23 Oct 2009 Vrindavan, India
Category: Caste System
Yesterday I said I would talk a bit more about the Arya Samaj and how they are more free in some things. I don’t support all of their ideas, for example not the celibacy which they believe in. But with their full believe in the scriptures they say that it is nowhere written that a woman could not be a Swami or would be in any way less worth than men.
And one of their best beliefs is in my opinion that they fully condemned the caste system. They found out that there was nothing written about it in the Vedas. And this is how they treat everybody equally, no matter from which caste, even if they were from the caste which was ‘untouchable’ for the higher castes.
Nowadays there are still some very conservative, orthodox people who believe very much in the caste system and who wouldn’t touch a person from these low castse. I wrote before already that this is one of the main ideas of our school: to have everyone together, without any difference, so that the children learn from the beginning that we are all the same. And hopefully this will also have an influence on their parents.
Today Thomas and Iris had to leave the Ashram. This makes us all very sad because we love to be with them and they love to be with us. I know that our living style is different from most people because people tell me they are happy to be with their friends but also happy when they can go into their own home and close the door so they are not with them. But we live with another concept: when we are with our friends or when they are here at the Ashram, everybody is like in his own home. You can be alone if you want to without insulting anybody and you can always enjoy just being together. This is the love in our friendship and no matter where we are or our friends are, we are together.
Tags:: Society , Celibacy, Arya samaj, Caste, Hinduism, Scriptures
4 Comments
Posted By Swami Balendu
Apra’s German Grandparents in Vrindavan - 28...
It is Saturday, the weekend has started and for ou...
Sometimes it is strange for me to see how much fea...
A whole lot is going on, as always, and we are bus...
I have always been a believer in open communicatio...
So yesterday was my 45th birthday and definitely a...
Until now, I have not told you yet about a program...
Today I woke up in the morning, as usual next to m...
I yesterday wrote about parents who want to suppor...
I yesterday wrote that you should enjoy your work,...
Yesterday I wrote that parents who want to arrange...
Yesterday I mentioned that the Indian government i...
Of course the topic of the castes is interesting f...
I have been writing about the caste system in Indi...
Last week I wrote about people who want to convert...
Yesterday I told about the renovation that we have...
Yesterday I said I would talk a bit more about the...
On Friday I wrote about honour killings and how ho...
Today I saw the above pictures on Facebook, shared...
Last week I mentioned that even though many of the...
Yesterday I mentioned how Hinduism advocates the c...
There are a lot of partnerships and marriages in w...
These days the local newspapers are full of one ca...
Today while Ramona was sorting the children profil...
I read a highlighted news of an incident desc...
One of the states in India is called Gujarat and i...
Some time ago I already wrote in the diary how dif...
Yesterday I wrote five ideas that could help getti...
Today I read news in the newspaper that the govern...
When talking about the caste system and saying tha...
believing in scriptures and condemning caste system are totally against each other. in my opinion that is the most striking flaw in the thinking of arya samaj.
Reply By ajit on April 15, 2013 01:04
I am glad to hear that certain sects that are splitting off from Orthodox Hinduism are against the caste system. They may not have all the right ideas, but it seems like they support equality-- for women and men, as well as people of all economic statuses. This is something to be respected in the least.
Reply By Emily on October 09, 2011 12:37
I enjoyed your comment. Misunderstanding is rarely intentional.
Reply By anonymous on October 28, 2010 02:15
Bloody brilliant Swami Ji! I'm enjoying a proper look at your journal. Orthodox people can be found all over the world and usually practicing the very things that the scriptures they follow discourage.
Reply By Derick from London on October 28, 2010 02:12
Today was the last day of the school year 11/12. The children got their report cards, the olde...
Read All News
I trust you' is more valuable than 'I love you'.
SourceWhatever your belief is, give your child as much freedom as possible to decide on his own. If you force a child into one belief, you don’t give its mind the possibility to develop in its own way.
SourceMaybe you are sad because you still love the other one and he or she doesn’t want to be with you but you still have to love your love! Don’t be angry with yourself for this feeling and don’t switch into hate because of this advice. It is okay to follow your heart.
SourceUnconditional trust and unconditional respect are the fertile earth on which love grows and gets strong. Doubts destroy this base. If there are doubts, there is no trust and love cannot grow.
SourceYou are not done once you have felt you found yourself. This is you today but who will you be tomorrow?
Source‘Sadhu’ or ‘Sanyasi’ means detached. Today's Sadhu ridiculously contradicts his title with his display of gold and wealth!
SourceI do not like rules. I said many times that we are always living in rules but we should make it a rule to break one rule daily. But that should be your decision and not controlled by anyone else.
SourceGuilt is the result of the wish for perfection. You want to be perfect and this mistake proves that you failed, so you carry it around, defending your mistake, blaming others, hiding so that nobody finds out that you are not perfect. Everybody makes mistakes and nobody is perfect!
SourceHigher caste Hindus treat lower-caste people as humans of second grade and untouchable. But imagine you are born a lower-caste Hindu. Would you enjoy being a Hindu? Would you be proud and happy to be a member of this religion?
SourceIf someone opens your eyes about a bad habit, an injustice from your side or a simple mistake, be happy about it! Be ready to change yourself for the better!
SourceSomeone who says he is not angry should feel responsible not to make the other one angry through his behaviour.
SourceReligion creates feelings of guilt and fear leading to psychological problems.
SourceNo, money is not everything and you cannot express the value of everything in Euros, Dollars or Rupees!
SourceDon’t leave anybody for too long, otherwise they get used to living without you.
SourceIsn’t it sad when you practically feel your child has decreased the quality of your relationship with your spouse? That you have to take ‘time off’, childfree time to be with your partner? You cannot enjoy your life as a family well because you experience your time with your child as a burden!
SourceAt some point everybody needs to take his own responsibility and act according to what makes him happy. If you tried to make everyone around you happy, you would never succeed but forget your own fun and joy! You should never make the happiness of others more important than your own happiness, otherwise you will make yourself unhappy – and won’t be able to help others!
SourceFall in love often. And not only with people, no, fall in love with a smell, fall in love with a colour, love the moment. Love the way how a person talks, love how friendly your neighbour is, love it that your body feels healthy. This will help you to live in a positive way.
SourceYou can often hear someone say after their first night ‘It was really a good night, I had wonderful sex’. This doesn\'t mean they did anything special. It is amazing because sex itself is such a great thing. It is not the quality of the woman and the man, it is the quality of sex itself.
SourceIf you love or like something don't hesitate to accept it, admit it and even say it loudly :) It is always great to say 'I love it'. Don't you think so ?
SourceMeditation is a good way to discover your feelings and to come from head to heart.
Source
Have something to say? Post your comment
Comments are moderated and will be allowed if they are about the topic and not abusive.