Dharma and Social structures Flashcards
Aesthetic withdrawal
renunciation of worldly life, escaping samsara
Social engagment
engaging with the world, having a family, getting married, etc
What are the purusarthas?
The 4 goals of life; aims of being
Dharma
Artha
kama
Moska
Dharma (according to purusarthas)
right action and sacred duty
Artha
financial and political success
Kama
sense pleasures and arts
Moska
release from the cyle of samsara
Asrama
stage of life, originally (in earlier tradition) meant discipline, resting place.
What are the four asramas?
Student- celibate, focus on studies
Householder- longest stage, get married have children, etc
Forest Dweller- retirment but still domestic fire
Renouncer- pursue liberation, social death, etc
What is the classic text for thinking about social order?
Purusa Sukta (“Hymn of the Cosmic person”
Varna, what are the four?
social class or cetergory, can be framework for restrictive conduct
Brahman
Ksthatriya
Vaishya
Shudra
Dalit
means downtroddenn or oppressed
Self-given name for those outside of the varnas
Jati
birth group or genus
so many jatis, depends on area
they do not fit into the varnas well
What are some implications of caste?
- affect social practices like rituals, diets, rules. and dress
- varna and jati does not always match economic status
- people aren’t supposed to discriminate based on caste, but it does happen
What were some pre-colonial challenges to caste?
Buddhism: rejection of vedic tradition
Bhakti Poets: love of diety above all
Who are some Bhakti poets?
Kabir: famous for criticism of all organized and elite religion
Ravidas: 16th century poet, key figure in bhakti and social protests
How was caste affected in the colonial period?
Goverments imposed a census, this made caste, varna, and jati more rigid.
Who is Dr. Amedkar?
Indian jurist, social reformer, key maker of indian constitution. Criticized gandhi for his opinions on how to help marginalized people in India. Wanted to end caste
lead a mass conversion of people from Hinduism to Buddhism.
What is class mobilization?
Movement between social classes, but most often is a family matter, not individual.
What is sanskirtization?
a process of cultural change towards twice born castes; lower castes adopt the cultural pattern of higher castes.
How is arranged marriage related to caste?
It is an operation of caste
- emphasis on staying within the caste.