Have you heard about the caste system? Most likely you have and like the majority of persons out there, the concept just doesn't sit right with you. Guess what? The Gita agrees!
This is what happens when things are taken out of context and unscrupulous persons give their own interpretation to fit their own needs and desires. It might surprise some, but the original divisions of society actually stem from the Gita itself.
The Gita outlines that persons have a specific nature and with that come certain proclivities and inclinations. Broadly, these natures fit those of the:
1. teachers/academics/philosophers
2. administrators/leaders/protectors
3. trade persons/business persons/agriculturalists
4. workers/artists
Of course, it is very possible for persons to be a mix of these natures and that is something we often see today. When the Gita outlines these four natural divisions of society, it also stresses that each one is important and serves a particular purpose. If everyone was just a worker, we wouldn't have a proper functioning society. The same goes if everyone was just a teacher or philosopher.
One can think of them as the four seasons. Each one is important and offers a special contribution in terms of weather and facilities.
As well, unlike the perverted caste system which states that if one is born in a family of teachers or priests that they too are of that nature - the Gita says otherwise. These qualities and natures are not necessarily inherited by birth. Instead it is important to observe the individual and determine what nature that person has and help them understand it. No fitting any square pegs in round holes here!
Every single person and every nature is valued. The aspiring yogi strives to understand the nature they have been given and acknowledges it as a gift they can cultivate and use positively.
So take the opportunity to determine what your nature is and offer it not only to to the world, but to the Divine in gratitude!
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