Theos-Talk Archives (March 2010 Message tt00004)

Dear preethi,

So what is your point? I confess I don't understand the last part of the last sentence, but I don't find anything new or objectionable in what she said. Saatvic food and devoting one's life to learning have been there for ages in almost all traditional religions in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism etc. And she has said a teacher would be at a great advantage, nothing more. By the same token, genetics has acknowledged the tendency of children born to alcoholics, drug users etc to be more vulnerable than others to fall into the same habit. Does not mean that ALL such children would, just that the chances are higher.

To say that she was being casteist for essentially repeating from religious texts seems to be a big stretch of imagination. 





--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "seeker_preethi" <seeker_preethi@...> wrote:
>
> Dear All,
> 
> Please find quoted below the Brahmin Caste issue talked about so much in recent TT discussions. I do, however, have to confess that I got the month wrong. It was not in the August 2009 issue, but the July 2009 issue of the Theosophist. The Text given below is excerpted from the Watch-Tower written monthly by the President of the TS, Mrs Radha Burnier:
> 
> "As was said, K was born in a Br&#257;hmana family, far from rich, but having the tradition and way of life of Br&#257;hmana-s. For centuries a Br&#257;hmana was expected to live a life characterized by no indulgence in food which was not pure, in the sense of bringing harmonious influences into the body. This is called sattvic food, because it does not create or add to excitability, irritability, lethargy or dullness. So a real Br&#257;hmana did not indulge in alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and
> sexual activities which deaden sensitive¬ness and lead altogether to a different bodily type. Br&#257;hmanism also meant devoting one's life to learning and teaching, not merely as a means of communication but something more, and to relinquish occupations which would aggravate excitement and violence. This kind of genetic heritage gave a certain quality to the body and a real Br&#257;hmana realizes this. A teacher-to-be was at a great advantage, having this kind of physical inheritance which allows the body to respond to the vibrations of conscious¬ness, when they reach the physical brain."
> 
> Fraternally
> 
> Preethi
>