Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karm and Responses:Blaming the Victim
By Vishal Agarwal
Objection: The Law of Karm promotes social inequalities like the caste system, and injustices like racism. This is because one is born into a certain Varṇa, Jāti, etc., due to his previous Karm and therefore, he is ‘supposed’ to suffer from social injustices.
Response: According to Śāstra, one is not passively reborn into a certain Varṇa or Jāti. Rather, during the last moments of death, one’s dominant Karmāśaya (residual Karm impression) and Vāsanā-s (desires and tendencies) come to the fore and shape the subtle body into a configuration that fits the physical form the individual will acquire during rebirth. From this understanding, our current physical birth is, in many ways, a result of the choices we made in past lives. In this way, we “choose” the form and state we are born into.
However, the extreme social stratification and inequities that exist across the world—whether in societies or others—are inconsistent with the spiritual core of Hindu Dharm, which teaches us to see the same Ātman and Īśvara in all beings, and to treat everyone with compassion, equality, and reverence. Scriptural examples of this universal vision include:
The wise see the same (Ātman) in a learned Brāhmaṇa endowed with humility, in a cow, in an elephant, and even in a dog or an outcaste. — Gītā 5.18
He excels, who regards equally a well-wisher, friend, enemy, neutral person, mediator, the despicable, a relative, the virtuous and the sinful. — Gītā 6.9
He who is disciplined by Yog sees his Ātman present in all beings, and all beings present in the Ātman – regarding all everywhere as the same. — Gītā 6.29
He who sees Me everywhere, and sees all things in Me, I am not lost to him and he is not lost to Me. — Gītā 6.30
The yogi who, established in unity, worships Me as abiding in all beings, lives in Me in whatever way he otherwise acts. — Gītā 6.31
Arjuna, he who sees equally everywhere, and regards all others as if they were his own Ātman, whether in pleasure or in pain, he is considered to be the perfect yogi. — Gītā 6.32
The learned ones see the same (Ātman) within a Brāhmaṇa who is endowed with knowledge and good family lineage, in a cow, elephant, dog, as well as in a dog-eater. — Mahābhārata 12.239.19
By whom this entire universe is pervaded, that Great Ātman indeed abides within every living creature as well as in inanimate objects. — Mahābhārata 12.239.20
When one perceives all creatures within himself, and himself within all creatures, then he reaches Brahman. — Mahābhārata 12.239.21
Just as a conscious Ātman exists within my body, an identical conscious Ātman likewise exists within the bodies of others – when one is constantly aware of this, he becomes eligible to attain immortality. — Mahābhārata 12.239.22