>[!abstract] >*Āśrama* refers to one of the four traditional stages of life in Hindu philosophy, outlining an ideal framework for personal and spiritual development. The stages are: **Brahmacharya** from birth to 25 (student life, dedicated to learning and discipline), **Gṛhastha** from 25 to 50 (householder life, focused on family, work, and social duty), **Vānaprastha** from 50 to 75 (retired or forest-dweller stage, gradually withdrawing from worldly concerns), and **Sannyāsa** from 75 onward (renunciate stage, devoted to spiritual liberation). The *āśrama* system integrates worldly and spiritual pursuits, guiding individuals toward *dharma* (duty) and ultimately *moksha* (liberation) through a balanced progression across life’s phases. >[!references] See also >- I coincidentally wrote a blog post on an adjacent concept, before becoming aware of the āśrama system: [[Wiedersehen and optionality in life]]. >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): [[Varnāśrama Dharma]] (the integrated system of social order) >- **West** (similar): [[Purusharthas]] (the four aims of life) >- **East** (different): — >- **South** (downstream): —