Hindu Life cycle Experience and Way of Life

Leela claims motherhood in Hinduism is a rather scripturally-approved and religiously-performed woman's role. The results of an ethnographic study of women sadhus by Denapoli are consistent with the above assertion. Women sadhus' brave interruption into a largely male-dominated ascetic realm shatters a tradition, possibly creating room for gendered spaces, religious rituals and counter-narratives within the sphere of spiritual leadership and renunciation. But the perpetuation of specific motherhood, child-raising, domesticity, and femininity idioms simply upturn religious institutions of ascetism, instead of actively challenging or destabilizing ideas of females' place.

Parenthood in Hinduism entails ensuring physically and mentally healthy and sturdy, obedient, and spiritual children. This requires equal sacrifice on both parents' part. Diet, lifestyle and sex restraint for the child's benefit continues to be adopted by a number of contemporary Hindus including Leela's family. Parenthood, to Leela, entails leading through example. She believes it is her obligation, as a parent, to ensure her daughters are aware of the profound spiritual potential within all, of the duties required of all human beings, of values which have to be inculcated, and of the necessity of giving back to both the community and to the universe. Such Dharmic parenting is accompanied by considerable satisfaction and pleasure, moving beyond the materialistic world's momentary pleasures. Both parents must be supportive of one another in the child-raising activity, despite personal differences, and must allow kids to question, amass facts, uncover their internal tendencies and abilities, and accordingly select their life path.

Leela and her husband, like other followers of Hinduism, are extremely possessive when it comes to their kids, and devote considerable energy and time to raising them. Owing to their conservative views and morals, they remain ever-concerned with regard to their children's rearing and wellbeing. The girls are strictly expected not to taint their name or that of their family through any personal behavior. In contrast to other Western families, Leela's daughters are more emotionally close to their parents and experience much affection and care on their parents' part. Further, the parent-child bond continues to be strong even into adulthood and is expected to remain so in later life. This is the 'householder' phase of life where, after life's greatest sacred ritual, vivaha (marriage), Leela has gone from student to householder. Wealth or artha is her goal here, as her duty is chiefly raising the family. This constitutes her highest dharma.

Like all pious Hindus, Leela's family practices non-violent in all aspects of life, including food (vegetarianism). In the end, their goal after the numerous lives they lead is to achieve release from the circle of rebirths (i.e., achievement of moksha). According to them, moksha may only be attained after learning particular life lessons. Completing individual karmic situations resolves specific karmic issues, which implies a specific lesson is learned. She believes death denotes fulfilment of one life and an opportunity to enjoy a better rebirth, a chance at learning fresh karmic lessons, and subsequently progressing in their goal to attain moksha. This is the renouncing phase, where true devotees transform into wandering ascetics, giving up the world. Their end goal is moksha, attained through possessing nothing and desiring nothing. Rarely does anyone achieve moksha. The last step for the Hindu is shraddha (the rite of death), where the dead get transformed into a venerated ancestor, taking their rightful place within a good hereafter. This post-stage readies people for further rebirth till they attain moksha.