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| Cyndi - 2007-01-09 12:58 PM
Jonnie,
No, the India caste system is not illegal in Nepal or India. You do know that the caste system is included in the Vedas...the 4 caste, not the additional 5th that was added by those Bad Brahmin Priests much later. Again, we've discussed on the forum before, it's not the system that is bad, it is the humans that are. You can do searches to read about the Caste System. If you read it without the negativity, you might understand it more clearly.
My husband got really irritated when I read him some of the things on this board this morning. He wanted to say alot of things, but I chose not to. It's just not worth the argument. However, one of the things he did say was this. You should tell this board that the caste system is similar to a Honey Bee Hive. You have a Queen Bee, you have Drones, you have Worker Bees, You have Field Bees, you have Guard Bees. Every one does their job, there is no comparing each other, it is a system that makes the colony strong. The final production is this wonderful nectar of honey that is sooo sweet and pure!! The Bee Colony is a very unique and wonderful society within the bee hive...trust me, I'm fascinated everytime I open up one of my hives. In fact, I always think how nice it would be if we lived in a world where everyone worked together like the honey bees do.
Unfortunately, everyone is working to compete with one another, working against one another, arguing over who is right and who is wrong...micro-managing everyone and everything, therefore causing communities to be separate. Human life today is full of suffering because there is no sense of Unity and definitely no sense of community. It's all crap.
Humans are not bees.
My human life is not crap.
My human life is not so full of suffering [Optimism is a choice].
Sense of unity and community has nothing to do with it. Respect is a concept that would be better applied to human practices so that differences could be celebrated.
The conditions that make bees great are not the same conditions that make humans great.
Humans are not bad, no more or less than honey bees, they just are.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
  
Location: A Blue State | The Dalits, or untouchables, have actually produced some rather outspoken opponents of the caste system. Some, in fact, have concluded that Sanatana Dharma (or Hinduism) should simply be rejected: "Why do you believe in a religion that insults you at every turn?" as one put it. Apparently, about 80% of christians in India originated from the Dalits. Tells you something about how the lowest castes actually feel toward the caste system, no? ... bg |
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| Bay Guy - 2007-01-09 1:15 PM
The Dalits, or untouchables, have actually produced some rather outspoken opponents of the caste system. Some, in fact, have concluded that Sanatana Dharma (or Hinduism) should simply be rejected: "Why do you believe in a religion that insults you at every turn?" as one put it. Apparently, about 80% of christians in India originated from the Dalits. Tells you something about how the lowest castes actually feel toward the caste system, no? ... bg
And in this way
The practice will be the teacher.
Not until a theory is practiced will anyone actually know its' worth |
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| Cyndi - 2007-01-08 7:11 PM
ellen - 2007-01-08 5:15 AM
Cyndi, I don't know about Hinduism and I'm not commenting on that specifically, but I do think that even when a custom or belief belongs historically to a certain culture or religion, it is our sacred duty to protest it when it is wrong.
Cyndi replies:
So tell me Ellen, what makes you so sure that your sacredness is right and their's is wrong?? Actually, I think the Hindu caste system is a beautiful system. The humans and their ignorance are what has ruined it, not the system itself. It kinda scares me when someone says things like what you said...it sorda infringes upon my freedom.
In fact, I bet you could come to my house and find all kinds of things to protest and find fault with.
Oh Cyndi, that is not what I meant at all. I just meant it is wrong to cut out my clitoris, no matter what the belief system that tells one to do this is. I think there are some universal truths that need to be upheld no matter what. Of course I could be wrong, but it's what all of my experience tells me.
About the house. I have a covered china dish with a bit of left over mashed potoatoes from Thanksgiving still in it, still sitting on my kitchen counter. After a peek in it several days after Thanksgiving (mold had set in ), I decided it would be best to just leave it until I was prepared to deal with it or throw the whole thing out. That is just ONE example... so, unless I develope a trust in you (anyone you ) that is so deep, or I have seen for myself that you are just like me in this regard, I am sure you are going to come into my house and think, oh my god, she lives like this??? That is just too painful a reaction for this one, so I don't let anyone who doesn't fit in the above categories in, and then, I am only really comfortable with the people I live with and the people I KNOW are just like me in the housekeeping regard. So, like you, I am pretty sure that if you came into my house you would find lots to criticize, and if I had no warning, some things to be grossed out about. Now if you want to get mad, you might think, oh my god, she is comparing my treasures to her sloth!
and I go back to thinking, I can't let anyone in until I clean up this place (I've been saying this for 20 years! ) so... I don't know...
