HINDUISM AND SANATANA DHARMA

Behind the caste system was originally a great idea that became distorted. The Hindu social system (varnashrama dharma), which degenerated into caste, gave people who developed their minds, the learned, preeminence in society over the warrior and merchant classes. Unfortunately people became judged by their family of birth rather than by the real qualities of their character, which turned this great idea into a misleading appearance.

Sanatana Dharma is an eternal way of spiritual knowledge that may be associated with any number of social systems. Yet it does state the society should found itself on spiritual values or it cannot really serve the soul of man. Hinduism teaches that there is an organic structure to society, that certain types of people exist to fulfill the different functions of the social being, like his arms, feet or brain. Through this organic structure it regards all humanity, in fact all the universe as one great Being. Each one of us is not only part of that great being, each one of us is that great Being in its totality. This is the real meaning of our social interconnectedness.

In the modern world it is the merchant (commercial) class that rules the world, including dictating religion. The warrior class (those with the most guns or best weapons) also has much power. Spiritual people, the true Brahmins, generally have neither money, nor power, nor respect. In this regard we should not think that our modern social order is humanitarian but should look back to an ordering of society that reflects what is of highest value in each of us, which is not our property but our awareness.

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