Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karma and Responses:Blaming the Victim
By Vishal Agarwal
Objection: The Law of Karma promotes Social Inequalities like the Caste System, and Injustices like Racism. This is because one is born into a certain caste etc., due to his previous Karma and therefore, he is ‘supposed’ to suffer from social injustices.
Response: According to Hindu scriptures, one is not passively reborn into a certain caste, race etc. Rather, during the last moments of his death, his dominant Karmāshaya and Vāsanā-s come to the fore and shape his subtle body into a certain configuration that fits the physical form that he will acquire during rebirth. From this understanding, our current physical birth is, in some ways a result of the choices that we have made in the past life. Therefore, we ‘choose’ the form and state that we are born into. Having said that, the extreme social stratification and other inequities that we see in societies all over the world, whether Hindu or not, are inconsistent with Hindu spiritual teachings that ask us to see the same ātmā and Lord in every creature, treat all with respect and serve everyone. Examples of such a teaching are-
The wise see the same (Ātman) in a learned Brahmana endowed with humility, in a cow, in an elephant, and even in a dog or in an outcaste. Gita 5.18
He excels, who regards equally well-wisher, friend, enemy, neutral, mediators, despicable persons, and kinsmen, and even the virtuous and the evil. Gita 6.9
He who is disciplined by Yoga sees his ātmā present in all beings, and all beings present in the ātmā – regarding all everywhere as the same. Gita 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. Gita 6.30
The yogi who, established in Unity, worships Me as abiding in all beings, lives in Me in whatever way he otherwise acts. Gita 6.31
Arjuna, he who sees equally everywhere, and regards all others as if they were his own ātmā, whether in pleasure or in pain, he is considered to be the perfect yogi. Gita 6.32
Pandits see the same (Ātman) within a Brahmana who is endowed with knowledge and a 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 the 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 has a constantly aware of this, he becomes eligible to of attain immortality. Mahābhārata 12.239.22