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My astrologer friend(AF) sent me a message after reading my last post.

AF: I always thought Maslow was a bit factory type thought and universally it doesn't stand up for nought in real life.

Me: His other work is nice. He seems like a nice guy.

AF: He conveniently assumes that the lower cadre won't aspire for qualitative aspects. And that upper cadre are like sarva guna sampanna (endowed with all wonderful characteristics) because they have achieved things. I have a fundamental problem with western theories and philosophy- their sample population is niche. Most trace back to just Europe and habitable areas of Europe then...you can't color all world views with that lens.

Me: I like a lot of western thinkers. In nutrition I find their studies far advanced. (I had just been reading about nutrition when he messaged).

AF: Absolutely. Philosophy is where it starts to differ.

Me: Maslow's pyramid is same as our caste system no?

AF: Not really

Me: Yeah, the Caste System is worse. There is no escape.

And Then It All Fell Apart

He said I have no knowledge. Caste system is an anglicized version of Varna. Varna is thematic. The system has been manipulated over generations to sustain and favor those in certain strata.But we cannot blame systems for being bad when the users are bound to eventually abuse it. Nothing can work in its true sense when human greed takes over it.

The origin of this system is the Rig Veda. One of the oldest suktas that explain social construct and roles different people have to play to make it work. It is defining what ingredients you need to be a successful society. You need someone who fights and protects, someone who trades and brings supplies, someone who maintains the places and someone who focuses on scientific research and inquisition.

It wasn't a divide. It was a description.

And it was carried over by the succeeding generations. You have it everywhere in the world. What do you think the name 'Washington' means?

Heated Reactions

I had very strong reactions to his arguments. I say only a person who considers themselves upper caste can think that it is a good idea.

Because for me it is a sick system. And I was reacting emotionally and maybe with an expletive or two. He was, to his credit, more calm and rational in his approach. But we didn't go any further in this discussion because he thought that my reactions were too strong.

That's a pity. I am a great advocate for uncomfortable discussions. We need to find a way to drill through the discomfort. Ideas are powerful. And conversations are crucial in forming, shaping and sculpting our ideas. And I am working hard towards being a better communicator. I would like to take the conversation forward....

Firstly

I started to read the Mahabharata and I did not expect to see what I saw. I've read around 600 pages of the around 6000 page epic, and most of it, so far, has been off putting. The upper caste propaganda is far too obvious and blatant. The Mahabharata is nonetheless something well worth reading even if it is just for a study of NLP. Neuro Linguistic Programming, on how to use language to make an idea stick.

Nevertheless, it is easier for me to write publicly about why Caste as an idea stinks than to advocate for it.

This is because I am standing on the shoulders of giants. People have repeatedly spoken against this system and its ills. For a long time. A really long time. Since Buddha, 6th Century B.C. Or perhaps even before.

Secondly

Is it true that the system on its own is a good idea, and the only reason it has failed is because of people's greed?

Let's look at another idea. Democracy. Democracy was born in India. The very same idea that was born here, is now struggling because of people's greed and lust for power.

No system is fool proof. There have always been people who manipulated the system to their advantage.

And today it is done in such a shamelessly obvious way. Rubbed in your face, that your vote counts for nothing. Accountability is dead.

But still, Democracy is an idea worth fighting for. Because its premise is right. And it has seen more success than any other system be it monarchy, dictatorship or military rule. Because the idea sees the inherent equality in people regardless of their backgrounds.

The Caste/Varna system sees people as divided. That is the basis of the idea- Division. And that leads to a lopsided power struggle.

One group gets access to knowledge, gets to do interesting things with their lives. Gets access to rich and wealthy populations, on an equal or higher footing. Can improve its status by gaining more knowledge.

The other group has to contend by repeating the same tasks. There is no way of improving its status, because how much can you innovate menial labor? How suffocating for this class at the bottom of the pyramid.

Thirdly

Caste has another name in India. Jaati. Connected with your birth. You are born into the jaati of your parents. There is no escape.

By the second generation itself, the advantage certain varnas had over the other would have been obvious.

And then the propaganda must have begun. Using all the tools in the box including black magic threats, white magic displays, all the talk of spirits, the wrath of the gods....everything to create fear. And keep the boundaries in place.

And then even just a couple of generations later, people were left far behind....the access to resources became an ocean hard to cross.

To have had it repeated generation over generation, has led to a cruel, heartless, inhumane way of seeing people.

