Explain caste in Hinduism for me

[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.

Prosperity gospel fits the PPs description fairly well. But I digress.

I am fairly certain that Hinduism is more sophisticates than the prosperity gospel, though.

[Anonymous]

OP, you should read or listen to Caste, by Isabel Wilkerson. It sheds some light on the Indian and American caste systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Prosperity gospel fits the PPs description fairly well. But I digress.

I am fairly certain that Hinduism is more sophisticates than the prosperity gospel, though.

Prosperity gospel says you can become wealthy because it is in God's plan, all you need to do is work for it.
Caste system says you are born into wealth because you lived a good previous life, but to be born poor is punishment for sins from a previous life

If you suffer as a result of an earthquake or some other weather catastrophe, it is because you are being punished for evil acts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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. [/quote

This.