disciplines, be it Arts or Science.

    Some are kind, gentle.

    Some, aggressive, passionate and

    Some Docile.

    This forms the basis of Character, Disposition.

    These qualities are not present wholly present in one.

    One quality is dominant.

    In some The quality of being gentle is present predominantly and the other qualities remain dormant and present to a lesser extent.

    And this admixture of Qualities change during one’s lifetime and changes even from minute to minute.

    This change is due to factors like Food, the Environment and the social group in which one mo ves.

    I shall be writing on this in another article.

    These dispositions, called as Varna determine one’s natural tendencies.

    These form the basis for one’s Nature, Swabhava.

    These are the Three Gunas of individual.

    They are,

    Sattva

    Rajas and

    Tamas .

    Please read my articles on these for details.

    As these three gunas form the basis for human actions, the term Varna is used to denote Human Tendencies.

    As tendencies are the basis for actions, vocations, society was based on this principle of Varna.

    And this is the meaning of the term Varna used in Indian texts, including the Vedas and The Bhagavad Gita.

  • An Introduction To Samskaras,Hindu Rites

    An Introduction To Samskaras,Hindu Rites

    Anything which occurs in Nature needs to be processed to suit Human needs, be it Fruits, Vegetables,Pulses,Water and even the things which we use in our daily lives.

    Gold,Diamond and the like also need to be processed to before they are used.

    Similarly Human Birth also needs cleansing.

    A child is born out of the union of the parents and the child would definitely have their influences both biological and psychological.

    Apart from this, according to Indian Philosophy, every action begets equivalent and opposite reaction in the individual, be it an action performed at the mental,physical and even at the Speech level.

    All and any of these actions produce a set of  feelings, emotions and anxiety with them.

    The actions and the reactions in the mind,  all being forms of energy can not be destroyed  or denied.

    These stick to the individual as dust settles on things over a period of time.

    These determine one’s dispositions towards Life and direct one’s behavior while facing Life.

    These tendencies are given the name ‘Samskaras’

    These may be good or bad form an empirical point of view.

    To clean the individual the Rites are prescribed by the Sastras.

    These Rites, also called Samskaras, clean the individual.

    They help in reducing the impact pf the results of actions performed by one either in this birth or in earlier births., though the can not do away completely with the Results of Actions,Karmapala.

    Again these Samskaras prepared one in the path of Self Realisation by tuning up the mind.

    It may be noted that though the Samskaras prescribed seem to be highly individualistic and self-centred, as in Indian Philosophy, they also serve the Society.

    This will be evident if one were to know about the Samskaras.

    The word ‘Veda’ is from the root ‘Vid’, To Know.

    But whatever that is to be known can not be known by the senses alone.

    Some of them have be grasped intuitively.( These are called ‘A priori’ in Western Philosophy)

    The Vedas contain such knowledge and as such it is called The Sruti ‘heard'( means grasp)

    And as such it is also Eternal as Principles are Eternal as The Laws of Nature.

    The Great Seers wrote ‘Sutras’ or Aphorisms to explain the Vedas.

    These Sutras contain Samskaras.

    The Samskaras eliminate/ control the negative influences of the Mind and improve  upon certain tendencies of the Soul, which helps in the one path of Self Realisation.

    What are these Forty Samskaras?

    I am writing this blog with out taking a Philosophical Stand point as this would dilute the topic and may also confuse the Readers.

    Hence I request the learned to be patient while I explain things.

    The purpose of this blog is that it has to be understood by those who may not know The Vedas or Indian Philosophy.