Such personal tendencies and predispositions are sorted out by the ancient Indo-European system of self-analysis known as varna. In the Vedic tradition, there were four main categories of psycho-physiological constitution that indicate one’s preferred vocation: brahmana (those who are naturally inclined toward intellectual, spiritual, and artistic occupations), kshatriya (those who have a natural predisposition toward political, administrative or military tasks), vaishya (those who have a special aptitude for tradesmanship and agriculture), and shudra (those who realize their true potential through manual labour). They were frequently likened to the different parts of the body, each section responsible for its own, specific role in supporting the entire organism. These categories existed in equivalent or very similar forms in other Indo-European societies. For example, in pre-Islamic Iran, there were four main socio-psychological classes: asravan (priests), arteshtaran (warriors), vastriya-fshuyant (merchants), and vastryoshan (commoners). The tribal communities of the ancient Celts were characterized by a threefold division into the following classes: druids (the intelligentsia – priests, judges, teachers, physicians, historians, poets...), nobles and warriors (likened by Julius Caesar to the Roman equites), and the commoners.
Our contemporaries who believe in the false, modern notion of egalitarianism may not know that hierarchy is in fact something completely natural. Enamoured with the democratic tendencies of the present age and the delusional pipe-dreams of liberalism, they tend to frown upon authoritative, hierarchical social orders of the past which, according to them, severely curtailed individual freedom. At the same time, they seem not to have any serious objections against being slaves to global consumerism and living under the totalitarian reign of mass media. In every traditional culture, individuals with higher intellectual, moral, and charismatic capabilities were given tasks vital to the survival of the society. Conversely, those without such skills were satisfied with pursuing vocations of craftsmen, merchants or labourers. There was no shame in belonging to one of the lower strata, as long as one’s caste-determined duties were duly performed, and vertical transgression did not occur (with very few permissible exceptions in times of distress). The notion of varna was not based on oppression and intolerance, but rather on the promotion of harmony and efficient cooperation between differing human natures that constituted society as a whole. It is only through rational discrimination (understood here as the act of noting and perceiving differences) and strict exclusivity (unique restrictions and rights for each group) that we can achieve common prosperity and happiness.
In the following paragraphs, we are going to discuss how living a virtuous life in accordance with dharma manifested itself differently in each of the four major categories. Note that this is just a simplified overview meant to provide a general illustration of how social structure looked like in the Vedic age. Those of you interested in pursuing this subject in further detail should refer to Vedic scriptures[19] that thoroughly explain the origin and the social role of each varna, as well as the significance of purification and expiation rites in each group. I have chosen to describe this particular social stratification system not because I am prejudiced in favour of Orientalism (as some people might wrongly assume), but simply because the common Indo-European tradition in question is best preserved in the scriptures of Vedic India. Therefore, I find it perfectly reasonable that those Europeans who wish to rediscover their pre-Abrahamic roots should look for guidance in the traditions of the East.
Brahmanas are naturally predisposed toward vocational activities of scholarship, writing, teaching, and counselling. In their daily conduct, they should exhibit character traits such as patience, humility, calmness, self-control, and truthfulness. Unless a brahmana finds himself in exceptional circumstances (e.g. self-defence in war and other times of distress), he is prescribed to avoid using violence and causing harm to other living beings (ahimsa). Despite being mainly concerned with intellectual and spiritual matters, he should not forget about taking care of his physical health as well. Light to moderate exercise, cleanliness, and proper diet are highly recommended for the sake of providing a stable physical foundation to his intellectual labour. The acquisition of wealth by him should not be used for the purposes of pleasure, but for the sake of subsistence. It is important to remember that neither spirituality nor scholarship are a business and they should never be treated as such.
Kshatriyas excel in tasks that require administrative, political, and military skills. Their primary duty is to protect the social-cosmic dharmic order: defend the nation’s interests, guard the weak against the strong, and make sure that the law is not transgressed. In their daily conduct, they should exhibit character traits such as courage, charisma, gravity, confidence, decisiveness, firmness, prudence, and equitability. Kshatriyas should spend the greater part of their time on building up physical strength, stamina, and martial prowess. They need to be alert to the potential pitfalls of becoming overly arrogant and recklessly bold, especially when they deal with matters of national importance. Similarly, they need to make themselves immune to corruption, drunkenness, and an inordinate attachment to women, for these vices becloud their wisdom and vitality. Those who defy dharma should fear them as dangerous and aggressive foes, but an excess of brutality and unnecessary violence deserves strong condemnation, especially when directed towards women, children, and the elderly. Last but not least, let their innate aptitude for formulating political strategy and taking firm action be combined with the invaluable advice of the wise and the learned men (brahmanas). A state built upon the communion between action and contemplation shall never perish.