Anyway, Ghandi was not the only enlightened person in the Hindu culture. There are many who still hold the Hindu Caste system very sacred...my husband and I are one of those people. When I die, my first wish is to come back into a Hindu life, second is Tibetan (in the time period when the Chinese are not in the picture...although, I do love TCM...) and then of course Native American....in the early days before the white man came along and told them they were "savages". Oh another perfect example of a culture that was destroyed by someone who was protesting what they "though" was WRONG.
To increase human suffering is wrong. Now that can be very difficult to figure out, but if I don't try, if that is not my way, what way is there for me at all? |
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| Hi Cyndi,
Yes, I do know that the origins of the caste system are Vedic, and in that context, it makes much sense to me from both a social and philosophical perspective. Like you, (I think) my main challenge is how it has been misused politically.
I'll look up the old threads.....
Jonathon |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | ellen - 2007-01-09 2:23 PM Oh Cyndi, that is not what I meant at all. I just meant it is wrong to cut out my clitoris, no matter what the belief system that tells one to do this is. I think there are some universal truths that need to be upheld no matter what. I think that we as human beings have not simply a right but a responsibility to rebel against belief systems that ask us to be complicit in our own destruction or that ask us to acquiesce the destruction of others. ... bg |
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| Bay Guy - 2007-01-09 9:28 PM
ellen - 2007-01-09 2:23 PM Oh Cyndi, that is not what I meant at all. I just meant it is wrong to cut out my clitoris, no matter what the belief system that tells one to do this is. I think there are some universal truths that need to be upheld no matter what. I think that we as human beings have not simply a right but a responsibility to rebel against belief systems that ask us to be complicit in our own destruction or that ask us to acquiesce the destruction of others. ... bg
I heard that!
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| I totally agree |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | SCThornley - 2007-01-09 1:15 PM
Humans are not bees.
My human life is not crap.
My human life is not so full of suffering [Optimism is a choice].
The conditions that make bees great are not the same conditions that make humans great.
Humans are not bad, no more or less than honey bees, they just are.
I can sympathize with you here STC....I understand how you would reject this kind of notion, because in a bees world, you would be considered a Drone. The Queen has several Drones (you can call them husbands if you like). What happens is that throughout the honey flow, the worker bees take care of the Drones by making sure they have plenty to eat and that they can mate with the Queen. That is their ONLY job. They don't do any housework, they don't go fetch their food.....they simply mate with the Queen. Now, I know that may sound like a good life, right?? However, in the fall, when there is no more need for brood in the nest, all the Drones are rounded up and thrown out of the hive.,.,left to die in the cold. I've actually witnessed the bees doing this procedure, its very interesting watching them kicking out the Drones, because when I think about my own situations with men and relationships, I've had similar sentiments myself  So, there you go. I feel for ya Man. But, the realtiy is that man has always studied nature this way. In fact, mankind could learn alot about the Honeybees...they have some unique methods to teach humans. |
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| Cyndi,
You have a dark streak of humor running through your veins -_- |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Well, STC, there is a bright side. If you're lucky enough to get another life.....In the Spring, the Worker bees actually do make new Drones. They have all the control. So, you have another chance to come back and either be a Drone again, or you might get upgraded to becoming a Worker. From the sounds of it, from your "overworked and spent" thread in the OT section, you don't really want to be a Worker bee do ya??? do ya??  Unless of course you become a Worker bee in the category of Field Bee, which are the ones who go fetch the food. If you don't bring in your quota....well, you know what can happen, right??! We're clear about this now, right??  |
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| Willakers, Cyndi!
I am not a bee!
I am a human, jeez I feel like Joseph Carey Merrick, I am not an animal!
There are definite differences between the human expression of spirit and other forms like bees.
The wise learns from the fool, yes, but the fool learns nothing from the wise.
What have bees learned from humans?
nothing
Humans have learned volumes from bees.
Therefore, I'd rather be human than any other form thusfar presented to my conciousness.
Without further adieu, I must get back to my work, well, actually I just waiting for the system to equilabrate and have a spare moment.
