Caste

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Dear list

 

What we saw in the earlier postings is:- 'Caste' as a method of classifying people with different abilities and understanding the need of offering different prescription to different people taking into

account their differing aptitudes and spiritual growth. Who would refute this? The problem comes when Caste is decided by Hereditary.

 

I have been involved in running battle with the educational bodies in the UK to remove 'Hereditary Caste system' as a central tenet of Hinduism.

 

Note the use of the term 'Hereditary'. Let me just share a small portion of my contention on this issue. I have rattled the system enough to bring about the necessary changes. The reason for me attacking this topic in the syllabus was that all youngsters Hindu as well Non-Hindus studying Hinduism in the UK came to the conclusion that "Hereditary Caste was the foremost concept of Hinduism. This obscured and undermined the 'Key' Hindu teachings about 'divinity of man' and 'pluralism'.

 

Hereditary Caste

 

It is technically inaccurate to teach Hereditary Caste as Hinduism. Hereditary caste system has never been sanctioned in any scripture of authority of Hinduism. Purush Sukta RVX.90 suggests that people with different aptitudes in society put their special aptitudes to work for the benefit of society; just like different limbs in a body work together for the good of the body. This is not a sanction for Hereditary Caste system.

 

 

 

The term 'Varnashram Dharma' denotes the unique feature of Hinduism that recognises the necessary contextual manner in which religion has to be translated into practise. This is not a sanction for Hereditary Caste system.

Hindu codes of conduct evolve continually. The earlier codes have to give way to more recent teachings from contemporary figureheads like Vivekananda.