Explain caste in Hinduism for me

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain caste to me? Is it an important part of Hinduism or not?

[Anonymous]

Have you done any internet research in this elsewhere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you done any internet research in this elsewhere?

I think OP is looking for more personal explanation with opinion, not just dry facts.

[Anonymous]

Caste?
The caste you are born into depends on whether or not you were a good person in your previous life
So the lowest caste of a person is being punished for their sins

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Caste?
The caste you are born into depends on whether or not you were a good person in your previous life
So the lowest caste of a person is being punished for their sins

Pretty much like everywhere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Caste?
The caste you are born into depends on whether or not you were a good person in your previous life
So the lowest caste of a person is being punished for their sins

Pretty much like everywhere?

No
Most people do not think that you were born poor because your were evil in your earlier life. And you do not get to be born royal or rich because you deserved it as a reward for having lived a good previous life

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Caste?
The caste you are born into depends on whether or not you were a good person in your previous life
So the lowest caste of a person is being punished for their sins

Pretty much like everywhere?

No
Most people do not think that you were born poor because your were evil in your earlier life. And you do not get to be born royal or rich because you deserved it as a reward for having lived a good previous life

NP. It's saying out loud what is the quiet part in American society. Americans assume that people who are rich got to be that way through their virtue/nobility/hard work, and that people who are poor probably deserve it because of their "poor choices". It's pretty much the same thing.

[Anonymous]

There are these amazing things called google and Wikipedia...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Caste?
The caste you are born into depends on whether or not you were a good person in your previous life
So the lowest caste of a person is being punished for their sins

Pretty much like everywhere?

No
Most people do not think that you were born poor because your were evil in your earlier life. And you do not get to be born royal or rich because you deserved it as a reward for having lived a good previous life

NP. It's saying out loud what is the quiet part in American society. Americans assume that people who are rich got to be that way through their virtue/nobility/hard work, and that people who are poor probably deserve it because of their "poor choices". It's pretty much the same thing.

That is very different from those beliefs being enshrined in religious doctrine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
There are these amazing things called google and Wikipedia...

+1 (good grief)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain caste to me? Is it an important part of Hinduism or not?

Hinduism is religion and castes are different groups of people who are practicing Hindu religion. India and Nepal have different castes but they are Hindus. Usually they marry their own caste even now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain caste to me? Is it an important part of Hinduism or not?

Hinduism is religion and castes are different groups of people who are practicing Hindu religion. India and Nepal have different castes but they are Hindus. Usually they marry their own caste even now.

Muslims and Sikhs have caste too. It’s also prevalent in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

It’s part of South Asian culture.

It is not prescribed in any South Asian religious literature because the word ‘caste’ is a Portuguese word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain caste to me? Is it an important part of Hinduism or not?

Hinduism is a religion and castes are different groups of people who are practicing the Hindu religion. India and Nepal have different castes but they are Hindus. Usually, they marry their caste even now.

Muslims and Sikhs have caste too. It’s also prevalent in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

It’s part of South Asian culture.

It is not prescribed in any South Asian religious literature because the word ‘caste’ is a Portuguese word.

There is a large Hindu population in Bangladesh who practices the caste system as part of their religious practice. However, the majority of the population is Muslim and there is no caste system in Islam. Collectively speaking Bangladesh is not considered a county where citizens are oppressed due to the caste system. Bangladesh is a progressive country compared to India and other countries in that region. Please do your research before writing a blanket statement about a group of people or a country.
Within Hinduism, practices can differ very much. To understand you truly have to understand geographic and cultural contributions. For example, South Indians do not celebrate Durga Puja but Bengals do.

[Anonymous]

Kind of like Victorian England! No? The poors are poor bcs they are lazy.

[Anonymous]

Caste is not part of the religion. It is part of the society. While Brahmins are part of the priestly high caste, it is nothing to do with the religion per say. Caste is about the professions in the society and how society is organized.

Hindu religion is without caste. Just like Christianity is not about the Vatican.