One of the most important aspects of personal development are Samskaras (Sacraments). Samskaras are ceremonies that delineate the major events in a person's life. The literal meaning of the word is to perfect, purify and sanctify. For some reason, people are step-by-step dropping all these traditions. This is a huge mistake. Human beings need direction and structure and will get it by one means or another. If you do not have a rite of passage to adulthood, people will develop their own rites. That rite may be dressing a certain way, doing something only adults can do (such as drinking, driving, or sexual intercourse), doing something daring to show your bravery or many other things. The point is that people need definition in their lives and will invent it if no other guidance is offered to them.

Instead of fumbling around for traditions or creating totally new traditions that may be too rooted in our day and age, it would be better to look at the existing Samskaras of Sanatana Dharma, that of other religions, take the best of them all and improve upon that still further. Based on that, we can follow a trimmed down version of the existing 16 Dharmic Samskaras:

Here are 8 Samskaras for the newly reformed Dharma:

1) Birth Ceremony (Age 0)

2) Naming Ceremony (Age 0)

3) Solid Food Ceremony (Age .5)

4) Education Ceremony (Age 5)

5) Adulthood (Sacred Necklace) Ceremony (Age 12 & 21)

6) Marriage Ceremony (Age 20-30)

7) Graduation Ceremony (Age 48)

8) Death Ceremony (n/a)

Additional information about Dharmic Samskaras:

http://www.indiancultureonline.com/Mystica/html/sanskaras.htm

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Thank you!

- The New Dharma Team