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Book: Hindu Dharma, Written by Swami Chandrashekarendra
Saraswati |
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The proper functioning of society is dependent on a number of factors.
Meeting the needs of man entails many types of physical as well as
intellectual work. It is totally wrong to claim that one kind of work is
inferior to another kind or superior to it.
We need rice, all of us, don't we? Also salt, clothing, books, and so
on.
Would it be possible - or practicable - for each one of us to grow rice
or
wheat, to make salt or to produce clothing and books? The tiller grows
crops not only for himself but for the entire community. The weaver
weaves for all of us. Some carry on trade for the sake of the entire
society. And some wage war on behalf of all of us to defend the country
What about the Atmic well-being of mankind? Well, some people are
charged with the caring of such well-being: they practice meditation,
perform puja, conduct sacrifices and carry out the ordinances of the
sastras that are meant for the good of all mankind. Our dharmasastras
have cut out an ideal path of happiness for us by creating a system
which
is to the advantage of all and in which different sections of people are
allotted different occupations.
How has this allotment been made? Is it according to the capacity of
earth? If so there is the risk of everyone having an excessive idea of
his
own ability. If work is assigned according to the predilection of each
individual, everyone will claim that he is suited for jobs that are
"prestigious" and, in the end, no one will come forward to do other
jobs.
How should a system be devised in which people fill vocations in a
manner that ensures the smooth functioning of all society? It must be
one that works not only for the present but for all time. This is not
possible if everyone competes with everybody else for every kind of job.
It is as an answer to such problems that varna dharma in which vocations
are hereditarily determined came into existence.
The principle behind this arrangement is that a man must do the work
handed down to him from his forefathers - whatever such work be - with
the conviction that it has been ordained by Isvara and that it is for
the
good of the world. The work he does in this spirit itself becomes a
means
of his inward advancement.
The religious observances meant to free people from worldly existence
vary according to their callings. We cannot expect a man who does hard
physical work to observe fasts. Those who do intellectual work do not
need much bodily nourishment. They are enjoined to perform many a rite
and to observe a number of fasts so that they will learn not to take
pride
in their body. There would be no room for disputes and
misunderstandings among the various sections of people if they realised
that the differences in the observance of religious practices are in
keeping
with the different vocations.
If we keep performing the rites prescribed even without understanding
their meaning, It will stand us in good stead in later life when we do
come
to understand the meaning. It would indeed be commendable if each one
of us carried out the duties prescribed and helped others to carry out
theirs. ":Why do you pursue that vocation, that dharma? Why don't you
do the work that I do? Or shall I take up your dharma, your duties? " We
must not give room for such feelings of rivalry or become victims of the
competitive spirt. When a man thinks of abandoning his dharma - the
duties allotted to him by birth - you must persuade him not to do so and
impress upon him that he must remain loyal to his dharma since it serves
not only him individually but all others.
As I said earlier there is no gradation among people doing various kinds
of
work: the man who does one type of job is neither inferior to the man
doing another kind of job nor superior to him. It is to ensure that
society
functions properly that the sastras have divided jobs into a number of
categories and assigned them to different groups of people.
If we are guided only by our likes and dislikes in the choice of our
occupation - or if we are engaged in work according to our sweet will -
the common purpose of society will suffer. You see today that everyone
is
intent on filling his pockets with other people's money. If there were
no
principle to guide us in the fulfilment of the common good, the only
concern of people would be that of finding such work as can bring them a
lot of cash. There is no place for any division of labour in all this
and so
also no concern for the well-being of mankind in general.
If everyone does his hereditary work and performs the rites that his
forefathers performed, there will be no cause for feelings of rivalry or
jealousy. There is the further advantage that life in the community will
go
on smoothly without any hindrance to the common work and, at the
same time, each individual will feel pure inwardly. All this must be
taken
into account if, in the name of carrying out reforms, society is not
"deformed".
The government has the obligation to provide food, clothing and housing
to all irrespective of the work they do. Jealousies and rivalries will
develop if people hunger for things beyond these essentials. All the
trouble today arises from the fact that the satisfaction gained from
money is greater than that gained from anything else. This attitude must
change. With maturity of outlook a man will come to realise that the
fulfilment he obtains from doing the work allotted to him properly is
itself
his God.
You see such a variety of eatables in front of you. The ragas (musical
modes) you listen to are numerous. And many and varied are the types of
work essential to the smooth functioning of society. You add salt to
your
rasam to give it the right flavour. But if you add it to a sweet drink
the
result will be rasabhasa (the drink will not be palatable). Similarly
there
would be rasabhasa if the svara (musical note) of one raga were used in
another [the music so produced would be cacophonous, not pleasing to
the ear]. People today are lacking in taste. While narrating a moving
incident from a puranic story the Bhagavatar tells cheap jokes which the
audience relishes immensely. When there are so many delectable things
to eat, people smoke tobacco which is injurious to health. These are all
instances of rasabhasa on a small scale. The rasabhasa on a big scale is
the confusion created in the varna system [making a mess of it], a
system
that has contributed so much to the welfare of our people through its
enunciation of different codes of conduct for different sections of the
community. |
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