Varna. 4 stages of personal growth

Varna means personal human evolution level in relation with society. According to this relation, all society were divided in four varnas. This type of social system was in Vedic times, we know about it from modern India. On lowest social step are people who do the most simple hard work, they called shudras. Next category – it is vaishu, craftsmen, who earn money for a living with their work. Exactly they were biggest group. Next step – kshatryas or warriors who skillfully mastered weapons and protected that society where they lived. They were responsible that in the world would be truthfulness, certain laws would work. And next category brahmans – keepers of knowledge.

Similar tradition of four varnas was also in our territories. Similarity is obvious. Those who in India they call:

– shudras, here – smerdy,
– vaishu, here – vesi,
– kshatrya, here – vitiaz,
– brahman – here – volhv or veduny.

We see different names for the same situation.

Human varna depends from accumulated experience of soul, what part of evolution completed in past lives. Word “varna” translates as “color” and primary means color of aura (energy human body) by which it was possible to define main strive (goals) of Soul that came to this world: “Brahman [is being of] white color, kshatrya – red color, vaishu – yellow color, shudra – black color” (“Vajrasuchika-upanishada”).

In Vedic society varna was assigned not by parents. Newborn used to bring to brahman, and brahman by mastered subtle vision, saw color of aura and evaluated soul evolution level and were making conclusions what lessons this soul need to get here, in which varna this human should look for his place in life.

In Kali-yuga all varnas mixed and it becomes more harder and harder to separate: “Between themselves mixes brahmans, kshatryas, vaishu and they (all) like shudras, neglecting truth and repentance. Low become middle and middle – low. That kind of world will be with the beginning of yugas end” (“Mahabharata”).

We live in period where for human it’s harder and harder to understand his purpose in life (reason why he borns) – it is on of the biggest problems of modern society. The one who by his qualities are shudra, now can speak lecture about spiritual topics, and spiritual practitioner in order to survive cleaning streets. In our epoch social activity do not match to inner human essence, with his abilities and possibilities. According to “Mahabharata” in the end of yogas: “Shudras will teach dharma and brahmans – listen them with respect and faith” (“Mahabharata”).

Ancient sages understood how important for human to remember who is he. For adequate spiritual growth it’s important to do exact those responsibilities, that matches level of soul evolution.

It’s possible to understand your varna by analyzing motivation, values, goals. Shudras mostly don’t want to do any social responsibilities and do it “under pressure.” To shudras belongs people who looks in life only pleasure. Generally, all life interests and motivation of shudras equal to several primitive needs: eat, sleep, protect themselves and reproduce. Shudras almost not able to control desires, we could say, that they are slaves of desires. In the end, members of that varna through pleasure they bring themselves to grief and suffering, through pleasures, they destroy their life: “All kind of pleasures, they sweet and fascinating, in one and another type they attract out soul… Those pleasures – my misfortune, in them are seed of loss, failures, bitter agony, danger” (“Sutta-nipata”).

Evolution growth for shudras goes through physical work. In many Vedic texts we can find that for shudras it’s stated to work physically by serving higher castes. It was established system that allowed evolutions for members of all varnas: “Kshatryas were serving brahmans, vaishu were dedicated to kshatryas, and shudras, was dedicated to brahmans and kshatryas, were serving vaishu” (“Mahabharata”). By serving those who reached in spiritual evolution much higher level and getting from them gratitude (merits, when you help somebody and they thanks thanks you for your help), human changes his destiny in this life and in future lives. Vaishu will serve warrior and gradually will become warrior, warrior by serving brahman, gradually will become brahman.

Goal for shudras – to overcome their laziness, gain discipline and ability to single-minded to given work. They are not able to adequately control their personal energy so that’s the reason why shudra should not stay free energy. Hard physical work uses energy on muladhara level (first chakra) and in “svadhistana” nonsenses (for example, sex), that related to second chakra, there just isn’t any energy left. In this situation hard physical work helps as the most reliable medicine from desires that will just kill person.

When shudra forms foundation of his life, when he satisfies his most primitive needs – all kind of wants and desires appears in his life. And problem even not in this, wants and desires also have members of other varnas. Problem, that desires of shudras is very non-stable. “I want that, what is now in front of my eyes”. Also shudra is not able to focus his attention to one object, to hold goal. For example shudra can not save money inorder to buy house or flat, he, in most situations, will spend it to momentary pleasures. Money is only one of the energy options, that appears in our world. But to any other energy shudra looks similar, by spending on entertainment, pleasures, by pleasing sexual desire, taste and other: “Tongue leads person to one direction, desire – to other, sexual feeling leads somewhere else, as skin, belly and ears – to other sides, nose leads him to one direction, eyes – to different, as desire to act leads somewhere else and all this destroys human, as a lot of wives [destroys] householder” (“Udhava-Gita”). Members of this varna did not mastered that level of relationship with world that allows to accumulate energy and put it into some goal (work).

