Ishwa helper Reged: 03/03/02 Posts: 553

Re: AIT and Caste System [Re: AKMehta] #14259 - 04/02/02 04:08 PM Edit Reply Quote

Dear AKMehta, I'm not defending caste at all, I only say that one has to understand every historical phenomenon in the right historical context. If someone isn't interested in the finesses of this understanding than lookingd with modern understanding is an easy job. I'm looking at the history with my own dry eyes. And there's difference between race and Varna. And the definition of race given to ancient Varna or any Indian word is for someone familiar with Sanskrit very strange. This is just why people like S. Kak, S. Talageri, N. Rajaram, etc are doing, rightly, so much effort for clearing the misunderstandings. It's a bit ironical to look dry to historical and textual facts and unravel a phenomenon and "then not inclined to make introspection or not ready to examine historical facts." But "I am not very much interested in the narrow definitions of caste/varna/ jati etc since it is more or less the similar to race only" is the right scientific approach? I certainly don't agree with this, that the only way to understand Hindu Dharma is by the words of Mahatma Gandhi or Vivekananda. And then be content by their material. Please, AKMehta, let us decide ourself what we want to study or not. No one can talk for us what we have to do or not to do to understand Hinduism. If someone quotes the BhagavadGita, I want to read and understand the text by myself. I respect anyones way of thinking and satisfaction or dissatisfaction with only the modern respectively good and bad sides of Hinduism. It seems to me that your are more interested in the socio-political side, am I right? That's okay with me. But you have to respect also others with their views and interest in authentic traditions and scriptures. I am not a BJP, VHP, ShivSena or any member with any political agenda. I am just someone interested in the historical and scriptural developments and perspectives of our Hindu Heritage. And I like an academic approach, which does imply a minute look at words, meanings and interpretation. And that I'm sharing with the forum members. I'm not imposing my way, I'm just putting some attention on perspective. [By the way, I'm not saying that you are a marxist or invasionist. I expressed myself a bit clumsy in that quoted statement. With "you" I meant "someone in general". I forgot that in Dutch one can say "you" in a nonpersonal general way. I'll change "you" for "one" in the future. Sorry for the misunderstanding]