Vaishyas are focused on agriculture, cattle-tending, trade, money-lending, and business. In their daily conduct, they should exhibit character traits such as honesty, industriousness, exuberance, diligence, politeness, and tactfulness. Merchants should always maintain the high quality of products they sell, set fair and reasonable prices, avoid charging people for services that require minimal or no cost or effort and make sure they do not use emotional manipulation in advertisement. When it comes to money-lending, usury should be strictly prohibited, as well as any other dishonest, greed-driven means of generating income. Agriculturists should put their effort and time into making the best use of the outcomes of their work. They should avoid ruthlessly exploiting soil (e.g. causing soil erosion due to improper extractive practices) and livestock (e.g. cruelty to animals) out of covetousness.
Shudras realize their true potential through manual labour, those are e.g. carpenters, metalworkers, artisans, construction workers, butchers, fishermen or barbers. In their daily conduct, they should exhibit character traits such as loyalty, precision, earnestness, modesty, and simplicity. Shudras have a materialistic, down-to-earth nature that precludes them from understanding the intricacies of the religious scriptures and pursuing intellectual vocations. However, it doesn’t mean that they cannot contribute to the overall well-being of society. Quite the contrary: through their sincere devotion to serving others and following simple, ethical rules prescribed for their varna (as well as following the example of virtuous men), they provide a solid foundation for the efficient functioning of the entire society.
The recognition of the superiority of pontifical and regal powers, and their close connection with the transcendent realm of life (sanctioned by initiatory rites), was once widespread and unshakeable. It was only with the advent of democratic ideas and the growing secularization of society that the acceptance of higher authority began to crumble, and the lower social classes usurped the throne and the sceptre, reducing their profound metaphysical significance to a mere sign of political and temporal power. Finally, the recent blights of egalitarianism and globalisation brought nothing but a further blow to the hierarchical systems rooted in transcendence.
In the present Age of Kali, everything that was cherished by the man of Tradition is either already gone or in a state of complete dissolution and decline. Owing to those processes, people nowadays are
totally confused when it comes to the recognition of their innate calling and the choice of occupation they are predisposed to. Captivated by the superficial glamour of the so-called American Dream, which is based upon the false notion that “all men are created equal”, they gravitate towards the most socially prestigious and lucrative careers, without taking into account whether those desirable paths are compatible with their true nature. What matters to our contemporaries is no longer descent and hereditary character, but mere effort and merit. It is, of course, beyond any question that the latter are essential factors in determining one’s worth as a human being. However, due to unrestricted social mobility, even a shoemaker can become an influential politician, as long as he has the minimal intellect required to deceive people (because this is what most modern politicians sadly do). It is commonly believed that standardized examination tests at school measure a person’s competence for a career of his or her choice. That is to a certain degree true, but what they really evaluate is the ability to memorize given information in order to later reproduce it during these examinations. After repeated exposure to such tasks, a student’s academic performance improves. Interestingly enough, this measurement very often does not correspond with a learner’s actual understanding of the subject. As is frequently the case with many other overly-quantitative inventions of the modern age, examination tests do not take into consideration one’s inner constitution, interests, moral character, and possible ways in which he or she could contribute to the betterment of their entire community. Thus, we can conclude that the public education system in its current state is not an authoritative method of evaluing one’s merit. Fortunately, there are still good (though not ideal) alternatives to sending your children to public school. Thoughtful parents should consider homeschooling or Waldorf education, as these are some of the few options that put a strong emphasis on children’s holistic development (evaluated mainly through qualitative description), rather than just teaching them how to solve standardized tests.
The whole atmosphere of an incessant rat race causes chronic anxiety about one’s social status. People in the Kali Yuga are obsessed with career advancement and meaningless money-making ad infinitum. They never bother to look inward, to determine whether their current occupation is compatible with the varna they belong to. Always in frenetic motion, deaf and blind to anything that escapes the notion of their senses, never satisfied with what they have – such is the nature of modern men. Unfortunately, the world has devolved so far from the ideals of the Golden Age that it is virtually impossible to recreate the sacred hierarchical order that we have just described in the previous paragraphs. It’s hard to know what to do in such unfavourable circumstances. In spite of all the gloom and degeneracy that surrounds us, there are still noble-hearted individuals who do not fall for the siren-like calls of modernity and who refuse to be contaminated by the noxious doctrines of progress. On the outside, they appear to look like everyone else, but inwardly they carry the inextinguishable flame of Tradition that allows them to successfully act in the material world, while simultaneously being detached from it. Such an enlightened individual (a karma yogi[20]) is focused solely on performing his duty (determined by his varna) in accordance with dharma. Fixed in transcendence, he is equally indifferent to success and failure or reward and punishment. Amidst the greatest external turmoil, he remains calm and resistant to urges (such as desire or anger) that might compromise his duty. Although he operates within the imperfect material world (thus he is subject to its laws), his action is purified because it has been committed with spiritual purpose at its core (e.g. a policeman who is frequently forced to use violence while fighting crime). In my opinion, this is the most reasonable way in which an intelligent and sane individual (who has little in common with the mindless crowds of the present age) can still lead a fulfilling and joyful life.