Cyndi, You do make it interesting, that's for sure!
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Geez STC,
I can see you are real disconnected with your 'nature' side of yourself, Well, good luck. I hope you don't have to ever come back as a bee....or should I say a Drone Bee or Worker Bee?? Maybe you'll get lucky and come back as a Praying Mantis....then you can do all the Yoga Meditation you want. IF you come to my garden, I won't kill you, you can have all the aphids from my rose bushes and you'll have a nice sanctuary to do all your pooja (another word for prayers) so that you can come back into a human life again and not have to be "overworked and spent", |
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| I wanna come back as a hippo--they're so cool, they don't bother to swim, they just walk along the bottoms of lakes and rivers--they're the sumo of the animal kingdom--great big ole dudes who can be personable and fun to watch but NOBODY messes with 'em. I'll even take a field trip to Cyndi's garden and fertilize it and have some Mountain Munchies.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | A Hippo's life for BB it is!! I'll do lots of pooja for you BB, that way you'll stand a better chance of survival. I hear that the Father Hippo will kill the baby hippos - it was on Nat'l Geographic the other day. Only 1 in 3 baby Hippo's survive in the wild. Then you can mosey on over to get your "Mountain Munchies"....hmmm, I need to study about what Hippos like to eat. Don't eat me BB, okay??? I know you'll be a good Hippo and not bite the hand that feeds ya. Do Hippos drink Guinness??? |
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| Cyndi - 2007-01-10 10:44 AM
Geez STC,
I can see you are real disconnected with your 'nature' side of yourself, Well, good luck. I hope you don't have to ever come back as a bee....or should I say a Drone Bee or Worker Bee?? Maybe you'll get lucky and come back as a Praying Mantis....then you can do all the Yoga Meditation you want. IF you come to my garden, I won't kill you, you can have all the aphids from my rose bushes and you'll have a nice sanctuary to do all your pooja (another word for prayers ) so that you can come back into a human life again and not have to be "overworked and spent",
A bug is not my idea of where my sights are set for my next 'life'
'IF'
there is going to be a next one.
I'm pretty faithful in believing that there is more to life than what we see here on the earth as 'life'.
I imagine that there will be possibilities beyond our wildest imaginations, infinity!
Edited by SCThornley 2007-01-10 11:23 AM
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| Hippos like to lick crocodiles, and the crocs, at least I think they're crocodiles, the crocs just sit still and take it. |
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| More people are killed by hippos in Africa than by any other animal.
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| jonnie - 2007-01-10 12:54 PM
More people are killed by hippos in Africa than by any other animal.
even more than Man-imals? |
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| Bruce - 2007-01-10 8:06 AM
I wanna come back as a hippo--they're so cool, they don't bother to swim, they just walk along the bottoms of lakes and rivers--they're the sumo of the animal kingdom--great big ole dudes who can be personable and fun to watch but NOBODY messes with 'em. I'll even take a field trip to Cyndi's garden and fertilize it and have some Mountain Munchies.
Oh Bruce, I caught the last 15 minutes of Boston Legal last night, and in Daniel shore's closing argument, he said that the african elephants were now raping the hippos! No kidding (environmental stress factors). Of course, he could have just been making it up : ) |
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| Sorry Ellen--you are incorrect--I memorize each Boston Legal line to use at work--he said they were raping the rhinos--much better mind picture--new definition to horny. |
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| Bruce - 2007-01-10 12:18 PM
Sorry Ellen--you are incorrect--I memorize each Boston Legal line to use at work--he said they were raping the rhinos--much better mind picture--new definition to horny.
I wondered about that after I posted, Bruce! Then I thought, who would try to rape a rhino with that horn it's got- crazy elephants!! |
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| I haven't had a cigarette since the military taffoo (3 days), just tipped me over the edge and I didn't want to leave the world, not yet. And I was worried I'd have to do stands to get benefits {(I know, I know Ravi et al, stands and poses are imortant (I'msorry, I can't remember the one-word name yet) I am circling, I hope!)] |
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| I want to come back as a pair of Manolo Blahnick shoes.
I would be LOVED!!! |
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Location: Upstate NY | Om Namah Sivaya,
You are already loved sister Monica 
Om Shanti,
Ravi |
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Yoga and the Military
