Trump shows the Āśrama (4 stages of Hindu life) doesn’t apply to him
As I reminisce on what I heard/saw in 2024 that challenged my worldview and belief system, there is one image that keeps popping up in my memory.
It’s the image of Donald Trump delivering his victory speech on November 5 night.
Trump gave his speech while surrounded by his extended family.
Trump is a father of 5 and grandfather of 10.
Trump is now 78 years old.
According to Hinduism, one’s life is divided in 4 successive stages, known as āśrama.
These 4 stages, and their associated age periods, are:
BRAHMACHARYA (student’s life): Birth — 25 years:
This stage focuses on education (learning) and includes the practice of celibacy.
GRIHASTHA (household life): 25 — 50 years:
This stage refers to the individual’s married life, with the duties of maintaining a household, raising a family, educating one’s children, and leading a family-centered and a dharmic social life.
The stage also represents one where the most intense physical, sexual, emotional, occupational, social and material attachments exist in a human being’s life.
VANAPRASHTA (retired life): 50–75 years:
This is a transition phase from a householder’s life to retirement stage, where a person hands over household responsibilities to the next generation, takes an advisory role, and gradually withdraws from the world.
SANNYASA (renounced life): 75+ years:
This stage is marked by renunciation of material desires and prejudices, represented by a state of disinterest and detachment from material life, generally without any meaningful property or home (ascetic), and focused on moksha, peace and simple spiritual life. (Source: Wikipedia)
Although he is 78, Trump doesn’t view himself as a Sannyasin, the elder who has renounced all material possession and family attachments. On the contrary, the nearly octogenarian Trump is ambitiously clinging to worldly possessions and glory.
By delivering his victory speech surrounded by his extended family, he is telling the world he is still in Grihastha stage: a householder eager to occupy the most prestigious house, the White House.
The iconoclastic Trump shows the “natural order” of āśrama doesn’t apply to him: he is above that !
Photo source: ANI News
Graphic of āśrama: https://www.hindufaqs.com/4-stages-life-hinduism/ .
