An ashram
Etymology
The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< PIE *
ḱremh2, śramaṇa) with the prefix 'towards.'
An ashram is a place where one strives towards a goal in a disciplined manner. Such a goal could be
ascetic,
spirituality,
yogic or any other.
Overview
An ashram would traditionally, but not necessarily in contemporary times, be located far from human habitation, in
or
mountain, amidst refreshing natural surroundings conducive to spiritual instruction and
meditation. The residents of an ashram regularly performed spiritual and physical exercises, such as the various forms of
yoga. Other sacrifices and penances, such as
, were also performed.
Many ashrams also served as
, residential schools for children under the guru-shishya tradition.
Sometimes, the goal of a pilgrimage to the ashram was not tranquility, but instruction in some art, especially warfare. In the Ramayana, the princes of ancient Ayodhya, Rama, and Lakshmana, go to Vishvamitra's ashram to protect his yajnas from being defiled by emissary-demons of Ravana. After they prove their mettle, the princes receive martial instruction from the sage, especially in the use of divine weapons. In the Mahabharata, Krishna, in his youth, goes to the ashram of Sandipani to gain knowledge of both intellectual and spiritual matters.
Schools in Maharashtra
, especially in the tribal areas of
Maharashtra and elsewhere in
India, are called
ashram shala or ashram schools. One such school is the Lok Biradari Prakalp Ashram Shala.
In the West
A number of ashrams have been established outside India. Typically, these ashrams are connected to Indian lineages,
focus on imparting
Yoga-related teachings, often in
Yoga tourism, and are headed by spiritual teachers (Indians or Western).
==Gallery==
,
Rishikesh, the headquarters of Divine Life Society, founded by Sivananda Saraswati in 1936]]
See also
External links
