Lecture 4-6

Question 1

Caste system stereotypes

Answer 1

1. Caste entirely determined by birth
2. No mobility
3. No intermarriage
4. Eternal / divinely created
5. Jobs invariably correspond woh caste
6. Always hierarchical in same way

Question 2

Varna (class) system

Answer 2

3 class system
Brahmana
Ksatriyas
Vaisyas

Question 3

Jati (caste) system

Answer 3

Intermarriage among groups = forbidden

Jati means birth -caste determined by birth

Self governing

Pre aryan
Smaller class of people
Self governing
Village level

Question 4

Modern day

Answer 4

Mixed

Question 5

Purity and pollution

Answer 5

Bodily excretions: Impossible to avoid for long

Kinship: death = impurity , birth

People of other classes/castes

Violation of dharma (duty/responsibilities)

Question 6

Satya/Kama

Answer 6

Appears at the door of guru
Asks to teach him the vedas
Doesn’t know his varna
Guru says he is a bramana because he had to courage to speak up

The story suggests that this boy is a sudra at birth but declared him a bramana based on his moral character

Varna’s are produced by moral character

People must embody the virtues in order to fit into the varna and some may be misplaced

Question 7

Karma

Answer 7

Certain actions and eventually have personal consequences for you

Question 8

Bare bones conception

Answer 8

Actions produce merit or demerit which create personal consequences

Question 9

Varuna

Answer 9

Keeps track then comes around to give you rewards or consequences

If no Varuna then some psychological factor is involved

Question 10

Samskaras

Answer 10

Habits

Question 11

Right actions produce

Answer 11

Merit

Question 12

What is merit

Answer 12

Good habits

Question 13

Ow does merit produce consequences

Answer 13

Good = pleasure, good virtue (human being, higher varna, long life)

Question 14

What is demerit

Answer 14

Bad habits

-smoking , drugs

Question 15

How does demerit produce consequences

Answer 15

Pain - born as an animal, plant, born with disabilities , short life

Question 16

2 problems with the contemporary interpretation

Answer 16

1. No way to avoid merit and demerit
2. Role for desire
   - if there is desire = merit and demerit
   - if there is no desire then you won’t have merit and demerit

Question 17

Solutions to problems

Answer 17

Desire has to have a role

Clarify the role that desire has then you have a role for desire and the presence of absence of desire is a way to avoid merit and demerit

Question 18

Cycle

Answer 18

Perform an action

Immediate consequence = pain and pleasure

Desire to feel the same pleasure again or desire to avoid the same pain

Habit to repeat the action (merit and demerit)