[Advaita-l] Karma and Reincarnation - Birth as a Brahmin

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

Padmaji - My PraNAms.

First Vedanta does not endorse any accidents in life. All are
incidences, the causes for which could be unseen or adRiShTa, for us
with limited vision. 

The law of karma is impartial and operates until jiiva realizes his true
state.  Death is not the end of the life and birth is not the beginning
of the life either. The law of cause and effect is valid from birth to
death and therefore does not just disappear before birth or after death.
Hence Vedanta says your birth is the result of your past actions.  We
are borne in a particular family, as male or female, in an environment
dictated by our purva janma vaasanas. 

If we have sAtvic vasanas we will be borne in an environment for the
further evolution of these. 
A Brahman is one who has predominately sAtvic vasanas – not just the one
who is born in Brahman’s parents. 

A xatriya is one who has predominately rajasic with sAtvic vAsanas as
second.

A Vaisya is one with rajasic and tamasic vasanas.

And a Sudra is one with predominately tamasic vasanas.

These are mental make up of individuals - hence based on guNa which then
propels one to act according to his guNa  his actions (karma) differs.
This is the basis for classification of mental makeup.  This is
extensively discussed in Vajrasuchi Upanishad.

This classification is universal - and applies to all human beings who
have mind and intellect to feel and to think.

This classification is intended not to judge others, whether the other
is Brahman or Sudra but to judge oneself to see what type of shadhana
would help for one to progress.

Marrying another that is compatible with one’s vAsanas would help, but
that is not guaranteed!

Hence classification is not by birth.
 
Although the birth in a given environment would help to evolve the
particular guNas and therefore one's birth can be dictated by previous
vasanas.

Krishna answers to Arjuna question in Ch. 6 - what happens to the one
who is on his way to evolution and dies suddenly?  Krishna answers that
he will be born in the next life in an environment that is conducive for
his rapid growth.  Hence nothing will be lost. 

Castes are developed latter on the basis of birth - but that is only
secondary compared to the evolution of the mind and intellect.  As one
evolves and developed saatvik vasanas and tunes his mind to Brahman, he
becomes Brahmana by guNa and karma. 

Hope this answers your question.


Hari OM!
Sadananda
   



--- Anbu sivam2 <anbesivam2 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Sri Sadananda,
> 
> My wife has the following question.  Could you pl. help her.
> 
> Pranaams,
> Anbu
> 
> Dear Sri Sadananda,
> 
> Many Pranaams to you.  I was reading a discussion thread  in
> Kanchiforum.orgin which a person is saying that there is no scriptural
> proof (either in
> Sruthi or Smrithi) to the effect that poorva punya causes a person to
> be
> born as a Brahmana or a Kshathriya or a Vaisya or Sudhra.  Even though
> it
> was pointed that if it was not the case of a person's birth in a
> particular
> varna would be an accident and not caused (by poorva punya).  Such
> accidents
> are impermissible in the theory of cause and effect that constitute
> Karma
> and reincarnation.  However that gentleman seem to be insisting on
> proof
> from the scriptures.  The only person with a ocean of knowledge that I
> could
> turn to is you.  Could you please help me.
> 
> Pranaams again,
> Padma
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