Asrama dharma
Asrama dharma says there are four Asramas in human life. These four Asramas are defined based on how human brain development and environmental changes. If one understands these four Asramas and lives accordingly, the person will be happy all through life.
The four Asramas are Brahmacharya, Grhasta, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa.
Brahmacharya – Brain development and Learning
Brahma is the expanded spacetime. It is on this expanded spacetime that force-fields manifest and produce particles with energy and mass. It is also used to indicate that ‘state’ of being in a ‘clean slate’ on which creation happens.
Brahmacarya indicates this state of being a ‘clean slate’ in which lot of new learnings and ideas happens as the force-fields, particles and the universe happened on that expanded spacetime.
According to scientific studies[SUP]1[/SUP], brain growth in humans from conception to adulthood mimic the human brain evolution of millions of years. In particular, detailed studies show that the human brain regions that expand the most during infancy (after birth) and childhood are the same parts that expanded the most during evolution as humans diverged from other primates.
From birth to teenage years, there is a fourfold increase in the volume of the human brain. During this period, there are also marked improvements in motor, cognitive and perceptual abilities. It is well known that an infant’s interaction with its environment helps to sculpt inter- and intraregional connections within the cortex, eventually resulting in the highly specialized adult brain.
The relatively delayed rate of development of the human brain[SUP]2[/SUP], compared with that of other mammals makes it more susceptible to the influence of postnatal experiences, teaching and instruction.
According to scientists, extra-large helpings of social and cultural knowledge from Gurus/teachers customize the infant brain, making both babies and the species (as a whole) more adaptable and allowing for complex social institutions to develop[SUP]1[/SUP].
According to research, pure cognitive development (e.g., the ability to abstract) is established by mid-adolescence. This is the period of intense and formal learning for a person as the abstraction abilities get developed.
Hence the early stage of life till adulthood is defined as the Brahmacharya stage of life, which is the ‘clean slate’.
It is mandated that a person has to spend time in formal learning through different Gurus during this stage of life, so that the human brain which is susceptible to learning and adaptation is given an appropriate amount of knowledge.
Grhastasrama – Stable House (profession and family)
Grha-stha means a stable house. It could mean a stable way of living in terms of a family or house.
From the late teens to twenty’s, a wave of overproduction of gray matter happens in the brain, following which a process called ‘pruning’ occurs, where connections among neurons in the brain that are not used wither away, while those that are used stay (use it or lose it)[SUP]3[/SUP].
Thus late teenagers and adults can “exercise” their brains and hard-wire it for sports or playing music or mathematics or science or arts and enter a ‘stable’ professional period of life.
Also the development of the emotional component of cognition and behavior lasts well into adulthood which is associated with a marked decrease in anxiety, affective intensity, and sociability during the midlife period.
This is Grhastha asrama.
Vanaprastha – Entering a new domain of life
After sometime, our life become routine and mundane to us. In mid-life period, Our mind gets rested for most part and rusted.
We are in real risk of losing our abilities. How do we retain them till our death..?
According to science, the human brain is able to continually adapt and rewire itself. Even in old age, it can grow new neurons. Though severe mental decline is caused by disease, most age-related losses in memory or motor skills simply result from inactivity and a lack of mental exercise and stimulation. In other words, again, use it or lose it.
So as our kids grow up and move out of their Brahmachaya, we need to enter into a new Vana (domain of life). That’s the way to re-invigorate our mind and keeping it working all the time. This ensures that our mental abilities are very well maintained from mid-life period to very old age. This is the concept of Vanaprastha.
Rishis of the yore entered forest along with their spouse and experienced this new domain. They concentrated much more on the vedic rituals and practices apart from research. This helped them live long with full mental capabilities.
In modern context, the new domain could be a passion, social service, politics, entrepreneurship or a job in which we are passionate. It could be anything including trying out innovative ideas for society or more spiritual work that helps the society at large.
Sanyasa - Stress free old age
Sanyasa is the stage of life from old-age to death. Sanyasa means ‘giving up’ or ‘abandoning’. Giving up or abandoning something specific is equivalent to owning up everything.
