On Thoughts and Aphorisms

Aphorism - 192

192—The old Indian social ideal demanded of the priest voluntary simplicity of life, purity, learning and the gratuitous instruction of the community, of the prince, war, government, protection of the weak and the giving up of his life in the battle-field, of the merchant, trade, gain and the return of his gains to the community by free giving, of the serf, labour for the rest and material havings.

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In atonement for his serfhood, it spared him the tax of self-denial, the tax of blood and the tax of his riches.

In the beginning, about six thousand years ago, this was absolutely true, and each individual was classed according to his nature. Afterwards it became a rigid and more and more arbitrary social convenience (according to birth), which completely ignored the true nature of the individual. It became a false conception and had to disappear.

But gradually, with human progress, human activities are being classified more and more in a similar, less rigid but much truer way (according to each one's nature and capacity).

7 November 1969