Born as a shudra can get soul who had in previous live assets (material, energetically) and were not able to correctly use them. Now this soul borns without having almost nothing, For shudras it is very important that who will guide them to some how longer goal (for example, if you will not become drunk in the week, so on Monday you will get payment – says construction commander to his worker who likes to drink alcohol). In some kind of – shudras – they look very similar to small kids, they are not able to control their desires, orientate in life, to choose stable field for their interests. From this perspective all other varnas are more “mature”, more responsible, in comparison to those who born by having experience of shudra evolution level.

“Fall of” to shudras also can members of higher varnas. For example if vaishu or kshatryas starts to use alcohol or too much involves into sex, so in future lives he will be shudra, of course if he will still be in human world. In this exact life he will have a lot of desires and wants and no possibility to please them.

Next varna – vaishu. Here belongs businessmans, craftsmans, farmers. Those who earn money by using certain instruments of intellectual possibilities.

Vaishu attached to idea of accumulating. Their wealth could be expressed not only in form of money, it can be wealth of family (members-relatives), significant support from relatives, ancestors, reliable future, that were created by ancestors. For such people health are also like some kind of potential and wealth. Usually priority for vaishu are those: family, kids (here often using formula “prolongation of the family”), health, work. They live mostly for this.

Vaishu have enough-developed intelect. “Accountant from nature”, neatly adds up the numbers and mathematician, who happily counts integrals, uses possibilities of vaishu level.

For vaishu interesting only that, what he would say “mine.” Members of this varna can take care, but only about “their” children, “their” workers, “their” home. Exact in taking care about “their”, about this towards what he attached and realize human of vaishu-type. (Looking ahead we say that kshatryas start thinking at least about government interests or even more globaly – about justice. In life he do not think from level of attachments and do not look to it through point of view of love, that in his value system are in the last place).

Vaishu less than shudras dedicated to desires, they master sense of will, that allows to control themselves, control in certain level energy using and put accumulated resources to chosen goal. In this level appears wants and, the most important, possibility to direct energy to reach certain goal, appears motivation to self-actualization, need to do something independently. Vaishu can organize, for example his business, ake decisions ins limits, control workers.

Value of people who belongs to this varna always related with material side of life. Problem of vaishu is that they all their life-energy put to material world. For people in this step of evolution it’s hard to understand that this world is not only relates to material but from their point of view, “for money it’s possible to buy everything”. Vaishu do not understand whatever it’s impossible to touch, in their life-understanding there are no understanding as energy and karma, but without those understanding most of spiritual information becomes incomplete.

Vaishu should understand, that after everything that’s created in material world will be certain karma (consequences for our past actions). By creating material wellness and by leaving them after themselves, person should think about who and with what goals will use them. Blacksmith can forge wonderful sword but if this weapon will use bastards, part of karma will “go” to the one who created weapon.

Evolution growth of vaishu starts when he learn to satisfy all needs of material level, understood that can easily earn a lot of money, he has good family and a lot of kids…

But inside there are still emptiness. Then open two possibilities: or he understands that everything material still perishable, will ruin sooner or later and then he chooses brahman type of growth. Or by saving interest to material, start transforming of this world, by doing it more truthful, justice and goes away from serving to “himself” to serving society.

For him it becomes interesting level of politics and governance. In usual understanding shatrya – it is warrior. But it is not exact that. Interest of kshatrya more in governance, ability to manipulate people. Kshatrya brings to himself responsibility of society and understands that his members need to protect and guard, also from themselves. Not vaishu, not shudras they can not organize themselves, they need that one who are from the top and establishes order and discipline. In the path of kshatrya human comes with understanding that it should do exact him, and main understanding of kshatrya – righteousness (rightness, justice). Service of kshatrya in social life, he creates and controls that order how society should live.

Military art – it is only one method of power by strength to rule and hold power, protect “citizens”, control execution of established rules and exact in this situation ability to kill has value for them. Unfortunately, when evil is trying to be punished in the violent ways, it has certain consequences. By doing their responsibilities, kshatrya accumulates a lot of negative karma, related with killing, causing pain to other living being. For killing and violence they will have consequences. This moment it is the main problem for this varna.