Stress induced brain shrinkage in old age
According to science from the age of 60, human brains start shrinking[SUP]4[/SUP]. At the same time brain shrinkage in itself does not immediately cause impairment in cognitive functions and memory.
Research has shown that high levels of stress hormones when combined with shrinkage of brain results in impairment of memory and diseases like alzheimers[SUP]5[/SUP].
In other words stress at old age is a definite recipe for cognitive problems and diseases like alzheimers.
How can we beat stress at old age..?
Our dharma says ‘giving up’ or ‘abandoning’ is a way of removing stress from old age. Sankara says one should live as ‘Jeevan Maatrartha Ceshta’ (live just retaining life) in the sanyasa asrama.
Such people who have given up on wealth, relationships and consider the whole world as theirs do not suffer from any memory ailments or diseases, as they feel no stress at all. They are not stressed up any loss as loss at one point is gain at another point.
Thus Asrama Dharma is tuned to human brain development.
Sutras on Asrama Dharma
Manu prescribes people moving gradually from one Asrama to another Asrama. Some of the sutras like Vasishta dharma sutra, Gautama dharma sutra, say a Brahmachrin can move into Vanaprastha skipping the Grhastha. It is like youth dedicating their life to social service like Shankara, Abdul Kalam or Vajpayee. But this is not recommended by Manu.
Grhastha (adulthood) is the stage until which development of emotional component of cognition and behavior happens. This is well suited for a family life. Since ultimate unit of society are families, it is important for people in Vanaprastha (social service) to have experienced this Grhastha stage. That experience would help them to contribute better to a society.
Next: Sciences in Sanatana dharma
References
1. https://www.wired.com/2010/07/brain-evolution/
2. http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v2/n7/full/nrn0701_475a.html
3. http://www.actforyouth.net/resources/rf/rf_brain_0502.cfm
4. http://www.livestrong.com/article/161959-what-are-the-causes-of-brain-atrophy/
5. https://www.anxiety.org/stress-memory-loss-aging
6. https://now.uiowa.edu/2014/06/stress-hormone-linked-short-term-memory-loss-we-age
7. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...re-itll-affect-short-term-memory-old-age.html
-TBT
Asrama dharma says there are four Asramas in human life. These four Asramas are defined based on how human brain development and environmental changes. If one understands these four Asramas and lives accordingly, the person will be happy all through life.
The four Asramas are Brahmacharya, Grhasta, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa.
Brahmacharya – Brain development and Learning
Brahma is the expanded spacetime. It is on this expanded spacetime that force-fields manifest and produce particles with energy and mass. It is also used to indicate that ‘state’ of being in a ‘clean slate’ on which creation happens.
Brahmacarya indicates this state of being a ‘clean slate’ in which lot of new learnings and ideas happens as the force-fields, particles and the universe happened on that expanded spacetime.
According to scientific studies[SUP]1[/SUP], brain growth in humans from conception to adulthood mimic the human brain evolution of millions of years. In particular, detailed studies show that the human brain regions that expand the most during infancy (after birth) and childhood are the same parts that expanded the most during evolution as humans diverged from other primates.
From birth to teenage years, there is a fourfold increase in the volume of the human brain. During this period, there are also marked improvements in motor, cognitive and perceptual abilities. It is well known that an infant’s interaction with its environment helps to sculpt inter- and intraregional connections within the cortex, eventually resulting in the highly specialized adult brain.
The relatively delayed rate of development of the human brain[SUP]2[/SUP], compared with that of other mammals makes it more susceptible to the influence of postnatal experiences, teaching and instruction.
According to scientists, extra-large helpings of social and cultural knowledge from Gurus/teachers customize the infant brain, making both babies and the species (as a whole) more adaptable and allowing for complex social institutions to develop[SUP]1[/SUP].
According to research, pure cognitive development (e.g., the ability to abstract) is established by mid-adolescence. This is the period of intense and formal learning for a person as the abstraction abilities get developed.
Hence the early stage of life till adulthood is defined as the Brahmacharya stage of life, which is the ‘clean slate’.
It is mandated that a person has to spend time in formal learning through different Gurus during this stage of life, so that the human brain which is susceptible to learning and adaptation is given an appropriate amount of knowledge.
