“One’s own dharma, even devoid of merit, is preferable to the dharma of another though well performed. Even death in the performance of your dharma brings blessedness, another’s dharma is fraught with anxiety” – Bhagwad Gita
a) The Educators (brahmins)
b) The Warriors (kshatriyas)
c) The Merchants (vaishyas)
d) The Labourers (shudras)
e) The Outsiders (malecchas)
These are the five human sub-species, as Vedic wisdom tells us. We must drop our preconceptions about any of them being higher or lower, pure or impure. The educators are the philosophers and teachers of a society; the warriors are its protectors and leaders; the merchants grow society as they direct the flow of goods and services; labourers bring the community together as they consume goods and services; while the outsiders are the rebels and innovators. Each one complements others to make an organic whole.
Educators: Brahmins
The educators are the best thinkers.The intellectually curious lot who are constantly learning, and teaching, be it the intricacies of quantum physics, the life-saving herbs of the Amazonian rain forest or the arcane scriptures of religion. These educators are the counsellors, the guides who urge others to realize and fulfill their individual dharmas. Theirs is a lifelong quest for knowledge with little practical advantage for themselves, more often than not. The educators may not have the highest earning potentials because the realm of philosophy and knowledge is not the most easy to monetise. Baruch Spinoza, one of the most significant philosophers from the seventeenth century, lived and died a lens grinder. His astounding works were published posthumously and elevated him to the status of ‘thinker extraordinaire’. Many such examples of people whose seminal ideas became cultures only after their lifetime, are rampant in history. The Vedic society did not expect the Brahmans to earn a living, it fed, clothed, and cared for them. In return, society received wisdom and insightful guidance from these intellectuals.
The educators can become more assertive and independent when they borrow the constructive qualities of the Warrior dharma type. The Warrior and the Educator have a natural affinity for each other, a natural kinship. Remember the ‘King and the wise sage’ a recurrent feature of many folk lore and myths? The sage often advised the king sages on political, economic and personal matters, and the king endorsed, protected, and sustained the sage in return. The educator must imbibe the warrior qualities of self-determination, self motivation and discipline. In fact, the educator must evolve with these warrior qualities, for his highest self expression and progress. The sage must relate closely with the king.
The central, principal quality of a brahmin /educator is Gyan- Knowledge.
Albert Einstein as the paradigm shifting scientist, Julia Child as the culinary genius, Moses as the reluctant yet seminal prophet, Bob Dylan as the politically and socially impactful musician, Barack Obama as the intellectual president, or Tiger Woods as the golf stalwart. All of these people are the educators, the brahmins of our society, it’s civilizing force.
Warriors: Kshatriyas
The warriors of a society are its protectors, its leaders, its rule enforcers. They have the gifts of grit, passion, drive and discipline. They challenge themselves and others to achieve beyond their limitations by testing their endurance. They are the world-class athletes, the doctors, the lawyers and the soldiers. They motivate themselves and others, they protect the weak and deprived, they re- establish fairness and justice. They are tough on others and on themselves, they punish wrong doers and unfairness. They are kings, the leaders, the commanders. Rama, the avatar king of Ramayana was the just warrior who banished his wife Sita from the kingdom, notwithstanding who she was because society deemed her guilty.
The warrior’s purpose is to attain discernment and wisdom to become a better leader and protector. The warrior must thus closely relate with the educator, look up to him for guidance and good counsel. In fact, a warrior must evolve to imbibe characteristics of the educator, for his maximum self expression, for his highest progress.
The central, principal quality of a warrior is ‘Tapas’: discipline, grit, self-control, will and restraint.
Buddha was the severely ascetic monk, George Clooney and Angelina Jolie are the aggressive humanitarians. They often call Joe Biden as the most influential U.S. vice president in history because of his pugnacious enthusiasm. Adolf Hitler was so strongly focused on building an ‘Aryan’ race he committed the most heinous human rights atrocities. Arnold Schwarzenegger was an immigrant who became not only a successful Hollywood celebrity, but held important political positions, with his grit and passion. These people are the warrior dharma types in their essences.
Merchant: Vaishya
The merchants are the animators of society, they inspire and entertain; they are the brokers of pleasure and hope. They have the entrepreneurial streak; they are the go-getters and the high achievers. The merchants are naturally talented at providing food, shelter, clothing, entertainment; they network and make deals. They are talented salespeople; they are glib talkers, these dream hawkers. The merchants show us how aesthetic and sensuous, comfortable and pleasurable life can be.
The purpose of the merchant type is to benefit the other types with their material wealth and prosperity. They must help, assist the other types to prosper and progress by sharing with them the money, goods, comfort and pleasures they generate. Hoarding, selfishness, and generating money for the sake of money will ultimately leave the merchant unfulfilled and incomplete.
