SUPPORT OF BABA FOR THE CAST SYSTEM
Date: 08-08-02
Document date: 08-07-02
From: Jose Santiago
Email: lowprofile789@hotmail.com
This article is an explanative addition to 'Letter from Jose Santiago'.
Sathya Sai Baba said: "There's one cast, the cast of humanity".
However, there is a great contradiction on this, as many other subjects he says.
In the book Geetha Vahini, Sathya Sai Baba praises and support the cast system, also known as Varna in the Sanskrit language. This system is noted for being obsolete, unfair, racist and makes strong divisions between the different classes of society.Here's an example of his support:
"The system of Varnas is ordained by the Vedas and so there can be no injustice in it; it is not an artifice invented by man."
Page 46 Chapter IX Geetha Vahini by Sathya Sai Baba
The cast system is composed by the four big groups of the Indian society.
The priests (Brahmins) the warriors (Kshtryas) the traders and farmers (Vaisyas) and the workers (Sudras). There are lower groups, like the untouchables (Harijans) among others. Some of the rules are the following:- No marriages between the people of different casts. Brahmins marry only Brahmins, Kshtryas marry only Kshatryas and so.
- If someone is born worker (Sudra), he cannot try to be a Brahmin or Kshatrya or any other group. He has to wait for his next life to see if he gets something different. This rule also applies to the Brahmins, Kshatryas and Vaisyas and the Untouchables.
- Mostly the Brahmins, should avoid physical contact with the other less pure cast, specially the Sudras and the Untouchables.
Now, you can answer the following question: Is this system fair and good for humankind?
Maybe it was necessary for the Indian society to practice this form of organization some centuries ago, but now is completely useless.The Varna system was forbidden from the Indian laws long time ago, in theory, but it is still practiced.
And now, this questionable person tries to sell us the idea that it is very proper for society.
Jose Santiago