Caste And India's Survival
Caste And India's Survival
Caste And India's Survival
By: Rasik Sanghvi, USA
During India's days of supreme strength, power and prosperity, the original and innovative, compassionate, deeply knowledgeable Hindus of all castes created a system whereby the people who chose to devout their time to the higher social, political, religious, educational and scientific collective solution of advancement of civilization could do so without worrying for mundane daily economic activities. Their economic requirements could be supplied and profession supported by the societies who were pursuing other professions. Thus was created the institution of Brahmanism and a caste ( not by birth but by Inclination). In natural corollary, the castes of warrior (Kshatriya), businessman (Vaishya) and service professional (Shudra) were created based on again profession one chose. There were healthy, sweeping and dynamic changing of roles among different professions producing the efficient professionals as per the theory of division of labor. As choosing the role of Brahmin caused dependence on others and moderate economic benefits, Brahmins were compensated by honor, respect and security in the forms of grants of lands, cash etc. by generous all caste Hindus. Until now the caste was not determined by the birth but by aptitude, inclination etc. This was the system of support and economic security for the normally uncompensated spiritual, intellectual and scientific pursuers created by all caste Hindus which gave us and the world the inventors of Zero, pie, geometry, surgery, mathematics, astronomy, theory of anekantvaad (i.e.origin of concept of religious equality and separation of church and state etc.) as well as educational scholarship, grants, subsidies etc. concepts of modern times. Then in enslavement dark period or even earlier when the Hindus became defensive the caste began to be static and based on birth freezing the roles and discouraging merit and inclination, which culminated in pampering some, dehumanizing some and neutralizing vast body of other main Hindus.
Solution of caste problem:
Here are serious thoughts of finding solution. In Gita and many other Indian scriptures and Hindu and Jain theory of Anekantvaad there is seed of absolute equality not even dreamed by Western System or so called socialists.
To make Hindus cohesive and effective and to make Hindus strong all Hindu organizations have to follow NDA and now Congress's policy of minimum common program strategy. The special interests objection should be preempted by factoring that possibility. While a long debate is held to abolish caste system altogether or disengage castes from birth, presently, under this program the temple administration and priesthood should be made very lucrative but the position should be available to Hindus of any caste and only to those Hindus on merit who understand the vision of strength through unity and absolute equality and pass such vigorous test in exams leading to Vedic Arya certification more valuable than engineering or medicine (to be established), practice and life. A Hindu of any caste (presently) who decides to pursue profession of knowledge in the area of any branch of researches, teaching, good of society in place of direct selfish material rewarding profession should be termed Arya Brahmin. A skinner of dead cow if he passes test and receives certification should be allowed to head the Hindu administration. A human Hindu life must be much sacred than any animal even sacred cow. There should be no room for inefficiency, special interest and corruption. These appointees should be called Arya Brahmins- only caste accepted and achieved by all Hindus on merit, must also be responsible to spend unparallel generous contribution of Hindus for clean, broad, spacious, beautiful, supportive, educative, social benefiting and where necessary consolidated temples and religious places of pilgrimage and other Hindu institutions with only minimum but sufficient and optimum administrative cost for efficiency.
Please remember original Brahmanism -an opportunity and concept of pursuing mental, scientific and higher sphere of thoughts without worrying for mundane daily necessities was actually a gift of all caste Hindu Aryas. Sri Krishna in Gita appreciated and approved this concept now followed by all progressive societies in the form of grants and scholarships offered to researchers, innovators, scientists, artists and even institutions pursuing higher mental thoughts for the larger good of society by governments, philanthropists, corporations etc. in the world which is the promotion of Brahmanism on merit. Only difference is colonized India was seduced in believing Brahmanism by birth at the cost and exclusion of all other Hindus. That way India was made weaker by 75% as the true Brahmins of Merit from all Arya Hindus stopped coming. Please remember that the greatest contributors like Krishna, Rama, Valmiki, Vedvyas, Bhisma, Mahavira, Buddha, Vivekananda, Subhash Chandra Bose, Vallabh Bhai Patel, Vishwanthan Anand etc. to the best original civilization were and are all Arya Brahmins on merit (not by birth) from all Arya Hindus. Because of weakness accrued from divisive colonialism the contribution from accidental artificial birth Brahmins and other accidental artificial birth castes were not up to their true potential. For cohesiveness and effectiveness of Hindus in this world, there should be no division of labor any more on birth basis.
