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ashram |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.03 sec. |
ashramor ashramaIn Hinduism, any of the four stages of life through which a “twice-born” (see upanayana) Hindu ideally will pass. These stages are: the student, who is devoted and obedient to his teacher; the householder, who supports his family and the priests and fulfills duties to the gods and ancestors; the hermit, who withdraws from society to pursue ascetic and yogic practices; and the homeless mendicant, who renounces all possessions and wanders from place to place begging for food. In English the word has come to mean a place for the pursuit of spiritual or religious disciplines, often under a guru. ashram a religious retreat or community where a Hindu holy man lives How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Unless maybe you count an obscure scriptural dictum that widows, if not remarried to one of their brothers-in-law, should live cloistered in ashrams, impoverished and without love until their own deaths. That's why political leaders show their respects to certain creeds and faiths by showing up at churches, synagogues, mosques, ashrams, AIDS clinics, NASCAR races, bratwurst eating contests and the like. We met Muslims and Hindus trapped in the cycle of communal violence, visited organic and self-sufficient ashrams, and met people who are working to empower rural communities through water-harvesting and skills sharing. |
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