Quote:
Originally Posted by Magamud
The best one for me is India and the cast system. To think you are born into poverty because it’s your karma and if you break out of this mold you will increase your karma for your next life. So you better be sure to cooperate with the status quo in this one. A tyrant’s wet dream yes? A beautiful cultural setup with truth and lies mixed up to keep you confused and obedient...
Good Luck folks and as always Godspeed.
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This is incidentally why I chose the user name I did when I first registered here: India's caste system. It's what bugged me most that day. Buddhist or democratic systems solve this problem, but Hinduism doesn't (no offense - I realize it's a social & religious hierarchy, which offers free laundry and toilet cleaning services to many people). I love the philosophy; not so much the poverty, free labour, sickness masquerading as bad previous lives, etc. It could be a critique of classism, in general.
[I can't find threads I'm looking for - and bumping into the older interesting ones too. Interesting, Magamud - I think it's the name of the famous Hebrew commentator I was trying to think of the other day too.]
Ah! Maimonides! (1135-1294) Foremost among his many writings is the
Moreh Nebukim (Eng trans
Guide for the Perplexed, 1919), in which he elucidates baffling religious and metaphysical problems: profoundly influenced Jewish and Christian religious thinkers.' Columbia Viking Desk Encyclopedia, 1960.
peace