22nd August, 1938
Talk 507
D. Devotee
M. Ramana Maharshi
D.: Aurobindo does not approve of castes. Do you approve of them?
M.: As for Aurobindo, you ask him. As for my opinion, how does it matter to you? How will it be of use to you? Have you got any opinion on the matter? That alone will affect you, not the opinion of others.
D.: I do not approve of the caste system. Mahatma’s opinion is valuable as a guidance. I want your blessings in my attempts.
M.: Mahatma has told you to seek and find your Self. You will not do it but require his blessings.
D.: I am trying to follow the instructions. But caste-distinction is painful. It must go.
M.: To whom does it cause pain?
D.: The members of the society...
M.: It is you who say it. There are countries where there are no such distinctions of caste. Are they free from trouble? There are wars,internecine struggle, etc. Why do you not remedy the evils there?
D.: There are troubles here also.
M.: Differences are always there. There are not only human beings, but also animals, plants, etc. The state of affairs cannot be helped.
D.: We do not mind the animals, etc., at present.
M.: Why not? If they could speak they would claim equality with you and dispute your claims no less vigorously than human beings.
D.: But we cannot help it. It is God’s work.
M.: If that is God’s work then the other part is your work, is that so?
D.: It is man-made distinction.
M.: You need not notice these distinctions. There is diversity in the world. A unity runs through the diversity. The Self is the same in all. There is no difference in spirit. All the differences are external and superficial. You find out the Unity and be happy.
The pain of diversity is overcome by the joy of the perception of unity. Moreover, a king may disguise himself as a servant. That makes no difference in the person.
D.: I do not object to differences. But the claims of superiority are wrong.
M.: There are differences in the limbs of one’s body. When the hand touches the foot the hand is not defiled. Each limb performs its function. Why do you object to differences?
D.: The people feel the injustice of caste distinction. It must be rooted out.
M.: You can individually arrive at the state where such distinctions are not perceived and be happy. How can you hope to reform the world? Even if you try you cannot succeed. Kavyakantha Ganapati Sastri offered to initiate Harijans with mantras and make Brahmins of them. But the Harijans did not come forward to accept the offer.
That shows they are themselves afflicted by an inferiority complex.
Remove that complex first before you try to reform others.
Moreover, why do you go to places where such distinctions are observed and cause pain to yourself? Why should you not seek places where they are not observed and be happy there?
Gandhiji also tries to bring about equality. He is also up against the barrier of inferiority complex afflicting the lower orders. He cannot enforce his views on others. He observes non-violence. So matters stand as they are.
D.: We must work to obliterate caste-distinctions.
M.: Then do it. If you have succeeded in the world, then see if the distinctions persist in this place.
D.: This must be the first place where I want to effect the reform.
M.: Why do you exert yourself so much to effect reforms? Go to sleep and see if there are differences. There you obliterate differences without any effort. (Laughter).
External differences are bound to persist, however hard we may try to obliterate them. The attempts of so-called social reformers, to do away with such classes or divisions as varnasrama has created, have not succeeded, but have only created new divisions and added a few more castes or classes to the already existing ones, such as the Brahmo-Samajists and the Arya-Samajists.
The only solution is for each man to realise his true nature.
Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book
Readers Interested are requested to read below articles as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/07/ramana-maharshi-views-about-varnasrama.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/02/civilization-and-transcendence-caste.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/04/ramana-maharshi-tells-who-is-real.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/swami-vivekananda-about-brahmin.html
Talk 507
D. Devotee
M. Ramana Maharshi
D.: Aurobindo does not approve of castes. Do you approve of them?
M.: As for Aurobindo, you ask him. As for my opinion, how does it matter to you? How will it be of use to you? Have you got any opinion on the matter? That alone will affect you, not the opinion of others.
D.: I do not approve of the caste system. Mahatma’s opinion is valuable as a guidance. I want your blessings in my attempts.
M.: Mahatma has told you to seek and find your Self. You will not do it but require his blessings.
D.: I am trying to follow the instructions. But caste-distinction is painful. It must go.
M.: To whom does it cause pain?
D.: The members of the society...
M.: It is you who say it. There are countries where there are no such distinctions of caste. Are they free from trouble? There are wars,internecine struggle, etc. Why do you not remedy the evils there?
D.: There are troubles here also.
M.: Differences are always there. There are not only human beings, but also animals, plants, etc. The state of affairs cannot be helped.
D.: We do not mind the animals, etc., at present.
M.: Why not? If they could speak they would claim equality with you and dispute your claims no less vigorously than human beings.
D.: But we cannot help it. It is God’s work.
M.: If that is God’s work then the other part is your work, is that so?
D.: It is man-made distinction.
M.: You need not notice these distinctions. There is diversity in the world. A unity runs through the diversity. The Self is the same in all. There is no difference in spirit. All the differences are external and superficial. You find out the Unity and be happy.
The pain of diversity is overcome by the joy of the perception of unity. Moreover, a king may disguise himself as a servant. That makes no difference in the person.
D.: I do not object to differences. But the claims of superiority are wrong.
M.: There are differences in the limbs of one’s body. When the hand touches the foot the hand is not defiled. Each limb performs its function. Why do you object to differences?
D.: The people feel the injustice of caste distinction. It must be rooted out.
M.: You can individually arrive at the state where such distinctions are not perceived and be happy. How can you hope to reform the world? Even if you try you cannot succeed. Kavyakantha Ganapati Sastri offered to initiate Harijans with mantras and make Brahmins of them. But the Harijans did not come forward to accept the offer.
That shows they are themselves afflicted by an inferiority complex.
Remove that complex first before you try to reform others.
Moreover, why do you go to places where such distinctions are observed and cause pain to yourself? Why should you not seek places where they are not observed and be happy there?
Gandhiji also tries to bring about equality. He is also up against the barrier of inferiority complex afflicting the lower orders. He cannot enforce his views on others. He observes non-violence. So matters stand as they are.
D.: We must work to obliterate caste-distinctions.
M.: Then do it. If you have succeeded in the world, then see if the distinctions persist in this place.
D.: This must be the first place where I want to effect the reform.
M.: Why do you exert yourself so much to effect reforms? Go to sleep and see if there are differences. There you obliterate differences without any effort. (Laughter).
External differences are bound to persist, however hard we may try to obliterate them. The attempts of so-called social reformers, to do away with such classes or divisions as varnasrama has created, have not succeeded, but have only created new divisions and added a few more castes or classes to the already existing ones, such as the Brahmo-Samajists and the Arya-Samajists.
The only solution is for each man to realise his true nature.
Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book
Readers Interested are requested to read below articles as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/07/ramana-maharshi-views-about-varnasrama.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/02/civilization-and-transcendence-caste.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/04/ramana-maharshi-tells-who-is-real.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/swami-vivekananda-about-brahmin.html
