Guest guest Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 Nisargadatta , " skywhilds " <skywords wrote: > > I don't know if India has lived under > > " master-slave mentality " for millennia. > > > > I don't know if other 'ancient'*** cultures > > hasn't lived under " master-slave mentality " > > for millennia. > > > > * > > I think that master-slave mentality is universal. All I mean is that in India, the system has remained culturally continuous in a rather more obvious way than, say in US. I think USA has higher percentage of abandoning elder, older and 'non earning' members of family than India and many onther countries. I think what you are referring to 'master slave mentality' is simply some 'obedience' and 'respect for those before and above us' that Indian culture generally encourages. In India it is believed that this 'obedience' gives more cohesive and longer lasting families. Further, it has been only 60 years since India gained Independence. > > > > > > As far as I have read > > the Highest Caste Brahmins were asked to adhere > > to 'stavic' vegetarian diets and lowest caste > > of shudras were given permission to eat 'hot' and > > 'high energy producing' meat. > > > > Is your information different? > > > > * > > Well, I guess I'm thinking of the Highest > Caste Brahmin as more middle > class or priestly class. And I'm thinking of > the warrior and aristocratic class as the highest. > In addition to being 'priestly' and 'scholar' class; Brahmins were also aristocratic class! And, contrary to popular beliefs kings in India often came from castes other Kshatriya [the warrior caste]! One of the most prominent and one of the longest dynsaty called " Maurya " in fact came from Shudra caste! And, another very prominent and one of the longest dynsaty called " Gupta " came from Vashya [merchant, trader] caste! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauryan_Empire http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gupta .... The origin of the name Gupta dates back to 2000 BCE. Though the name Gupta is usually associated with traders and merchants, two of India's greatest empires, the Maurya Empire and the Gupta Empire, were both founded by persons named Chandragupta. The Maurya Empire, which was founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 321 BC, is regarded as the most powerful and largest empire in ancient India. The reign of the vaisya Gupta dynasty, which lasted from 250 to 550 CE, is known as the " Golden Age of India " because of the large achievements Indians made under the leadership of the Guptas. .... [...] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 No need to defend anything. I don't see any culture as either good or bad, whether elders are respected or not. All we're talking about is impressions, anyway. In the only way that really matters, we are all the same. Thus, nonduality. (I don't even believe in countries. The global economy is now so interdependent that the nationstate is financially obsolete, as far as I'm concerned.) Nisargadatta , " adithya_comming " <adithya_comming wrote: > > Nisargadatta , " skywhilds " <skywords@> wrote: > > > > I don't know if India has lived under > > > " master-slave mentality " for millennia. > > > > > > I don't know if other 'ancient'*** cultures > > > hasn't lived under " master-slave mentality " > > > for millennia. > > > > > > > > * > > > > I think that master-slave mentality is universal. > All I mean is that in India, the system has remained > culturally continuous in a rather > more obvious way than, say in US. > > > I think USA has higher percentage of abandoning > elder, older and 'non earning' members of > family than India and many onther countries. > I think what you are referring to 'master slave > mentality' is simply some 'obedience' and 'respect > for those before and above us' that Indian culture > generally encourages. In India it is believed > that this 'obedience' gives more cohesive and > longer lasting families. > > Further, it has been only 60 years since India > gained Independence. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As far as I have read > > > the Highest Caste Brahmins were asked to adhere > > > to 'stavic' vegetarian diets and lowest caste > > > of shudras were given permission to eat 'hot' and > > > 'high energy producing' meat. > > > > > > Is your information different? > > > > > > > > * > > > > Well, I guess I'm thinking of the Highest > > Caste Brahmin as more middle > > class or priestly class. And I'm thinking of > > the warrior and aristocratic class as the highest. > > > > In addition to being 'priestly' and 'scholar' > class; Brahmins were also aristocratic class! > > And, contrary to popular beliefs kings in India > often came from castes other Kshatriya [the warrior > caste]! One of the most prominent and one of the > longest dynsaty called " Maurya " in fact came from > Shudra caste! And, another very prominent and one of the > longest dynsaty called " Gupta " came from Vashya [merchant, > trader] caste! > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauryan_Empire > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gupta > > ... > > The origin of the name Gupta dates back to 2000 BCE. Though the name > Gupta is usually associated with traders and merchants, two of India's > greatest empires, the Maurya Empire and the Gupta Empire, were both > founded by persons named Chandragupta. > > The Maurya Empire, which was founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 321 BC, > is regarded as the most powerful and largest empire in ancient India. > The reign of the vaisya Gupta dynasty, which lasted from 250 to 550 > CE, is known as the " Golden Age of India " because of the large > achievements Indians made under the leadership of the Guptas. > > ... > > > [...] > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 >>No need to defend anything. I am not trying but I am simply trying to " educate " myself. I don't consider myself a scholar on either India, USA or Gandhi. As I read and discuss; I learn more! >>I don't see any culture as either good or bad, whether elders are respected or not. All we're talking about is impressions, anyway. In the only way that really matters, we are all the same. >>Thus, nonduality. >>(I don't even believe in countries. The global economy is now so interdependent that the nationstate is financially obsolete, as far as I'm concerned.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 Nisargadatta , " adithya_comming " <adithya_comming wrote: > > Nisargadatta , " skywhilds " <skywords@> wrote: >> > Further, it has been only 60 years since India > gained Independence. Namaste, Independence has nothing to do with it. Some of the people in the rural areas wouldn'nt know whether they were independent or not. Even large swathes of the country were self governing states under the British. I don't think the British culture penetrated that much at all at the basic level............Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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