Varna-system and Hinduism - as seen by missionaries
putran M
Namaskaram,
Varna dharma is an integral part of traditional Hinduism and advaita sampradaya. Therefore this remarkable article is relevant to us.
https://pragyata.com/christian-missionaries-on-caste/
It lets us see through the words of 19th and early 20th century missionaries how “caste” was “a singular insurmountable hurdle between the heathendom and its Christianisation.”
“Caste gives form and life and strength to the Hindu religion. Hinduism would soon be shivered to atoms if it were not for caste. This is Satan’s masterpiece.” - Rev. Myron Winslow
The kanchi paramacharya or mahaperiva also opined similarly of the varna dharma, albeit in a positive light:
“If some faiths in India itself and outside have declined and if our religion alone has survived for ten thousand years, does it not mean that it has something that is lacking in others? This something is the varna system. Our present-day reformers argue that the varna division is responsible for the disintegration of our society. The fact is it is precisely this division, varna dharma, that has sustained it and kept it intact. It follows that this dharma has features that are superior in character to concepts like equality, features that are vital to the very well-being of people. Our society is divided on the basis of it, but it must be noted that this division has helped our religion to preserve itself successfully against all onslaughts.” https://kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part3/chap2.htm
My thought/opinion:
I would say differently from Mr. Winslow, that Satan’s masterpiece is the abrahamic who has managed to get the Hindu to imitate him, to think of himself and his traditions like the abrahamic wanted him to think, and to actively destroy the foundations of what held him to his Dharma. “We’ve been played” is a feeling I got when reading the article. Unlike the Hindus described in the article however, today’s Hindus need hardly care when they throw their “caste” and custom to the dustbin - for both family and society look past such acts, condone or even approve them for it. Hindu parents plan ahead to minimize the ‘stigma’ of traditional svadharma in their toddler’s growth and existence, either because they themselves think it wrong or because they think it hinders blending and succeeding in the modern world.
The missionary’s objectives have largely become accomplished that we have turned into a tribe of trishankus, with our heads hanging upside down. Some in this state I am sure will become easy plucking for the missionary as he hoped for; but it is unclear what the long term trajectory for the Hindu civilization will be. Perhaps with greater knowledge and awareness, there will also be a shift back to traditional (orthodox) religion of which birth-based varna dharma is an integral part.
Hindus should read the article and introspect.
thollmelukaalkizhu
sunil bhattacharjya
कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणै: || 18:41||
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "advaitin" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to advaitin+u...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/advaitin/CAKqm3-pY-bKsd_UjraBhsBwRUU3tWWwcJx0S512NqAKNX1CMWA%40mail.gmail.com.
sunil bhattacharjya
Namaste sir.
Dear friends,
This is just to remind you that Lord Krishna had told about the Varna
system, most appropriately in the Bhagavad Gita, as follows:
ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप |
कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणै: || 18:41||
*BG 18.41*: The duties of the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and
Shudras—are according to their qualities (and has nothing to do with birth).
This interpretation is wrong. The caste has to do both with karma and janma. They aren't independently capable of deciding caste. This view is against the vedas, dharmashastras and shankaracharya.
> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/advaitin/CAKqm3-pY-bKsd_UjraBhsBwRUU3tWWwcJx0S512NqAKNX1CMWA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
> .
>
_______________________________________________
Archives: https://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
To unsubscribe or change your options:
https://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
For assistance, contact:
listm...@advaita-vedanta.org
sreenivasa murthy
putran M
Namaskaram,
Broadly speaking, a person is born with a certain composition of the three gunas (as determined by 'Nature'/bestowed by Ishvara in accordance with their karmas of previous births). The composition of the gunas locates the person’s varna and the class of duties (svadharma) that the person should fulfill - for one’s own welfare and the welfare of society.
A person’s guna-based varna is generally hidden from his knowledge. He is ignorant of the workings of his own mind and also impelled by the pressures and influences of environment, society, etc. What he thinks at age 20 as “my passion” or manifests as “my guna” could very well be a stark deviation from his svadharma and svabhava. This may be normal status-quo for non-Hindus as that is either their pre-condition or their svadharma has different focus in Ishvara's Order. For Hindus, the situation is different.
Orthodox Hinduism says the varna social-system in Hindu society - bestowed by Ishvara - has been sufficiently rigorously maintained and followed that one knows the person’s guna-varna and svadharma directly from the person’s birth-varna and the shastras. In fact, the birth-varna is a dependable indicator or mark (a pramana) of the person’s guna-varna for a Hindu whose ancestors have preserved the varna based lineage in his family.
Ishvara does not give a person such a birth by accident. It is both a privilege and a responsibility. Whether shudra or brahmana (by birth), this Hindu has a profound knowledge of the inner guna-structure of his body-mind and the type of work and service he must render in life. It is not his job to trial-and-error his guna-varna, wondering what kind of work or thinking makes him “happy” or defines his “nature”; rather knowing from his birth-varna what his inner guna-varna is, his job is to merge with the corresponding svabhava and do the allotted duties as shown by the shastras.
(Just stating the orthodox perspective as I understand.)
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/advaitin/CAP4HB9-f5w6ecN5S4d0nzy4%3DFgz%3D3-4HrqjPwqqmc72w5Rd5VQ%40mail.gmail.com.