On parenthood
A nation is created by families, a religion, a tradition: it is made up out of the hearts of mothers, the wisdom of fathers, the joy and the exuberance of children.
– Kaiser Wilhelm II
In the present age of Kali, being born in a large, close-knit and supportive family is no longer the norm, but rather the exception. There are many reasons for the dissolution of extended family networks and the growing decline of the nuclear family model. It is outside of the scope of this work to discuss them in detail. Instead, we will focus solely on determining what are the most sensible solutions for this crisis of the traditional family. Given the current state of the world, we can not expect every person to desire the pursuit of typical family life. On the other hand, we must be wary not to fall into the trap of selfish individualism and complete neglection of supra-individual duties. Therefore, I propose two possible paths one can consider embarking upon.
First of all, we have persons who are naturally family-oriented. They were either raised in non-dysfunctional families that provided positive parental role models or they were born in less favourable circumstances but overcame them early on in their lives because they had supportive grandparents or aunts and uncles. Family-oriented individuals should ideally be free from the adverse consequences of psychological traumas, in the sense that it is essential to be emotionally stable before becoming a parent. Such persons are advised to have as many children as they can afford to have. Mothers are encouraged to stay at home and educate their offspring, while fathers should prioritize providing for the family. Large families sharing a similar, traditional outlook on life should settle down not very far from each other, so that their children are provided with a chance for meaningful socialization.
Then we have persons who are definitely not family-oriented. They were most likely raised in dysfunctional families that significantly undermined their ability to become loving and supportive parents. Lacking parental love (and not having any substitute of it), they were more likely to experience all sorts of psychological problems and traumas in the later course of their lives. Such persons are often loners and prefer solitary activities. Although they shouldn’t completely reject the idea of having children (they may want to have just one child), they must humbly realize their limitations in this particular matter. Contrary to what some traditionalists say, it is not a shame to place a lower priority on family if one lacks skills and predispositions to become a good parent. One can still lead a meaningful and socially positive life without having many children. Such individuals should prioritize finding a practical, altruistic way in which they can contribute to the overall betterment of their folk. This is not to be equated with mindless money-making and career advancement – the loftiest ideals of Kali Yuga. What is meant here is that those who are not family-oriented are advised to pursue productive activities such as: mastering a traditional craft, preserving old traditions and customs, working on an organic farm, creating divine-inspired art, becoming a teacher or a counsellor, etc. Other than that, such persons may want to consider befriending a large, like-minded family. By doing so, they can not only become supportive friends to the parents in this family, but also act as mentors (guru) to the children (without taking up typical parental responsibilities), assisting in what was traditionally known as second, spiritual birth. Their role must not be underestimated.
It is important to remember that these two paths are not mutually exclusive. They merely indicate priorities, which vary between individuals. What works for one person may not work for someone else. In the age of feminism and free love, in which people are deliberately discouraged from embracing traditional gender roles, it is becoming increasingly difficult to learn the art of parenthood. We must coldly recognize the gravity of the situation and formulate a realistic strategy compatible with our inner constitution.
On minimalism
Our very way of life breeds unhappiness. We have an active and turbulent culture in which there is little peace or contentment. We have disturbed the organ roots of life, which are good food, water, air, and a happy family life. We live in an artificial world dominated b
y an urban landscape and mass media, in which there is little to nourish the soul.
– David Frawley[21]
More and more individuals are becoming aware of the fact that living under the reign of Quantity has proven detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. The ceaseless and frenetic accumulation of material goods has only cluttered our hearts and homes with gloom and misery. A countercultural minimalism movement has arisen in response to these materialistic tendencies. Tens of thousands of people have embarked on a quest to simplify their hectic lives. There are undeniable benefits to leading a minimalist lifestyle, for it shifts our attention away from mindless consumerism and toxic attachment to material possessions. Nonetheless, just like almost every other modern trend, the idea of minimalism has unfortunately been commercialized. This seemingly noble, anti-consumerist lifestyle has gradually turned into yet another sellable fashion.
Forgotten Roots Page 4
