Question about Hindu society

[quadmod]

Hello,

I am writing in an effort to receive answers to a few questions I have concerning Hinduism. I am looking for input as a basis for further research that will look at how society (specifically inequality in society) is viewed by members of the Hindu faith. If you would take the time to answer these questions and email your response directly to me that would be a great help in understanding the Hindu view of these issues.

 

What, if anything, does your religion teach about social inequalities?

 

How did they originate?

 

How or why are they perpetuated?

 

Are they considered to be good or bad?

 

Or is your religion indifferent to them?

 

Does your religion believe that social inequalities serve a useful purpose in society?

 

Does your religion teach that its members have any personal obligation to reduce or eliminate social inequalities?

 

If so, what is the nature &/or form of this obligation?

 

Thank You,

Benjamin Fichialos

 

 

[animesh]

It is possible that you will get some answers through email. But please read this thread from time to time, because many on the forum would like to post their replies here itself. That serves a good purpose in the sense that one member may get a chance to 'improve' upon the answer posted by another.

[Maitreya]

I hope that our resident scholars here will not neglect to answer Benjamin's thoughtful questions.

 

I also hope Benjamin comes back as he didn't leave an e-mail address.

 

Hare Krishna

[quadmod]

Yes I am keeping an eye on the responses to the board as well.

And my email is quadmod@hotmail.com

If you would like to respond here on the board that would be fine as well.

Thank you again,

Benjamin Fichialos

[animesh]

Benjamin ji,

Just one clarification. What kind of social inequalities does the question refer to? The inequalities based on gender or ethnicity or money or ...? Or, all of these?

This is a very interesting question. Can scholars on this forum provide verses from Hindu scriptures that deal with these questions? I will check Gita and SB.

[quadmod]

Any inequality, could be gender, money, ethnicity or anything that is perceived as an unequal division between one group and another.

 

Thanks,

Benjamin

Originally posted by animesh:

Benjamin ji,

Just one clarification. What kind of social inequalities does the question refer to? The inequalities based on gender or ethnicity or money or ...? Or, all of these?

This is a very interesting question. Can scholars on this forum provide verses from Hindu scriptures that deal with these questions? I will check Gita and SB.

 

[animesh]

Let me start.

Very often non-Hindus say that casteism is deep-rooted in Hindusim because Hindu scriptures talk of Braahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra. Also there is mention of pariah (so called outcastes). But this division is entirely different from what we mean by casteism at present. In olden days, the division was based on profession. All those whose profession was to impart knowledge, do yajnas were known as Braahmanas. Those whose job was to fight in order to protect their land were known as Kshatriyas. Those whose profession was doing business were known as Vaishyas. Those who earned theire livelihood by serving others were known as Shudras. Pariahs were the people who used to keep fighting with others on petty matter.

As an analogy, if in a family one person is a system analyst and another is a chartered accountant, then calling the first as system analyst and the second as chartered accountant is definitely not the same as talking of casteism, because these are professions.

I know this is not the answer to the question asked. But I thought of starting by tackling the statements which are often made by people of other beliefs regarding social inequalities in Hinduism.

[Gauracandra]

What, if anything, does your religion teach about social inequalities?

 

How did they originate?

This is pretty broad. In general people speak of the caste system when referring to Indian inequality. Indian society ideally is to be broken down by relious experts, military/administrators, business men, and laborers. This system has deteriorated to the extent that it now creates abuse.

 

How or why are they perpetuated?

The Why is the easy part. As with every culture it will be based on money, status, social positioning etc.... The how is a bit trickier. But when everyone has their place in society, it makes it very difficult to move out of that place. So once you are part of the outcastes, others won't let you into their group and so you more or less take whats given to you.

 

Are they considered to be good or bad?

Depends on who you speak with. I consider them bad. Others will say its the person's karma. This wouldn't necessarily be a statement that its good or bad, simply that its how it is.

 

 

Or is your religion indifferent to them?

Depends on who you speak with and what religion we are referring to. Check the thread called "Who is a Hindu?" to see what I mean.

 

Does your religion believe that social inequalities serve a useful purpose in society?

There will always be inequality in society. Some will be smarter, stronger, more risk-taking etc... I think in general it is seen as the way things are, neither good nor bad.

 

Does your religion teach that its members have any personal obligation to reduce or eliminate social inequalities?

