Durgadas speaks about the difference between the material and social varna or castes of people.

 The Spiritual and Material Varna

by Durgadas (Rodney) Lingham

(c) Durgadas (Rodney) Lingham.
All Rights Reserved. 

We are often born within families and also possess karmic traits that dictate our varna or our unique "karmic colouring / shape" in this life. However, due to the workings of the modes of nature (guna) and the influence of the illusory (mayaic) nature of the material world, we are often persuaded to follow contrary paths to the detriment of ourselves and others, often self-hypnotising or deluding ourselves that "this is our path" or mission!

Varna here relates to one's own samskaras or karmic traits categorised into:

(a) Sattvic or Shveta (Pure or white) - natural teachers or the Brahmin caste of priests, physicians, mathematicians, social teachers and academics with spiritual insight

(b) Rajasic or Rakta (Passionate or Red) - natural materialistic people or the Royals and warriors as Kshatriya or warrior-caste of social leaders

(d) Tamasic or Krishna (Dark or Black) - natural servantile people who are better are earning money through trade, farming (Vaishyas) or working for others as labourers etc. (Shudras) that do not have the academic skills or spiritual nature and skills of Brahmins nor do they possess the natural ability to lead people or society or defend it, as Kshatriyas.

Here we will discuss the two types of varna:

Spiritual (Natural) Varna:

Our natural varna or caste is based upon our samskaras or karmic impressions of past-lives and activities, knowledge gained etc. and connects to our prarabdha, the total sum of these karmas that has shaped our current form. Natural varna here comes out in a completely natural manner from childhood, including remembrance of previous lives, knowledge that has not been imparted in this lifetime, a natural affinity for ancient languages as Latin, Sanskrit or Greek and ability to espouse and master as also understand them again without physical knowledge.

Such types of knowledge are hence intuitive and can be tested and cross-referenced. While many people believe they have them or possess them, much of these are based on the delusional types which we shall discuss also. True types here often rock the status quo in a more organic manner, are leaders and not followers with radical and often futuristic ideals unseen before.

Historically, these are the jati or birth varnas or shaping we receive as a result of our ancestors and their karmic traits and natural influences of our bloodline. In India for example, one born into a Brahmin or priestly family would become a teacher, doctor, philosopher etc. Kshatriyas have a natural family genetic trait of leadership, power etc. in their blood to become politicians etc., just as Vaishyas or merchants and farmers have their own traits and Shudras or servants their own also.

The reason such were often not shifted, was due to the belief that karmic links always fall within these. They can change however in rare Yogis, but such traits are again seen in their youth and by important subtle body signs of the past lives, as through the subtle karmic anatomy in the astrological charts reflecting these.If one changed caste, one would have to imbibe such traits spiritually, which often required some kind of "karmic manipulation / purgation" of samskaras as tapas or austerities to alter the karma, such as was done by Parashurama the great Brahmin who became a Kshatriya with such a drive that he created the entire system of Dhanurveda or Indian Martial Arts himself, due to his austerities.

Such types can be said to be Karmic types of the Varnas, living out their lives as per their own karmic traits or samskaras. Here, Arjuna in the Hindu epic Mahabharata had a karmic dharma to be a kshatriya, which meant killing his own relatives to uphold righteousness. It was also the prarabdha or the collective karmic traits of the Brahmin-Hindu born Sri Ramana Maharishi near the holy land of Arunachala that made him attain atmajnana or self-knowledge at the tender age of sixteen. Such cannot be imitated!

Such examples were Maharishi Dayananda Sarasvati, Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda, who had radical ideas for reform, based upon tradition and also created their own unique paths and visions, insights and Yoga traditions to do so. They were clones of no-one! 

Materialistic (Delusional) Varna:

Forced varna is that shaped by our societies, whether parents, peers or educators against our natural inclinations. Here it can become delusional in that such types as academics such as philosophy, history and linguistics majors may project upon the world to validate those paths they have physically learnt about, but have no true natural or karmic affinity with! The modern regime of "Social Justice Warriors" that generally form a part of other movements as zealous proselytisers or missionaries of others' ideas fall in here and such types are more parrots, lecturers etc.

The modern "Social Justice Warrior" types are basically the shudra or labouring types who won't actually risk much to stand up for a principle, such as social activists. They are not true Kshatriyas or warriors who will defend and uphold tradition and the traditions of the Brahmins against attacks; instead they are "pen and paper" warriors who also shy away from upsetting key people or groups necessary to uphold dharma or righteousness and instead manipulate people into thinking they are "defenders / warriors", but in reality, are still in the labouring tamasic mode of types historically too shy to hold an actual sword and defend through cutting statements of truth and attack! They like to hide behind others and firewalls etc. like the proverbial "conscientious objectors" in real wars or battles! In short, they are Mudha-Kshatriyas or delusional warriors, not true karmic warriors.

Unlike those who change castes and spiritually manipulate their karmas, the materialistic or delusional varna types "force" themselves to change in a more physical manner, ignoring any internal changes of samskaras or inborn traits that is first required. This often fails. The historical example is Ravana the great King of Sri Lanka who was an Ayurvedic Physician, Astrologer and Vedic Scholar-Poet who decided to acquire powers for becoming a Kshatriya or warrior and King. Due to his Brahmanical egotism however as a respected teacher, he didn't have the ability to handle the powers or adulation of the masses that a true Kshatriya can and thus it quickly went to his head - thus history says he had the ego of ten people as a result! We can connect this to modern-day politicians also who don't have a natural affinity to lead, rule or govern and become corrupt, due to genetic and karmic samskaras of not being used to or able to handle power. Many modern Hindu Gurus who create personality-cults and cult-followings are also of thus delusional varna-type.

Such people are hence Mudha or delusional types of varnas and thus often transgress traditional views and values while wanting to be seen as defending dharma, due to their non-existent samskaras or karmic aptitude to actually do so. Such people are also the neo-Vedantin types today who imitate Sri Ramana Maharishi and often have no understanding, study or even basic foundation in the systems they espouse, repeating the realisations of true Rishis and masters in order to gain a false following.

Mahatma Gandhi is one such example who became infatuated with non-traditional ideas of the West and superimposed these upon the Vedic. Modern New-Age, neo-Pagan and Gnostic movements also fall into these delusional varna categories, especially those who seek to imitate traditional Tantrics, Yogis and Healers, having no affinity, respect or deep knowledge of such traditions and end up actually misrepresenting these as a result of posing as something they are not!  Such types often reinvent things to fit into their preconceived clone thinking patterns!

In conclusion, we can see the historical basis of the caste systems and also the differences between the natural and the forced or delusional types. This is also the difference between insightful and the intellectual types, which can be differentiated from one-another within the traditional systems. Many traditional teachers can repeat ideas, but expand and add on to them as a consequence of their birth castes and upbringing or continuation of familial traditions, which the delusional types often seek to imitate and clone these types, but often like parrots, miss the important aspects, depth of insight and innate creative ability!