After reading The Laws of Manu I was able to understand the caste system pretty well. The Laws of Manu describes what one must do to be a part of and remain in a certain caste. The rules are straightforward for the most part. After reading The Sacred Canopy, written by Peter Berger, my ideas and understanding of the caste system were improved. Berger explained religion in a way that made me see it in a whole new light. His views on religion in The Sacred Canopy did not deal directly with the caste system, but they tie into religion and the socially-constructed world, which gave me a better understanding of the caste system and its social classes.
In The Laws of Manu the caste system is described in great detail. It explains everything one must do to be a part of their caste. In Hinduism each social class (varna) has its own dharma, or social law. The concept of dharma regulates all parts of life for Hindu’s and outlines their duties. However, there are different levels of dharma for people in the twice-born varnas, which includes the Brahmin, Ksatriya, and Vaisya. The different levels of dharma are based on the stage of life that an individual is at. The four stages an individual can be at are a student, a householder, a forest-dweller, or a sannyasin. A sannyasin is the lowest stage one can be in and one reaches that stage when they have cut all of their ties to society. In the text from The Laws of Manu it is stated that a householder may “never, for the sake of subsistence, follow the ways of the world: let him live the pure straightforward, honest life of a Brahmin” (Smart & Hecht 214). The Hindus believed in living a very simple life and being very honorable. The Laws of Manu states that no Brahmin should “attach himself to any sensual pleasures” (214) and also to “avoid all (means of acquiring) wealth which impede the study of the Veda” (214). In The Laws of Manu the idea of final liberation is brought up very frequently. Final liberation is the goal of all Brahmins. A Brahmin lives his whole life striving to reach final liberation and he does so by following dharma. He does not challenge dharma at all and believes that if he follows it, he will reach final liberation.
...h as different religions or different practices. But I now understand that some cultures are completely different from my own. That even though I think something may be right, another culture probably has a very different view on it. Or something that I think is common, others do not. For instance, getting your period. I would have assumed that getting your period was the same for every teenage girl, scary because blood is coming out of you but just a part of life and something you accept. But after reading this book I learned that is not necessarily true. The pygmies celebrated it and called it and the villagers cursed it and thought of it as a curse. Overall I learned many new things from reading this book, I was able to learn about a different culture and society, relate it to our class, and also learn more overall about culture diversity and changes in society.
Thousands of years ago, Indian society developed into a complex system based on different classes. This system is known as the Caste System. It separated Indians into different castes based on what class they were born into. As thousands of years went by, this system grew larger and became further complex (Wadley 189). This system caused frustration for the Indian citizens because they were receiving inequality.
I learned a lot from this book. I learned a lot about why some stores are structured the way they are and how race, class, and gender are deeply imbedded in everything in the world and in everything we do. There is nothing we do that does not involve at least one of these aspects.
In his novel Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse used the story of a young Indian Brahmin searching for insight to explore different means of achieving inner peace. Siddhartha attempted to use both asceticism and the life of the wealthy to experience illumination. He fluctuated from rich to poor multiple times before he reached enlightenment. However, Hesse did not always accurately portray the most essential piece of Indian culture—the Caste System—perhaps because he wanted to appeal to a western audience that had little knowledge of the system. Siddhartha, who lived in the Indian Caste of priests, would not have been able to move between social ranks in the manner Hesse portrayed.
Hinduism is a vast and very complex religion to comprehend and consists of various different branches of philosophies. Although it is considered that Hinduism does not necessarily have one text that provides the guidelines for the contemporary Hindu devotee, like the Bible does for Christians, but there are a few scriptures that help identify the ultimate goal for the followers of Hinduism. The Upanishads try to exemplify the message of obtaining the righteous path as much as possible with rooting its context to the most ancient Hindu text, the Vedas. Tying both of these scriptures together the main purpose of a practicing Hindu is laid out; which is being able to obtain moksha, or liberation, from samsara, which is the endless cycle of birth and rebirth (Knott 1998: 23). The Upanishads state that the way to achieve this liberation is through renunciation, which in turn leads to living a spiritual life. During the time period in which the Upanishads were allegedly written, the requirements of renunciation described in the Upanishads were both acceptable and reputable in ancient Indian society. However, as time evolved and there was an increased social change in society, there were many challenges in following the Upanishads’ ideologies. In Meena Khadelwal’s book Women in Ochre Robes, we can see that women are being introduced into the whole concept of renunciation and because of the clashes with some of the principal theories of renunciation, which are based off the ancient text of the Upanishads and Vedas, women have tweaked certain aspects derived from the classical methods to help fit their gender role but at the same time legitimizing all the altered practices.
