What is ashrama and how does it relate to us?

[Guest guest]

"The system of four orders of life and four castes in terms of quality and

work, known as varnasrama-dharma, is the beginning of real human life, and

Maharaja Yudhisthira, as the protector of this system of human

activities,..." SB. 1.15.39

 

1. What is ashrama?

Ashrama is a combination of the two genders (male and female). There are 4

ashramas. Brahmacari, grihastha, vanaprastha and sannyas.

 

a) Brahmacari ashrama is a state of life before the two genders combine.

State of life in which one practice celibacy. Those who are wearing suffron,

but are not able to practice celibacy are not brahmacaries.

 

b) Ghrihastha ashrama is a state of life when the two genders combine. One

is allowed to have sex life for the purpose of procreation.

 

c) Vanaprastha ashrama is a state of life when the two genders live

together but are not anymore indulging in sex life. They performe service

together.

 

d) Sannyas ashrama is a state of life meant only for the one's in the

male material bodies, having a male gender and acting in a mode of goodness

(brahmana varna). Mixing with the oposite gender is completely forbiden.

 

So, those one's (in the male material bodies, who have the male gender and

wear sannyasi dress) who are associating with women on the level of

devotional service are actually vanaprasthas.

 

2. What are the species?

 

Species are categories of material bodies. There are 8 400 000 species of

life and 400 000 of them are humans. All the species are different

combinations of the modes of material nature. Within each species there are

the two genders (male and female).

 

3. What is a man, what is a woman?

 

a) Man is a kind of human species, male category of material body, having

the male gender.

 

b) Woman is a kind of human species, female category of material body,

having the female gender.

 

4. What is a gender?

 

Gender is a combination of female and male energy. When the male energy

predominates it is called male gender. When the female energy predominates

it is called female gender. But there are many different combinations

inbetween.

 

The real men is a kind of male material body that has a soul within, human

species, where the male energy predominates.

 

The real woman is a kind of female material body that has a soul within,

human species, where the female energy predominates.

 

There are many different variations inbitween. There are male material

bodies that have a soul within, human species, but have predominating female

energy. There are female material bodies that have a soul within, human

species, with predominating male energy.

 

I hope this helps little bit to clarify the matter.

Ys. Sraddha dd