DIVINEINFORMATION PART 6 Dear friends,
While going through one of my externalmemory device, I came across some good information stored from a website (not available now). I thought of sharing interesting ones fromthem as a series. These are short information. Inpart 6, I am starting with 24th item in this posting. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan 15-05-2021 24 THE CASTE SYSTEM Caste is a term applied to socialgroups in India which rank in a hierarchic order. theKshatriyas or warriors, the Vaishyas who followed commercial occupations and the Sudras whoperformed manual labour. In the beginning this division was based onperformance but later it came to be determined by birth. Incourse of time the 'jatis' or sects became more important than the castes. They were mainly occupational (likethe goldsmith jati) and served the purpose of guilds which protected theinterests of the members. Eventuallythese jatis or sects grouped themselves under the main classes. The sects were very rigid and did notpermit fluidity of movement, even where old occupations had broken down and newones come into being. This rigidity had a disadvantage as it prevented theinteraction and absorption of new ideas in the various trades andoccupations. The ‘untouchables’ or ‘outcasts’: There is no religioussanction whatsoever in Hinduism to the concept of untouchability, although later additions onthe subject were inserted in the scriptures to justify its existence. It was a purely social practice introduced by theupper castes to provide themselves with menial labour to perform tasksrepulsive to themselves, such as cemetery keeping, scavenging, etc. People breaking caste rules weresometimes made outcasts. The upper castes tried to prevent inter-caste marriages as well toprevent the upward movement of the lower castes. Towards this end theBrahmins, for example, tried to make the knowledge of the scriptures theirmonopoly and the rituals more and more elaborate so that only they couldInterpret them, whereas the Vaishyasattempted to become the only custodians of the wealth of the land, and the Kshatriyas considered only themselves eligiblefor ruling and governance. Withthe start of the foreign invasions in the 11th century, when life,property and the chastity ofwomen were of little value to the invaders, the caste system became more rigidand protective and eachcommunity built a fortress of social norms around itself. For example, the guarding of thesanctum sanctorum in temples which only few could enter, child marriages(before a girl could be of an age attractive enough to be abducted by theinvaders) etc" became the norms during those unsettled times in Indianhistory. With the spreadof education the caste system is now dying out and any discrimination on thegrounds of caste is punishable under the laws of the land. 25FUNERALRITES Amongst orthodox Hindus, there are many variations of thefuneral rites, depending on region and social stratum. A religious minded personapproaching death would wish to pass his last moments on earth in the holy cityVaranasi on the banks of the sacred Ganga river as it is said that a persondying on its banks will be delivered from all sins. For a ordinary Hindu funeral the dead body is bathed withGanga water, perfumed, wrapped in white cloth (red for women) and carried tothe cremation site on a wooden stretcher-like structure, to the accompanimentof the chanting of the words ‘Ram Nam Satya Hai’ (Rama is Truth). In the case of some kings, feudal lords and sadhus, the bodyis taken out on the ‘stretcher’ in a sitting posture. The nearestrelation, normally the eldest son lights the funeral pyre. This is important as whoever lights the pyre is considered the legal heir. Vedic verses are chanted during the cremation by the priestand the next day theashes are collected and taken to Haridwar, the 0headwaters of the Ganga, andimmersed in the holy water there. In the days following the cremation a mourning period of approximately twelve days isobserved, during which time the sitting room is cleared of furniture andthe relatives and visitors have to sit on the floor. This is the time for friends and relatives to pay acondolence visit. Every year certain days are set asideduring which the family members must remember their dead ancestors andrelatives and say prayers for the peace of their souls. This is called shraadh. My note- North Indian customs near Ganga riveris told. 26KARMA One of the basic beliefs of Hinduism isthe law of Karma or Action. It basically means that every good thought, word ordeed begets a similar reaction which affects our next lives and every unkindthought or evil deed comes back to harm us in this life or the next. Thereare three stages of Karma: Prarabdha Kanna: According to this, the body or tenement thesoul chooses to be born in is not under human control and depends on thesum-total of favourable and unfavourable acts performed in a previous life. Soalso the time of death. If your time on earth is not over, you cannot die nomatter what happens, but whenyour time comes near nothing can save you. Samchita Karma: Thisis the accumulated Karma of previous births which gives us our characteristics, aptitudes, etc. This is changeable and man can improvehis habits, get rid of evil thoughts and desires while a good man can fall onevil ways. Agami Karma: ThisKarma consists of actions in our present life which determine our future inthis life as well as in the next. Thebest or ideal Karma is the one which is performed as a point of duty towardsGod or mankind without seeking any rewards (Nishkama Karma). 27MANTRA It is a properly repeated hymn orformula used in ritual worship and meditation as an instrument for evoking thepresence of a particular divinity; first uttered by an inspired seer (rishi)and transmitted orally from master to disciple in a carefully controlled manner. A mantra may be composed ofbut a single sound (om), or several syllables. Each deity is represented by its ownmantra. It is only by the correct enunciation of the correct mantra that thedeity will descend to enter the body of its image, or will respond to adevotee. A mantra has great potency and represents the Supreme Being Himself inthe guise of sound. Thedisciple must keep his mantra secret and say it silently as part of his regularworship. Other mantras are openly known andcommonly said, e.g. the Gayatri Mantra, which forms part of the morning ritual. 28 MOKSHA Mokshameans liberation from the stream-current of life, from the chain of Karma. Moksha is not a negative state but one ofcompleteness, of fullness of being free from the bondage of Karma and thus fromthe endless round of birth, death and rebirth, leading to Nirvana, the final freedom expressed in unity inthe Supreme. Mokshais gained through three ways or paths, knowledge, devotion and ritual works(Karma). Some may attain Moksha at death but thegoal is to achieve it well in advance, as certain yogis and the true gurus do. Aguru in the fullest sense of the word should be ‘Jivan-mukta’ i.e. one who hasattained liberation before death. Thus Moksha is the highest aim of human existence. Mynote-It is the belief among Brahmins byperforming Srardha at Gaya the soul gets liberation 29 NIRVANA Nirvanais union with the Supreme (Brahman), through moksha, i.e. release from thecycle of birth and death and the pain, sorrow, and suffering of the humancondition. Nirvana is the immediate experience ofthe ego-less self with the blissful Brahman. TheBhagavad-Gita has one of the clearest expositions of Nirvana, calling itBrahma-nirvana, i.e., unionwith Brahman, or extinction (of the ego) in Him. TheGita’s method is by the practice of yoga (joy, peace vision all turninginward), through which one can ‘come to Brahman and know nirvana’. The Jainshave somewhat similar ideas expressed in their own terms. I will continue in next posting -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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