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.
Related posts
Caste Discrimination in India’s Schools – Equality in ours! – 17 Jul 12
3 Groups of People who want to keep the Caste System and their Reasons – 20 Jun 12
5 Ideas how to get rid of the inhuman Caste System in India – 19 Jun 12
Daily Hypocrisy among Followers of the Caste System – 18 Jun 12
Legal Version of Honour Killing – Making your Children Outcasts – 22 Nov 11
Honour Killings due to Caste, Religion, Culture and Society – 21 Nov 11
Honour Killing due to Castes – Attempt to control Love – 18 Nov 11
No Respect for lower Castes in Hinduism? Become a Buddhist! – 3 Oct 11
Westerners supporting Caste System by pretending to be Hindus – 20 Sep 11
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.
I enjoyed your comment. Misunderstanding is rarely intentional.
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.
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.