Each stage has its own discipline geared to develop spiritual consciousness. In the first period the students lead a celibate life and keep themselves busy in learning and developing their moral character. This is a period of character building. A few well-qualified students may directly enter into the fourth stage.

In the second stage of family life more scope is available to develop our hidden potentialities. Marriage is regarded as a holy union which is very helpful to strengthen our character, broaden our vision, enrich our lives, and spiritualize our emotions. Manu, the Hindu law-giver, is of the opinion that family life is very important, as it gives support to the other three stages. For most people, married life is essential for the healthy growth of spiritual life by allowing scope for legitimate enjoyment and for fulfilling human aspirations in many ways. About the third stage Manu says:

"When the house-holder sees wrinkles (in his skin), greyness (in his hair), and the son of his son, let him retire to the forest (detached from family-life)." (Manu Smriti, VI.2.30 )

The whole life of each person should be a steady progression toward complete renunciation of egoistic life. This gradual withdrawal is recommended for healthy inner strength. Every sincere and earnest candidate for spiritual freedom will find vast scope in each stage for growing toward the goal. The entire life is nothing but a steady journey, with courage and fortitude, to reach illumination. This culmination comes only to a pure mind.

The monk who has willingly taken the vow of poverty and chastity is considered to be the ideal man. Women also are eligible for this vocation, and many women since the Vedic age attained greatness in this life. The life of absolute renunciation affords an opportunity to wage an undivided struggle to make oneself completely free from ignorance---the source of all misery. The ideal monk is a free soul having no human weakness. Centered securely in his real self, he looks upon everything as a manifestation of Divinity. He is concerned with the welfare and service of humanity. Through his perfected living, he leaves an impact on the collective mind. Divine conciousness transforms our secular activities into a spiritual offering and thereby demonstrates the beauty of spirit and its absolute supremacy. When the soul is released from bondage, communion with the divine within becomes an achieved certainty.

Referring to the unique wisdom of this Hindu planning of life, Paul Deussen wrote:

"The whole life should be passed in a series of gradually intensifying ascetic stages, through which a man, more and more purified from all earthly attachments, should become fitted for his 'home' (asram), as the other world is designated as early as Rig Veda. The entire history of mankind does not produce much that approaches in grandeur to this thought. " (Paul Deussen: The Philosophy of the Upanishads,New York: Dover Publications, 1966, p. 367)