Dictionary.com defines a caste system as “a system of rigid social stratification characterized by hereditary status, endogamy, and social barriers sanctioned by custom, law, or religion” This means someone born into a low caste cannot move up to a higher caste because of this system. Although a caste system is not a set of laws, it is almost never broken because the caste system has been in place for so long.
There are four main castes and one in which they consider to be the outcastes. The four main castes are the Brahmin, the next is the Kshatriya, the third is the Vaishya, and the fourth is the Shudra. The outcastes are in the group called Dalits. Each caste has a purpose in life, the Brahmin are considered to be the priestly caste in which they are teach the Veda, and are to “sacrifice for others and receive alms” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Kshatriya is considered the warriors or the ruler caste, they have constant practice in battles, and they are to protect the world from harm. The Vaishya are to be the merchants and the farmers, they tend to the cattle, they, “engage in farming, keeps cows, trades, lends money at interest, and grows seeds” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Shudra are the manual laborers who according to the Institutes of Vishnu under the Four Castes, are to serve the twice born men who are to sacrifice and to study the Veda, the Shudra also engage in all the different duties of craftsmanship (5-10, pg.44). In case of a crisis, each caste is allowed to follow the occupation of the caste that is below them in rank. The duties in which all four of these castes, whatever gender or stage of life, are to follow and hav...
These books are both valuable to the study of natural law, human psychology, government, and many other fields. They very much enforce the theory C. S. Lewis proposed in his book, Abolition of Man, in which he states that without the Tao as a standard, men will inevitable create their own standard, which in Brave New World and Anthem happens to be the good of society.
As we studied in class, early Indian culture and society in 300 C.E., the Hindu society was dominated by the caste system, which influenced almost every aspect of life. Each caste had its own particular dharma, carrying with rights, obligations and restrictions. Beyond this was a generalized dharma applicable to all: deference to the Brahmins, devotion to the gods, and reverence for the Ganges and for sacred cattle (Connections, Pg. 58). Procreation too, was considered a sacred duty: large families were seen as blessings from the gods, and any attempt to limit family size was frowned upon (Connections, Pg. 58). Since reproduction was essential to reincarnation, for most people marriage and parenthood were moral obligations.
Overall I value this book, and I am glad that I read it. I now know more about the Buddhist religion, and I want to change certain aspects of my life. I like how this religion is so forgiving and laid back. I really wish other things in my life were so forgiving. The idea of oneness with your self sounds very peaceful and understanding. I am going to try to have more oneness with myself. I can now see people from a different standpoint. We are all created equal, and we should all help each other.
...e preceding reasons, all college students should read the book. The book will captivate the educated mind, and most importantly, will cause that mind to think and to question why things happen as they do.
Both Hinduism and Buddhism are concerning the suffering of individuals and try to signal a path to self-awakening for people. Both Hinduism and Buddhism believe in reincarnation, which is a natural part of the world. The final objectives, either moksha or Nirvana, are similar to each other, that is being perfectly peaceful, understanding all things, and being liberated from the chain of reincarnations. In Hinduism, common people and individuals who are born into low-rank castes would find and achieve moksha much harder than upper-castes, such as Brahimin, simply because of their base hierarchy. However, Buddhism rejects the caste system and the privileges of the Brahmin priests. “There is no such thing as an institutional hierarchy to make final decisions about the truth, and each person must make such decisions for himself or herself” (Bresnan, p.185). The universal path to awakening, according to Buddhism, does not discriminate one depending one’s inherent caste, so the path distinguishes individuals from their strict morality and disciplined orientation. At this point, Buddhism has greater potential for success in terms of ameliorating the suffering of each individual and society as a whole
The four main stages of life in Hinduism also take the caste system into account. The first stage is that of a student, being led by a teacher. T...
The Host praised the Lawyer for his tale, and urged the Parish Priest to tell a tale. The Parson chides the Host for swearing, and he in turn mocks the Parson as a "Jankin" (a contemptuous name for a priest). The Shipman decides that he will tell a tale next. In the fragments that remain of the Canterbury Tales, however, the Shipman's Tale exists later in the manuscripts, in the seventh set of stories. The Wife of Bath's Tale follows instead.
The current manifestations of the caste system are now far more generalized across the Indian subcontinent than was the case in former times. Caste as we now recognize has been endangered, shaped and perpetuated by comparatively recent political and social developments. This is evident even i...