[Assam] caste system

[Chan Mahanta]

>The other option is to gloss over and plainly deny the existence of 
>all these >aspects (as many on this net do) and then to march 
>forward with a very >selective view of Hinduism that is in 
>consonance with modern society and >liberal values. The trouble with 
>this approach is that in all honesty, you >cannot be very sure of 
>what it is you are clutching on to & therefore, in the >long run, 
>are bound to run into certain contradictions - perhaps as 
>your >children question you....


*** Well said Santanu. But I am not sure the inquisitive children are 
enough  of a deterrence to that attempt at living in a make-believe 
world. I have seen 'children' of those who would choose to live in a 
delusion, raised, indoctrinated and molded in the image of their 
parents :-), who grow up perfectly willing  to perpetuate the myths 
and the delusions.









At 9:57 PM -0600 3/26/06, Roy, Santanu wrote:
>Saurav,
>
>Thanks for your knowledgeable note.
>
>Two observations:
>
>1. There are probably quite a few historical instances where castes 
>have been fostered within a non-Aryan jati or community that has 
>come into contact with mainstream Hinduism at a late stage. Indeed, 
>the process by which an outside jati enters into mainstream Hindu 
>society must logically consist of at least two social processes. 
>First, the way the existing mainstream society - the upper castes - 
>in particular, view the community in question - an exogenous aspect. 
>Second, the way the jati views itself and reshapes & redefines its 
>own social stratification using the adopted language and mirrors of 
>mainstream Hindu society -an endogenous aspect. Indeed, these two 
>processes need not be congruent. The relics of these processes are 
>found in several low caste untouchable communities that have their 
>own "Brahmins". To the mainstream outsider, they are all 
>untouchable, but to the insider there is a caste system within - a 
>microcosm of the society that lies above them. A similar stru!
>  cture is also observed with respect to many tribes prior to the 
>importing of Brahmins from mainstream society.
>
>2. The varna system, like many other aspects of Hindu society, is in 
>fundamental contradiction with modern society. The question in my 
>mind is not whether Hinduism can be reformed. The real question is 
>how will Hindus resolve these contradictions between what they ought 
>to hold sacred and the needs of actual material life in today's 
>society.
>
>One option is to stand by the varna system and all other traditional 
>mores, to oppose liberal western values and in effect, do a 
>fundamentalist jig.
>
>The other option is to gloss over and plainly deny the existence of 
>all these aspects (as many on this net do) and then to march forward 
>with a very selective view of Hinduism that is in consonance with 
>modern society and liberal values. The trouble with this approach is 
>that in all honesty, you cannot be very sure of what it is you are 
>clutching on to & therefore, in the long run, are bound to run into 
>certain contradictions - perhaps as your children question you.... 
>
>A third option would be to abandon the grand tradition altogether 
>and, in effect, convert to religious orders that have their own 
>philosphical systems that, even though historically rooted in the 
>grand narrative, actually offer a distinct axiomatic system 
>(Buddhism and Jainism were among the many such early orders, as were 
>some of the Vaishnava orders). The third option is essentially 
>fractious and inimical to the cause of a grand Hindu identity. But 
>it may well be the most honest and logical way out for those who 
>seek a religion.
>
>Santanu-da.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: assam-bounces at assamnet.org on behalf of xourov pathok
>Sent: Mon 3/27/2006 4:37 AM
>To: assam at assamnet.org
>Subject: [Assam] caste system
>
>a short note on the caste system:
>
>the varna system, which found its first mention in the
>rig veda itself, has been the only unbroken tradition
>of hinduism.  gods have come and gone (from indra to
>rudra to krishna), forms of worship has changed (from
>yajnas to puja) but the varna system has persisted.
>there is an oft repeated dictum, that hinduism did not
>have a name for itself earlier.  this is not true.
>the name of the religion was varnashram dharma.  the
>varna system is the most defining aspect of hinduism.
>
>another dictum is that it divides.  this also is
>untrue.  in fact the varna system makes it possible
>for a jati to place itself in a readymade order.  this
>is important because there is no personal conversion
>system in hinduism.  instead entire jatis are
>converted (by placing them in the varna system), like
>the scythians and the koches were made hindus by
>placing them in the kshatriya varna.  this is
>important.  because it lets, say, a sarma or a barua
>from assam relate in a some meaningful way with a
>aiyar or an iyengar from tamil nadu.
>
>since the varna system is the most defining aspect of
>hinduism, how can you remove or reform it out of the religion?
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
>http://mail.yahoo.com
>
>_______________________________________________
>assam mailing list
>assam at assamnet.org
>http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>assam mailing list
>assam at assamnet.org
>http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org