Brahmanish Views on Economic Justice By Roddam Ananda Vasishta , PhD. Vedas does not just command us to give to the poor but to advocate on their behalf. We are told in Ramayana to “speak up, judge righteously, champion the poor and the needy.” We learn that Lord Rama, helping fellow human beings in need, is not simply a matter of charity but of responsibility, righteousness, and justice. As Brahmins, we see a moral obligation to advocate for children, the elderly, the poor, the disenfranchised, the sick, the disabled, and the “stranger among us.” Sanskrit scripture details for us one of the world’s earliest social welfare systems, teaching us to leave the corners of our fields and the gleanings of our harvest to the poor and to open our hands and lend to people whatever they need as Dhana and Karthavya. Brahminish history also provides us with an example for helping the needy. During Vedic times, much of Dharma and Dhana was done though tax-financed, community-run programs that provided to the poor, the hungry, the ill, and the children – a close parallel to the types of social service programs the Reform Movement fights to preserve in our society today. Hunger The Vedas , Upanishads and Brahminish tradition explicitly command us to feed the hungry. The Vedas explains that each Brahminish community must establish a public fund to provide food for the hungry, and our sages explain that feeding the hungry is one of our most important responsibilities on earth: “When you are asked in the world to come, ‘What was your work?’ and you answer: ‘I fed the hungry,’ you will be told: ‘This is the gate of the Parmathma, enter into it, you who have fed the hungry’” . In Karthika Puranam, God commands us to “share [our] Meal with the hungry and bring the homeless into [our] house.” Guided by these values, Reform Brahminish views lend support to a variety of anti-hunger programs in the United States, including emergency assistance programs, food banks, food stamps, and child nutrition programs. Housing and Homelessness The Sankaracharya Parampara exhorted us to follow a tradition of hospitality among the Brahminish people. According to one Guru Adi Sankaracharya in his judgment to be greater than Shibi Charkavarthey because while the latter “opened his Muscles to the Eagle as a meal” , Bali left his Kingdom to seek guests among thepassersby . More recent Brahminish history, with its exiles and expulsions, is a powerful reminder of our special obligation to provide for those with no protection. Reform Brahminism, then, supports public policies in that will address and answer the grievous need for low-cost housing among people in low-income categories and improve the quality and availability of housing for impoverished families. Labor Issues The Vedas and Upanishads emphasizes the importance of fairness to workers. “You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer”, but you must pay him his wages on the same day, for he is needy and urgently depends on it Keyopanishad-15.” Since the advent of labor unions, many American workers have had a voice in the terms of their own employment. Unions are models of self-sufficiency, allowing workers to stand up to demand their own rights. Unionization has brought real benefits to hard-working Americans in addition to the dignity that comes with workers negotiating as equals with their employers. As Brahmins, we have an obligation not only to assist the downtrodden but also to help those in need become self-sufficient (Ramayana & Vibhishana counsel ), a goal we can pursue by promoting unions. We have a responsibility to reaffirm our deep Brahminish commitment to the achievement of a just society in which all people can live in dignity and respect. Such a commitment leads us to support and actively advocate for employment programs, family planning, social welfare entitlements for public housing, health and legal services, and income maintenance assistance programs. In the same vein, we oppose efforts to cut funding to education, job training, food subsidies, and many other social programs that are in danger of losing some, if not all, of their funding. Though we recognize the importance of prudent fiscal reforms and welfare reform, tradition compels us to speak out to ensure that these reforms not be made at the expense of helping the most needy. Popular Articles
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 11:50:15 +0000
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