What is Saddhamma - Page 320

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WHAT IS SADDHAMMA ?

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SECTION IV

DHAMMA TO BE SADDHAMMA MUST PULL DOWN ALL SOCIAL BARRIERS

§ 1. Dhamma to be Saddhamma must break down barriers between Man and Man

1. What is an ideal society? According to the Brahmins, the Vedas have defined what is an ideal society and the Vedas being infallible, that is the only ideal society which man can accept.

2. The ideal society prescribed by the Vedas is known by the name Chaturvarna.

3. Such a society, according to the Vedas, must satisfy three conditions.

4. It must be composed of four classes, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras.

5. The interrelations of these classes must be regulated by the principle of graded inequality. In other words, all these classes are not to be on equal level but to be one above the other, in point of status, rights and privileges.

6. The Brahmins were placed at the top ; the Kshatriyas were placed below the Brahmins but above the Vaishyas ; the Vaishyas were placed below the Kshatriyas but above the Shudras and the Shudras were placed the lowest of all.

7. The third feature of Chaturvarna was that each class must engage itself in an occupation assigned to it. The Brahmins’ occupation was to learn, teach and officiate at religious ceremonies. The Kshatriyas’ occupation was to bear arms and to fight. The occupation of the Vaishyas was trade and business. The Shudras’ occupation was to do menial service for all the three superior classes.

8. No class is to transgress and trench upon the occupation of the other classes.

9. This theory of an ideal society was upheld by the Brahmins and preached to the people.

10. The soul of this theory, it is obvious, is

III