[Advaita-l] Advaita and Caste System

[Suresh]

Namaste,

Thanks for your responses.

There seems to be some kind of confusion, so let me clear this up. Asking why caste system is evil is like asking why racism is evil! It is so evident that it doesn't merit an explanation. It is dehumanizing when society gets to determine an individual's place based upon his birth to certain parents- which caste system does. It is similar to how white people used to determine what Blacks should and shouldn't do as if the latter were incapable of making their own decision.

Anyway, my point is that not one advaitin acharya or scholar has even attempted to speak out against caste. At the most, they say the usual platitudes that all people are equal and so on, but they continue to maintain the system that puts certain people at the top (based upon birth, not even other factors) and the rest at the bottom. That's quite hypocritical, isn't it?

That's why I am surprised because I could understand dualists doing this. But advaitins not believing in equality is similar to a humanist not believing in equality and social justice. It is so contradictory.

Again, I apologize if this offends people but I do not know how else I can put it. Caste system is racism and no amount of denial or rationalization is going to change that. The question is: what are we advaitins going to do about it?

Regards,
Suresh