Grhastasrama – Stable House (profession and family)
Grha-stha means a stable house. It could mean a stable way of living in terms of a family or house.
From the late teens to twenty’s, a wave of overproduction of gray matter happens in the brain, following which a process called ‘pruning’ occurs, where connections among neurons in the brain that are not used wither away, while those that are used stay (use it or lose it)[SUP]3[/SUP].
Thus late teenagers and adults can “exercise” their brains and hard-wire it for sports or playing music or mathematics or science or arts and enter a ‘stable’ professional period of life.
Also the development of the emotional component of cognition and behavior lasts well into adulthood which is associated with a marked decrease in anxiety, affective intensity, and sociability during the midlife period.
This is Grhastha asrama.
Vanaprastha – Entering a new domain of life
After sometime, our life become routine and mundane to us. In mid-life period, Our mind gets rested for most part and rusted.
We are in real risk of losing our abilities. How do we retain them till our death..?
According to science, the human brain is able to continually adapt and rewire itself. Even in old age, it can grow new neurons. Though severe mental decline is caused by disease, most age-related losses in memory or motor skills simply result from inactivity and a lack of mental exercise and stimulation. In other words, again, use it or lose it.
So as our kids grow up and move out of their Brahmachaya, we need to enter into a new Vana (domain of life). That’s the way to re-invigorate our mind and keeping it working all the time. This ensures that our mental abilities are very well maintained from mid-life period to very old age. This is the concept of Vanaprastha.
Rishis of the yore entered forest along with their spouse and experienced this new domain. They concentrated much more on the vedic rituals and practices apart from research. This helped them live long with full mental capabilities.
In modern context, the new domain could be a passion, social service, politics, entrepreneurship or a job in which we are passionate. It could be anything including trying out innovative ideas for society or more spiritual work that helps the society at large.
Sanyasa - Stress free old age
Sanyasa is the stage of life from old-age to death. Sanyasa means ‘giving up’ or ‘abandoning’. Giving up or abandoning something specific is equivalent to owning up everything.
Stress induced brain shrinkage in old age
According to science from the age of 60, human brains start shrinking[SUP]4[/SUP]. At the same time brain shrinkage in itself does not immediately cause impairment in cognitive functions and memory.
Research has shown that high levels of stress hormones when combined with shrinkage of brain results in impairment of memory and diseases like alzheimers[SUP]5[/SUP].
In other words stress at old age is a definite recipe for cognitive problems and diseases like alzheimers.
How can we beat stress at old age..?
Our dharma says ‘giving up’ or ‘abandoning’ is a way of removing stress from old age. Sankara says one should live as ‘Jeevan Maatrartha Ceshta’ (live just retaining life) in the sanyasa asrama.
Such people who have given up on wealth, relationships and consider the whole world as theirs do not suffer from any memory ailments or diseases, as they feel no stress at all. They are not stressed up any loss as loss at one point is gain at another point.
Thus Asrama Dharma is tuned to human brain development.
Sutras on Asrama Dharma
Manu prescribes people moving gradually from one Asrama to another Asrama. Some of the sutras like Vasishta dharma sutra, Gautama dharma sutra, say a Brahmachrin can move into Vanaprastha skipping the Grhastha. It is like youth dedicating their life to social service like Shankara, Abdul Kalam or Vajpayee. But this is not recommended by Manu.
Grhastha (adulthood) is the stage until which development of emotional component of cognition and behavior happens. This is well suited for a family life. Since ultimate unit of society are families, it is important for people in Vanaprastha (social service) to have experienced this Grhastha stage. That experience would help them to contribute better to a society.
Next: Sciences in Sanatana dharma
References
1. https://www.wired.com/2010/07/brain-evolution/
2. http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v2/n7/full/nrn0701_475a.html
3. http://www.actforyouth.net/resources/rf/rf_brain_0502.cfm
4. http://www.livestrong.com/article/161959-what-are-the-causes-of-brain-atrophy/
5. https://www.anxiety.org/stress-memory-loss-aging
6. https://now.uiowa.edu/2014/06/stress-hormone-linked-short-term-memory-loss-we-age
7. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...re-itll-affect-short-term-memory-old-age.html
-TBT