When the threats were knocking on the door after the fall of Dahir in Sindh, the rest of then powerful India failed to grasp and take timely action against its ramification in India. When Afghans were being trained and manipulated in fight against USSR again India failed to understand its impact now clear in Jammu and Kashmir terrorism. If India fails to grasp danger of casteism and does not introduce in its Hindu society organization, reformation and position of great influence based on merit to and from all Hindus tested by Hindutva vision of unity and equality of all Hindus, India will commit, again, a fatal mistake.
(In Indian scriptures Arya is never meant race, let alone, anti semist skin head. Arya meaning derived from scriptures=Bold, courageous, innovative, free, just and Bhadra (good) of Indian origin Dharma and proud of it (or assimilated in Hindutva). Sri Krishna has said in Gita that coward and one shy of his own Dharma( Hinduism) is unarya.)
In Jain scripture (most probably Uttaryan) Sri Mahavir says of Brahmin:
"We consider Brahmin only those who sacrifice for and pursue profession for higher thoughts for the good of society and have belief in Dharmas (of India)".
The distinctiveness and meaning of Dharma in Indian spiritual system is that first of all there is no dogma in Indian Dharmas. Dharma means belief in higher consciousness beyond this life. That higher consciousness is not limited to one dogma or creed. Here Dharma differs with all other controlled religions. Incarnation or manifestation of higher consciousness happens according to readiness and depth of the society based on the acceptance of the unlimited (Omniscient, omnipresent, omni knowledge) stage of consciousness achievable by every soul. That is why Vedas and anekantvaad say there are different paths to reach God according to readiness of the individual. That is the secret of India's tolerance for different beliefs and lack of dogmatism and fundamentalism. As for Hindus there are enough freedom to choose one of the 33 thousand ways of reaching God in Indian Dharmas which controlled religionists can use, if their belief has reached that stage. Otherwise they are free to practice their own belief with full security and tolerance from Hindus in India. However, this tolerance is not the signal for chaos and self destruction. Actually this tolerance is to be practiced only by the strongest. This freedom of choosing own path depending on one's own progress and readiness is priceless gift to humanity. To awake and inspire India, the following title and nutshell concept contained there in should be made a battle cry for the Young Hindus and published and debated where ever possible.
I am a SHUDRA and proud of it...
My father may be Vaishya and mother Brahmin (or vice versa), but I am SHUDRA and proud of it. Four basic castes in India, originally and realistically, are based on profession (chosen path, Rigveda- father warrior son priest) and inclination (Svabhav, Bhagwat Gita).
1)Those who are inclined and have chosen to live by trust on Hindu society's generosity or generosity and love of family and/or donation to pursue spiritual path in higher consciousness or research in science are considered Brahmins (including house wives pursuing Hindu spiritual path supported by husband or family members and their love) .
2)Those who are ready to sacrifice limbs and life for the defense of dharma (duty as well as belief in higher consciousness) are Kshatriyas.
3)Those who are creating wealth in society by trade and industries, employing others, applied scientists and pro bono (non compensated) politicians are Vaishyas and
4)Those who are not yet ready to take risks in any of the above three ways of unsecured living and are offering their talents and services (including bureaucrats, salaried doctors, scientists (excluding grant sustained scientists), presidents, ministers, salaried teachers (except teachers living by private or institution irregular donations) CEOs, CFOs etc. are Shudras.
When Dronacharya lost patience in Hindu society's generosity and safety net for Brahmins by merit and offered his services to Bhisma, he had become Shudra (Mahabharat). Similarly Arjun was derided for becoming untimely Pundit in Gita. It was derogatory only because Dronacharya and Arjun (before Gita) were abandoning their Dharma(duty) because of emotion, and their chosen path against their Svabhav , at the last moment or at critical times. Renunciation of material paths by taking up any of the above three paths is considered desirable and more honorable in India only. In other countries materialistic path considered Shudra path may be desirable and more honorable. Meanwhile, apprentice in Shudra path is temporary and a great education for the enlightened proud Hindu students of life who are being readied individually for higher non materialistic life. For the good of society an efficient and transparent administration by honorable Shudras and wealth creation by Vaishyas are the greatest contribution for the society. Brahmins and Kshatriyas on merit are good for individual progress and larger good of society and defense. An individual should choose one's caste according to his inclination, interest in profession, his understanding of society's need and his readiness to take risks for his own individual progress as well as larger need of the society.
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