Again, depending on your religion, perhaps or perhaps not. I would think in general it is just seen as the way things are. I know I haven't answered your questions satisfactorily, but hopefully others will chime in.

 

Gauracandra

 

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by Gauracandra (edited 05-16-2001).]

[Guest guest]

>> I am looking for input as a basis for further research that will look at how society (specifically inequality in society) is viewed by members of the Hindu faith.

 

Your questions are welcomed and we will try to answer them according our modesty capacity. To have a little insight on Hindu society one should at first have a notion of what is Hindu faith. So, one may argue;

 

What do Hindus as a community believe in regard to creed?

 

The word "Hindu" does not exist in Sanksrit, the ancient language that most of Vedic lore is compiled. There is a river called Shindu, now Indu, and the inhabitants of the Eastern side of that river were called Hindus by the Farsis, (Persians) whose pronunciation of S was like H.

 

Actually the proper name for Hindus is Aryans, or those who follows a progressive path, and their religion is called sanatana-dharma. (sanatana = eternal, dharma = religion). This is the path instructed by Vedas, the lore followed by Aryans. As Vedas are so big and complex, the essence of Vedas may be found in Bhagavad-gita, that is the most popular scripture followed by most of Hindus.

 

In this sanatana-dharma, yoga or spiritual discipline to link one with the Absolute Truth (Supreme) is considered as a progressive path, and it should take several lifetimes to be fulfilled. Therefore the people who are following this progressive path of yoga are called Aryans.

 

The link with the Supreme is the final goal. But there are countless stages and gradations of faith, understanding and realizations, therefore, in that system of gradual evolution one may be placed as a worshiper of ghosts and spirits, or as a worshiper of demigods (devas), or as a worshiper of the Supreme in His multiple aspects.

 

While following this path one is bounded by his karma (activities made with selfish desires that creates one's destiny) and guna (modes of material nature, namely tamas, rajas and sattva). As this path is gradual and very slow in terms of material time, a living entity (jiva) will take countless lifetimes to fulfil it, in several kinds of bodies in lower, medium and upper species of life in this universe and in many others, including some human lives.

 

In the sanatana-dharma, a human body is not considered as the top of an evolutionary chain, but it is consider as a very good vehicle to surpass the cycle of countless births and deaths.

And as inequality in society are essentially linked with moral codes, one should ask;

 

What type of moral path or code do Hindus work to follow?

 

As there are so many stages in this sanatana-dharma, one should consider that there are different levels of moral, ethics and social rules. In a general manner one may consider that Manu-smrti is main code to give instructions on this subject matter. Manu-smrti is considered by Western scholars as the oldest disciplinary code of the humankind. (Manu is the generator or patriarch of the humankind, and even in English and other Indo-European languages the word 'human' means literally 'descendent of Manu')

 

In this code there are the basis of human behavior in any society, the pious and sinful activities, their prize and punishment here and hereafter, description of the suffer in hell and the enjoyment in heavenly planets, rules for transmigration of the soul, and so on.

 

In a general manner there is no difference in its teachings than the teachings of other scriptures such as Bible, Koran, etc. All these scriptures prescribe that one should be pious and should avoid sin.

As we already had mentioned, the sanatana-dharma scriptures are the Vedas and its corollaries, that are so vast and complex, therefore a kind of aggregating scripture is necessary, and Bhagavad-gita is considered by most of the Hindu beliefs as the scripture that harmonize and conciliate all aspects of sanatana-dharma, and it is largely followed by all Hindus.

 

Bhagavad-gita states that the system of 4 castes and 4 social orders are created by God, to facilitate the advancement of human beings in sanatana-dharma. Bhagavad-gita also gives instructions on how to give charity, on how to have a proper moral conduct in this regard, and so many other aspects concerning social behavior.

 

To summarize, we may state that the Hindu scriptures establish that inequality in society should be solved by the proper understanding of one's own self and his relationship whit the whole. Only materialist efforts such as schools, hospitals, asylums and so on, indeed are not the final solution for this problem.

 

Hope we could help you a little in this complex subject matter. And sorry about my poor and lame English, as that is not my maternal language.

 

dasa dasanudasa

Satyaraja dasa

 

 

[Maitreya]

I just wanted to bring this up again.

 

Benjamin are you still with us?Maybe interact a little on the responses you have thus far received.

 

Maitreya