The merchant has a natural affinity for the labourer type; they work with the labourers, for them. Nowhere is the merchant-labourer kinship more apparent that the current society, which runs on massive corporations started by a merchant-businessman, and held together by its nuts and bolts- the labourer workers. The merchant type must sustain and provide for the labourer type, who keep the organism of a business alive. They keep a corporate, a society, a comunity alive and kicking. In the journey of their dharmic consummation, the merchant must draw from the qualities of the labourer; the attributes of love, devotion, loyalty and community building. They cannot, must not serve themselves alone.
The central, principle quality of a merchant is Karma and Seva: selfless action and service.
Krishna was the merchant ‘God’, whose life is full of colourful and entertaining anecdotes; from childhood exploits to youthful romantic escapades. From lustrous lover to consummate politician and war-broker. Bill Clinton with his charming leadership, Kim Kardashian with her unabashed self promotion, Elvis Presley with his adorable signature style, Kurt Cobain with his inescapable ‘Nirvana’ legacy, even in death. These are the classic merchant types, whose charisma became a force for good in the world sometimes, while at others, it ended in addiction and death.
Labourers: Shudra
Labourers are the soldiers on the ground, the workers in the field. The meat and potatoes, the brick and mortar of the community. They inherently possess the family and community forming impulse. They devote themselves wholly, they are loyal and loving. Labourers are fiercely loyal to their tribes, and the devotion and loyalty they offer is the reward in itself. They are the nourishers of the world; the loving sacrificing mothers, the compassionate nurses, the effective therapists. Labourers are also skilled at manual jobs, at professions requiring dexterity, precision and detailing. They are the engineers who build things, the artisans and craftsmen who produce intricate works of great beauty.
The labourers must imbibe in themselves the qualities of a merchant to progress and maximize their potentials. They must learn the art of networking and effective selling. They must learn to exude charm, to self-promote and to sensuously inspire. When they do so, labourers turn into a force of love and devotion for the world.
The central, principal quality of labourers is: Bhakti and Seva: Devotion and service
Oprah Winfrey is one such labourer type who with her palpable charisma has become one of the most loved people on the planet. She provides a platform for bringing people and communities together, she sells their ideas and helps build their careers. She shares her fame and success with them. She is the epitome of an evolved labourer who cashed in on the typical qualities of a merchant for the greater common good.
Mother Teresa was a labourer type, who worked quietly and untiringly in the orphanages of Calcutta in India. Franklin Roosevelt and Al Gore are the labourer type politicians who were grounded and self effacing. Clint Eastwood and Al Pacino are the Hollywood celebrities who possess the charm of merchants and the devotional loyalty of the labourers, they bring people together for greater endeavours.
Outsiders/ Malecchas: Untouchables
The outsiders are the rebels; the revolutionaries and path breakers. They hate to conform; they forge their own paths, and when they succeed, they become the trendsetters. They are the people who fit nowhere but can see through the ills and problems of the status quo. They seem to have an outside view of all the disorders that plague society, which others are content with. The outsiders desire freedom from everything, but this freedom also makes them anxious and confused. Till they are unevolved, the outsiders feel lost. Not knowing what to do, they simply rebel. However, when an outsider goes off into isolation, away from society on her individual quest, she finds treasures unseen and unheard of. She returns with these exotic treasures, these pearls of wisdom. New ways of living, new ways of being. When this rebel evolves, they are a rebel with a good cause.
The outsiders have no clear dharma, and their purpose is to find out what it is. They can take on any role; educator, warrior, merchant or labourer for periods, in cycles, or for their entire lifetimes. When evolved, they bring innovation and novelty to whichever role suits them best. Their purpose is also to show others what freedom means. The freedom from old ways of thinking, looking, living and being. Outsiders create their own unique styles, unique personalities, which is many times jarringly pronounced.
An outsider has no fixed central quality. He imbibes the qualities of the dharma type he chooses to be.
Jesus Christ was the Outsider saint, a revolutionary misfit, among Jews and Romans. He took up the role of a labourer to bring a community together in solidarity. Johnny Depp, Sting, Jimmy Hendrix and John Lennon are not famous for their craft but also for their standout personas, which screams ‘outsider /rebel’. The unroyal Lady Diana who followed her heart out of the uptight and proper royal life; Martin Luther King, who fused Gandhi’s principles of non-violence with the civil rights war in America. These are the charming outsider merchants. Even Ravana, the seemingly malicious wife-kidnapper in the epic ‘Ramayana’ was actually an extremely learned and accomplished king. He was the outsider warrior. Bill gates and Steve Jobs are outsiders who took up the roles of educators, they were the harbingers of innovation in thought. They dismantled old structures and ushered in new frameworks.