Ashrams develop self-realization, spiritual culture and self-completion in the Hindu religion. In ancient Hinduism, human life is divided into four stages; the Brahmacarya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa. Each stage is known as ashrama and is part of the Ashram system. Ashram, meaning "place of spiritual refuge",# can be seen as a religious journey that every Hindu must go through to gain spirituality. Typically, it was males who passed through the four stages of the ashram. To fully experience an ashram phase, it is necessary to achieve self-realization. “The individual must undergo severe training and discipline to develop a spirit of self-detachment in the four phases of life or the four Ashramas. # The Ashram system was instilled in the Vedic society to guide man's life towards attaining fulfillment. It was the Dharma, or right duty, to achieve this fulfillment in life. Hindus follow many sacred texts of literature, one of which is the Vedas, originating from ancient India and known as the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. The Vedas were followed during the Vedic era of Hinduism, centered on the Indian subcontinent. In the Vedas, the average lifespan of an individual is estimated to be around one hundred years. The ashram system divides these hundred years into four phases, each of which consists of twenty-five years. The four phases focus on celibacy, family life, forestation and renunciation. # The system focused on showing man the “paths of ethics, self-control, intelligence, pragmatism, love, compassion and discipline” and keeping him away from “greed, cruelty, sloth and pride". #The first stage, known as Brahmacharya, is the... center of the card... Ashram of Vedic life, Hinduism." Free encyclopedia and web portal on Indian culture and lifestyle. Accessed December 2, 2011 . http://www.indianetzone.com/6/ashramas_or_stages_life.htm."Hinduism (religion) :: Ashramas: the four stages of life - Online Encyclopedia Britannica - Online Encyclopedia Britannica accessed 2 December 2011. http /www.britannica .com/EBchecked/topic/266312/Hinduism/261618/Ashramas-the-four-stages-of-life?anchor=ref50472.Maitra, Harendranath Hinduism: the World-ideal Gardners Books, 2007 .Nayar, Ranvir. "February 2004." Indian Forum Archives. Accessed 2 December 2011. http://indiaforumarchives.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_archive.html.Sabha, Arya Pratinidhi Sabha 1999. Accessed 5 December 2011. http://www.aryasamaj.org.fj/Publications/ashram_system.htm..