Caste An European Phenomenon

[ravinder]

^ fellow member you seem to be upset about the perceived badmouthing by some people and hitting out at those who seek to sow discord. It could be there fate to remain uneducated, howsoever literate they may have become.





Kindly read the following, and let go of the feeling of anger:



[Link : gita-society.com/section1/1_gita700verses.htm (all quotations are from this site except the quote from Sir Edwin Arnold.]



“But those who are deluded by the illusive power (Maya) of Nature become attached to the works done by the forces of Nature. The wise should not disturb the mind of the ignorant whose knowledge is imperfect. (See also 3.26) (3.29)"





It is true that caste-ism has been a bane for our society. But Caste has had as much to do with caste-ism as family has to do with women’s exploitation, or as democracy has to do with vote-bank politics or as Business has to do with unjust profiteering. Just the way it is rather stupid to hit out at the former in the above examples, it is rather stupid to bad mouth caste for the ills of caste-ism. Please note the deliberate hyphenation. All these isms, as of date are a strictly western phenomenon (my way or no way kind of thought process). And in this respect, west starts from the western borders of India. Our ancient sages had been quite categorical about caste. Caste is meant to be a division of labour wherein both nature and nurture are important in deciding what is the best way to align with the destiny that god has ordained for all of us.



What is required is to counter those who misuse the caste system in effect to create a class system or an apartheid social structure. Such people are entirely capable of twisting not just the caste system but I am sure much much more. And your getting angry is just as ill advised as that of the westerners who criticize without bothering to understand anything.





Just be still and don’t allow yourself to get angered by intentional provocations and concentrate on the job that you have choosen to do / assigned to you by god. As Sir Edwin Arnold so beautifully expressed in The Song Celestial:

“Thou sayst, perplexed, It hath been asked before

By singers and by sages, "What is act,

And what inaction? "I will teach thee this,

And, knowing, thou shalt learn which work doth save

Needs must one rightly meditate those three--

Doing,--not doing,--and undoing. Here

Thorny and dark the path is! He who sees

How action may be rest, rest action”.





As a crash course follows is what any one can find in Gitopnishad regarding caste=division of labour.

“I created the four divisions of human society based on aptitude and vocation. Though I am the author of this system of the division of labor, one should know that I do nothing directly and I am eternal. (See also 18.41) (4.13)

Works do not bind Me, because I have no desire for the fruits of work. The one who fully understands and practices this truth is also not bound by Karma. (4.14)

The ancient seekers of salvation also performed their duties with this understanding. Therefore, you should do your duty as the ancients did. (4.15)”





And the following is applicable to all, irrespective of ones caste. This is how every caste is supposed to work:

“One who does all work as an offering to God — abandoning selfish attachment to results — remains untouched by Karmic reaction or sin as a lotus leaf never gets wet by water. (5.10)

The Karma-yogis perform action without selfish attachment with their body, mind, intellect, and senses only for the purification of their mind and intellect. (5.11)

A Karma-yogi attains Supreme Bliss by abandoning attachment to the fruits of work; while others, who are attached to the fruits of work, become bound by selfish work. (5.12)”





About the desirability of division of labour we had been told the following:

“One attains perfection by worshipping the Supreme Being from whom all beings originate, and by whom all this universe is pervaded through performance of one’s natural duty for Him. (See also 9.27, 12.10) (18.46)

One’s inferior natural work is better than superior unnatural work even though well performed. One who does the work ordained by one’s inherent nature, without any selfish motive, incurs no sin (or Karmic reaction). (See also 3.35) (18.47)

One’s natural work, even though defective, should not be abandoned; because all undertakings are enveloped by defects as fire is covered by smoke, O Arjuna. (18.48)”





Discrimination on account of caste is not practiced under our Fifth Veda “The Constitution of India”. Casteism as matter of social practice is already on decline in the urban areas. With the gradual improvement in economy will come increasing urbanization and the much deserved death of Casteism. Caste on the other hand is as inevitable as life itself. Love it, hate it or ignore it, Division of labour based on Nature+Nurture has survived eons and will survive eons more.