> The original caste system had these four divisions. The divisions were all based on the ability of the individual to manage his body, his mind and his emotions properly. If he stopped fulfilling the dharma of his caste, society would recognize that he had moved from one caste and was now in another. The original caste system was based on self-discipline through education and through personal sadhana. The original caste system was based on the unfoldment of the consciousness within each individual through the fourteen chakras.
> People everywhere naturally divide themselves up into castes. We have the workers. You go to work, you work under somebody else--that happens all over the world--that's the shudra caste. We have the merchants, who are self-motivated. That's the vaishya caste. We have the politicians and the lawmakers and the law-enforcement people. That's the kshatriya caste. And then you have the priests, the ministers, the missionaries. That's the brahmin caste. Every society has these four castes working within it in one way or another. In today's world, if one is not fulfilling the dharma of his born caste, then he changes castes. For instance, if a brahmin husband and wife are working eight to fifteen hours a day in a hospital under others, they are no longer of the brahmin caste, because they are not performing the duties of the dharma of that caste. They are workers, in the shudra caste.
You're also missing my point - of course people have abused the Varna system, but that's not how it has been described that it should be so.
Call it out for what it is, even if it was in the Vedas, literature or God said it personally. We should change our beliefs as we mature, take what's right or question what's not.
It was never about a person's role, it was a tool of oppression by a group that wanted to rule over others, where each sub-group did this to groups below them and so on. People who had the same color, kept other people of same color below them, because they were from a lower caste. This is worse than racism.
If it wasn't that worse, then the constitution of India wouldn't have articles prohibiting caste based discrimination or declaring untouchability illegal.
Even if the caste system that is today was from the British or Mughals, people did follow it for centuries under their rule. Why didn't they follow their dharma and treate those from other caste with dignity? It doesn't make sense. In reality, British and the Mughals used the existing system for their own advantage, to divide and rule.
Even if we have laws to prevent caste discrimination, unless it goes out the window socially, we would regress back to the dark ages.
From "Living with Siva"
> The original caste system had these four divisions. The divisions were all based on the ability of the individual to manage his body, his mind and his emotions properly. If he stopped fulfilling the dharma of his caste, society would recognize that he had moved from one caste and was now in another. The original caste system was based on self-discipline through education and through personal sadhana. The original caste system was based on the unfoldment of the consciousness within each individual through the fourteen chakras.
> People everywhere naturally divide themselves up into castes. We have the workers. You go to work, you work under somebody else--that happens all over the world--that's the shudra caste. We have the merchants, who are self-motivated. That's the vaishya caste. We have the politicians and the lawmakers and the law-enforcement people. That's the kshatriya caste. And then you have the priests, the ministers, the missionaries. That's the brahmin caste. Every society has these four castes working within it in one way or another. In today's world, if one is not fulfilling the dharma of his born caste, then he changes castes. For instance, if a brahmin husband and wife are working eight to fifteen hours a day in a hospital under others, they are no longer of the brahmin caste, because they are not performing the duties of the dharma of that caste. They are workers, in the shudra caste.
From "Living with Siva"
Caste system is modern day slavery or worse, and unless you're Indian (and especially unless you're from a caste lower down the hierarchy) it's difficult to comprehend. It's woven into the social fabric - even people's names carry their caste so it's often possible to discriminate or favor immediately on introduction. People usually do not marry castes lower in the hierarchy, so this is perpetuated over generations. It's changing, but not fast enough.
For those who are unfamiliar:
- Untouchability still exists in a big way in India. Even today, many Brahmins don't touch (or share meals, space etc) with Shudras. Yeah, not kidding.
- Caste based discrimination at the work place is rampant. Which is a big reason why there are fewer lower castes in the org hierarchy.
- Violence against lower castes happen every day.
- The situation continues to be so bad that there exist elaborate laws to make sure you don't get insulted or harmed over caste. [2]
- Caste is (nearly always) assigned at birth.
Finally, I don't wanna get into Godwin's law territory. But Indians should refrain from arguing about the merits of the caste system, in the same way nobody ever says "but Nazism isn't all bad."
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shambuka
[2]: https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/globalcaste/caste0801-03.ht...
Except one thing isn't like another. If you think otherwise, I'd appreciate examples.
> caste system would have no problems. Caste discrimination is the problem.
That's like saying, apartheid isn't the problem, the ensuing discrimination is?