Fourthly

Every society may resonate with similar set ups. People who have access to power and knowledge are the cream, while the cleaners and workers are looked down upon.

But here in the Varna system there is an inherently wrong way that we look. Along with the hierarchy, there is an idea of purity and impurity. What are the roots of that? Which 'holy' book gave that idea, that is woven so deeply into the caste system. Taken root inside the minds of people....a disease....

I've seen this idea only in India. We have even made people untouchable.

Fifthly

The Caste system disgusts a lot of people. Most likely your parents, like mine, gave up their caste names when they entered the workforce.

My astrologer friend himself doesn't carry a caste name. And I hope he can see the freedom in that. Because I thank my parents for giving me that freedom.

Sixthly

It has been repeated by several experts in economics, that the caste system has led to a great failure in the progress of our country. For instance South East Asian countries that are not bogged down by ideas of the caste system and its allied ways of thinking, fare much better in getting the job done. Because there is strength is unity. Division amongst people leads to benefits only for the ruling class.

Seventhly

The system leads to incestuous thinking. You are only engaging with people who are like you. Beyond a level, knowledge sourced from a cohesive group can't be increased in true value. One can only recycle it. And then the games are only of gatekeeping and reinforcing power.

J C Bose, a polymath, who has made significant contributions in the fields of radio science, biology and science fiction, and has inspired so many others by his personality, talks of a very interesting idea.

Bose's father sent Bose to a Bengali-language school for his early education, as it was important to him that his son should study in his native language and culture before studying in English. Speaking at the Bikrampur Conference in 1915, Bose described the effect this early education had on him:

"At that time, sending children to English schools was an aristocratic status symbol. In the vernacular school, to which I was sent, the son of the Muslim attendant of my father sat on my right side, and the son of a fisherman sat on my left. They were my playmates. I listened spellbound to their stories of birds, animals, and aquatic creatures. Perhaps these stories created in my mind a keen interest in investigating the workings of Nature. When I returned home from school accompanied by my school fellows, my mother welcomed and fed all of us without discrimination. Although she was an orthodox old-fashioned lady, she never considered herself guilty of impiety by treating these 'untouchables' as her own children. It was because of my childhood friendship with them that I could never feel that there were 'creatures' who might be labeled 'low-caste', I never realized that there existed a 'problem' common to the two communities, Hindus and Muslims."

Eighthly

The caste system has led to a disrespect of labor. Societies that organically made divisions of labor, such as several Western countries, see a high level of Dignity of Labor.

Ninthly

There is only a single mention of Varna in the entire Rig Veda. And it is in the 10th Mandala. You should know that the 1st and 10th Mandala were additions made to the Rig Veda at a much later stage.

And the name Washington comes from :

"The name "Washington" originates from an Old English place name in northeast England, likely meaning "settlement of the family of Hwæsa". The name breaks down into three parts: "Hwæsa" (a likely Saxon chieftain's name), "-ing-" (meaning "family of" or "belonging to"), and "-tūn" (meaning "homestead" or "settlement"). "

And So On...

If you are reading this, I can assume, to a great level of accuracy, that you have not been subjected to caste oppression. There are millions of people suffering. For thousands of years. They have been denied access to things that we clearly enjoy.

Who knows probably AI can help us correct this. White collar management people are no longer required. We need the cleaners, plumbers and the laborers instead...

And then again ....if you are sitting in an office, doing the tasks asked of you, by an administrator, and you are doing this day after day....where do you fit in.....?

Winds Of Change

The Jaati system talks of four varnas coming from the cosmic being Purusha. His mouth, his arms, his thighs and his legs...each form a specific varna.

It is time to change. It is time to teach ourselves and our kids to be the entire Purusha. And not just a single part.

We need to ask questions, question assumptions, do what it takes ....so that we learn about the world we live in.

We need to stand up for ourselves, hold unpopular opinions and take the reins of our life in our hands.

We need to learn to sell. To create things that people want. To learn the knowledge of trade.

We need to learn to do our menial tasks. Germany has a great idea. Kehrwoche. The name literally means "sweep week" and refers to a rotating schedule between tenants and neighbors. Where each person takes turns of cleaning and maintenance duties like mopping floors, raking leaves, or shoveling snow to keep the building or street tidy and share the workload fairly.

People are made of snot and shit. We are the dirt that we are so repulsed by. You may hide it beneath soap and perfume, or hide the people who take care of it.....truth is you are just another human.

And the Prime Minister's shit stinks.