Degree of responsibility for action depends on guna that person are, who do that action and from that how he is able to understand towards what leads his actions. Kshatryas who protect justice, live by dharma, to certain level they get energy of goodness (sattva), accordingly consequences of their action returns to them fast, by giving possibility to understand law of karma. Kshatryas already knows main principles of how world works, understand laws of society. Because of that punishment for mistakes for members of this varna will be quite tough.

They need to understand that principle of fighting evil with military methods are wrong. Those methods how kshatryas tries to solve problems have too many negative consequences, their consequences too hard and efficiency is not high. By accumulating significant experience warrior start to think and understand that it’s impossible to eliminate evil by killing. To the place of one enemies comes another. Warrior starts to understand that by cutting off the head he do not help for human to change to better side, that in future lives he will meet again his victim, just it will have different physical body, but it will save all energy problems and absolutely “sick” consciousness.

By understanding that through material (matter) transformation it’s impossible to essentially change anything, then kshatrya starts to study his own inner world (his own self), start working with personal mind (consciousness) and becomes brahman.

In modern society for kshatrya it’s also possible another option – disappointed by society kshatrya goes to world of illusions, to world of alcohol or computer games.

Kshatryas stands on the top of social pyramid. For next varna members brahmans already not interested such “toys for kids” as power, glory, honor, prestige. Usually to brahman life understanding comes people who in their past lives had a lot of lessons and understood low value of those interests that are the main to kshatryas, vaishu and shudras. For brahman interesting non-material values, he can absolutely be without possession to money or ownership just because he doesn’t need that.

Brahmans are looking for something more stable and they attracted by knowledge because they have eternal value. This class of people keep knowledge and maximum limits themselves in everything, for that knowledge. The more people have pleasures, the worse their mental and spiritual potential. And scriptures talks about this: “And for those who strive for knowledge can’t be pleasures. Or seeking pleasures should leave knowledge, or striving for knowledge should abandon pleasures” (“Mahabharata”). The more shudra, vaishu or kshatrya hunts, having fun, enjoying, the more primitive he becomes in the end of life.

Brahman from one side understands that every pleasure have his exact consequence – and those consequences – suffering. From another – that every pleasure – it is waste of energy. He tries maximum collect all his potential and realize it for the benefit of society. His service is to help surrounding people to grow (self-develop).

If you ever was in relation with very strong personality, Teacher from big letter, probably you noticed that just by being with him, in his energy, you felt yourself differently. By being with him came motivation, strength and desire to change. In some way brahmans live for this. They tries to keep their energy to certain high level, that people, who are near with them could get wellbeing. It’s possible to give for person a lot of important information – but without strengthening it with energy, it stays “senseless shaking of air.” Brahman changes people through his energy.

Process of human degradation or growth, also in the term of varnas, described by this dynamic: the more person desires for himself, the lower he will become. It is very slow, step by step, not always obvious process. The more person attached to his personal needs, pleasures, whatever it be “for himself”, the worse it will be for him. Person starts to move upwords only when through askesis declines his happiness now for some bigger happiness after and in the result – from his happiness to growth of others.

Brahman, in the ideal situation, absolutely should not have personal interests. He tries to act beyond his ego and beyond his wishes, only by doing will of world, will of gods. Hi born in this world not because he has a desire to live, but just because that he is needed here, that for people with whom he karmic related need help.

Practice of yoga orientated to maximum fast evolution, allows through one life to go through state of various varnas. In the ancient times varna was not a “seal”, that stated his life until death. By going through certain lessons and gaining potential, person were able to “grow up” from his varna and go to next, or opposite situation, to degrade – go to lower lever. “The on who born between shudras but attained high virtues, find oneself, o brahman, among vaishu and even kshatryas, and by living morally (righteous), he can born as brahman” (“Mahabharata”). In “Mahabharata” we find prescription to value people by their actions, not by their birth: “If brahman got bogged down in low vices, if he is arrogant and always does evil, he becomes as a shudra. And shudra who strongly seek for humility, truth and goodness, I honor as a brahman because he acts like twice-born” (“Mahabharata”). For shudra there are always there to grow, for brahman – there are always where to fall down.

To understand who you are, you need to separate your “real you” and what was added from society. From childhood for us enforce interests that are foreign (not ours) for our souls – seek to pleasures or to wealth, it’s interesting for shudras, mostly – for vaishu. You need to see what is deeper, under this added layer, something that really attract your soul.

Material from lecture of club OUM.RU teachers