--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "ShempMcGurk" <shempmcg...@...> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "John" <jr_esq@> wrote: > > > > In the vedic varnas, the brahmanas are the smartest of all the four groups > > in society. However, they don't rule the people, nor do the hard work. > > The brahmans are responsible for the priestly or advisory duties in > > society. The kshatreyas are in charge of the executive and enforcement > > work. For busines and mercantile work, the vaishas perform them. The rest > > of the hard work is given to the sudras. > > > > So in this system, everyone benefits for the sake of forming a society or a > > community. Anyone who doesn't fit in the system becomes a chandala, or the > > "untouchables". > > > > Is there upward or downward mobility between the groups during one's > lifetime? Can a sudra become a Brahman or a kshatreya become a Brahman? Or > can a Brahman who messes his life up end up a sudra by the end of his life?
In an ideal varna system, the status in society is earned not inherited by families. Those who have the aptitude for intellectual pursuits and education should be considered as brahmanas. It should not matter whether he or she was born under the other groups in society. Conversely, those who were born into a brahmana family but do not have the aptitude for intellectual work should not be considered as a brahmana in society. > > Or does this just happen between lifetimes, ie. if you start off at the lower > rung -- sudras -- if you do a good job at each level you will get to be > braman in four lifetimes? Ideally, if a person is qualified for intellectual work, then he or she should be considered a brahmana. > > And can you be enlightened as a, say, sudra? Or do you have to wait until > you are a Brahman before the opportunity for enlightenment is available to > you? A sudra can be enlightened just like anybody else. Enlightenment is independent of your status in life. As MMY states, enlightenment is attainable by anybody. It's a matter of achieving the highest level of consciousness, Unity Consciousness. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" <rick@> wrote: > > > > > > by Isaac Asimov > > > What is intelligence, anyway? When I was in the army, I received the kind > > > of > > > aptitude test that all soldiers took and, against a normal of 100, scored > > > 160. No one at the base had ever seen a figure like that, and for two > > > hours > > > they made a big fuss over me. (It didn't mean anything. The next day I was > > > still a buck private with KP - kitchen police - as my highest duty.) > > > All my life I've been registering scores like that, so that I have the > > > complacent feeling that I'm highly intelligent, and I expect other people > > > to > > > think so too. Actually, though, don't such scores simply mean that I am > > > very > > > good at answering the type of academic questions that are considered > > > worthy > > > of answers by people who make up the intelligence tests - people with > > > intellectual bents similar to mine? > > > For instance, I had an auto-repair man once, who, on these intelligence > > > tests, could not possibly have scored more than 80, by my estimate. I > > > always > > > took it for granted that I was far more intelligent than he was. Yet, when > > > anything went wrong with my car I hastened to him with it, watched him > > > anxiously as he explored its vitals, and listened to his pronouncements as > > > though they were divine oracles - and he always fixed my car. > > > Well, then, suppose my auto-repair man devised questions for an > > > intelligence > > > test. Or suppose a carpenter did, or a farmer, or, indeed, almost anyone > > > but > > > an academician. By every one of those tests, I'd prove myself a moron, and > > > I'd be a moron, too. In a world where I could not use my academic training > > > and my verbal talents but had to do something intricate or hard, working > > > with my hands, I would do poorly. My intelligence, then, is not absolute > > > but > > > is a function of the society I live in and of the fact that a small > > > subsection of that society has managed to foist itself on the rest as an > > > arbiter of such matters. > > > Consider my auto-repair man, again. He had a habit of telling me jokes > > > whenever he saw me. One time he raised his head from under the automobile > > > hood to say: "Doc, a deaf-and-mute guy went into a hardware store to ask > > > for > > > some nails. He put two fingers together on the counter and made hammering > > > motions with the other hand. The clerk brought him a hammer. He shook his > > > head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering. The clerk brought > > > him > > > nails. He picked out the sizes he wanted, and left. Well, doc, the next > > > guy > > > who came in was a blind man. He wanted scissors. How do you suppose he > > > asked > > > for them?" > > > Indulgently, I lifted by right hand and made scissoring motions with my > > > first two fingers. Whereupon my auto-repair man laughed raucously and > > > said, > > > "Why, you dumb jerk, He used his voice and asked for them." Then he said > > > smugly, "I've been trying that on all my customers today." "Did you catch > > > many?" I asked. "Quite a few," he said, "but I knew for sure I'd catch > > > you." > > > "Why is that?" I asked. "Because you're so goddamned educated, doc, I knew > > > you couldn't be very smart." > > > And I have an uneasy feeling he had something there. > > > > > >
