[Advaita-l] Personal - Advaita and Caste System

[sriram nagaraj]

I am somewhat surprised that a discussion would be needed to defend the VarnAshrama Dharma -- in my mind, there is no need to defend something true, just as one need not labor for a proof that 1+1 = 2.
However, what is more surprising to me is the claim that somehow Advaita needs to reprimand Varna Dharma, as though it needs to be "fixed".

Let us get a few things straight -- irrespective of the Sampradaya (Dvaita, VishishtAdvaita, Advaita, ShivAdvaita...)  anyone who cares in calling oneself a Vaidika (Vedic follower) must agree to Pramana of Shruti and Smriti.

Now, let me give my views on some of the claims:

1) "I can understand dvaitins and the rest maintaining caste system - they believe in distinctions, not only between souls and God but also between the souls themselves. But advaita preaches a lofty ideal, namely oneness."

The oneness is a characteristic of all sentient conscious beings, true. However, this is from the standpoint of absolute reality. As long as one lives in a relative reality (Vyavaharika Satya), distinctions ARE a REALITY and one must give consideration to the differences in characteristics. For instance, from the standpoint of the atomic theory, all matter is composed of fundamental particles, so why then can we not consume food that is spoiled or stale, afterall it boils down to the same particles in those items as in fresh food. Whereas, a true Jnani does NOT make a distinction, and there umpteen stories of Jnanis (including our Adi Acharya) who have consumed inedible substance and stood unaffected. 

2) "How could such people preach the divisive (not to mention racist) caste system 
on the one hand and the noble idea of nondualism on the other? It is so 
contradictory and baffling"

Who said varnAshrama is divisive? Why then do top employers higher Stanford graduates as opposed to community college graduates. Is it not a racist/bigoted idea? If all are same, why does the janitor of a multinational company not receive the same wages as the CEO, this is varnAshrama in even the western world. This is due to the quality of mind and work performed, which is what varnAshrama Dharma says is genetic and hereditary. (I sincerely believe that one day, soon to come, modern science is going to say that intelligence, however one wishes to measure it, is something genetic). Let us not mince any words -- varNa is by birth (c.f. Manu Smriti -- during the NAmakarana ceremony, a Brahmin child is named Sharma, a Kshatriya child Varma, a Vaisya child Gupta and a Shudra child Dasa. If varna is not by birth, how then is it possible to do the nAmakarana as above?)

3) " At least to me, advaita and caste system are like light and night - 
they seem to have nothing in common."

Advaita talks of the substratum, varnAshrama Dharma is a prerequisite to experience Advaita.

4) "So it seems to me that the advaitins, from 
Sankara to Vivekananda to the latest guru, all had a good chance to reform Hindu 
society - and failed to do so."

There has never been a need to "reform" "Hindu (we should refrain from using this obnoxious term and call it Vaidika Matha)" society. If anything, what needs to go is the very thought that we (or atleast I) living in a fast-paced world, eating out, not performing all nithyakarmAnushtana, etc. etc. have the audacity to question the pure, subtle substratum of our hoary culture. I have nothing else to say but to read the golden words of Sri CHandrashekhara BhArati MahAswamigal, who uncompromisingly states the pitiable life that we have fallen into and how the non-observance of varNashrama is the major cause of this decrepit "modern" lifestyle. If we are truly interested in seeing for ourselves, we should strive hard to follow the Shruti and Smriti and if in theend, we are unsuccessful in reaching the goal, we have opportunity to complain, but not before laying the foundation viz. varnAshrama Dharma. 

And please refer to our Bhagavadpada with respect in any future posts, I dare not use his name alone.

Sriram Nagaraj

--- On Thu, 10/28/10, Satish Arigela <satisharigela at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Satish Arigela <satisharigela at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Personal - Advaita and Caste System
To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Date: Thursday, October 28, 2010, 10:15 AM

Caste system, and varNa system are good things. They are not divisive.

Why would an advaitin or anybody abolish something good.

What kind of a screwed up fool would want to abolish the caste system?

It is not uncommon to see most modern Indians still hang on to such ^%$^$#-up 
notions!



________________________________
From: Suresh <mayavaadi at yahoo.com>
To: advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
Sent: Wed, October 27, 2010 10:25:21 PM
Subject: [Advaita-l] Advaita and Caste System

Namaste,

I understand that caste system was an integral part of Indian society, but isn't 
it strange that advaitins did nothing to abolish it? I can understand dvaitins 
and the rest maintaining caste system - they believe in distinctions, not only 
between souls and God but also between the souls themselves. But advaita 
preaches a lofty ideal, namely oneness. 


How could such people preach the divisive (not to mention racist) caste system 
on the one hand and the noble idea of nondualism on the other? It is so 
contradictory and baffling.

I hope someone can shed some light on this. I also hope no one takes my post the 
wrong way. At least to me, advaita and caste system are like light and night - 
they seem to have nothing in common. So it seems to me that the advaitins, from 
Sankara to Vivekananda to the latest guru, all had a good chance to reform Hindu 
society - and failed to do so.

Suresh


_______________________________________________
Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita

To unsubscribe or change your options:
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l

For assistance, contact:
listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org



      
_______________________________________________
Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita

To unsubscribe or change your options:
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l

For assistance, contact:
listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org