Dalit B. R. Ambedkar, an Indian social reformer and politician who came from a social group that was considered "untouchable," theorized that untouchability originated because of the deliberate policy of the elitist Brahmins (brahmanas).
According to him, the Brahmins despised the people who gave up Brahmanism (the Brahminical religion) in favor of Buddhism or Jainism (shramana, "wandering ascetic" shamanic traditions).
Later scholars such as Vivekanand Jha have refuted this theory [10]. Professor of History Nripendra Kumar Dutt theorized that the concept of untouchability originated from the "pariah"-like treatment accorded to the indigenous people of India by the early Dravidians, and that the concept was borrowed by the Indo-Aryans from the Dravidians.
Scholars such as R. S. Sharma have rejected this theory, arguing that there is no evidence that Dravidians practiced untouchability before coming into contact with the Indo-Aryans [10]. Austrian ethnologist Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf theorized that untouchability originated as class stratification in urban areas of the Indus Valley Civilization. According to this theory, the poorer workers involved in "unclean" occupations such as sweeping or leather work were historically segregated and banished outside the city limits. Over time, personal cleanliness came to be identified with "purity," and the concept of untouchability eventually spread to rural areas as well. After the decline of the Indus Valley towns, these "untouchables" probably spread to other parts of India [11].
Scholars such as Suvira Jaiswal reject this theory, arguing that it lacks evidence and does not explain why the concept of untouchability is more pronounced in rural areas [12].
American scholar George L. Hart, based on his interpretation of Old Tamil texts such as Purananuru, traced the origin of untouchability to ancient Tamil society. According to him, in this society, certain occupational groups were thought to be involved in controlling the malevolent supernatural forces; as an example, Hart mentions the Paraiyars, who played the drums during battles and solemn events such as births and deaths. People from these occupational groups came to be avoided by others, who believed that they were "dangerous and had the power to pollute the others" [13].
Jaiswal dismisses the evidence produced by Hart as "extremely weak" and contradictory. Jaiswal points out that the authors of the ancient Tamil texts included several Brahmanas (a fact accepted by Hart); thus, the society described in these texts was already under Brahmanical influence and could have borrowed the concept of untouchability from Brahmins [14]. More
(Ancestry Code) June 22, 2025: Underneath the surface of modern Mexico (officially called the United Mexican States) lies a tangled legacy of Indigenous ancestry, Spanish (Iberian European) conquest, and a brutal caste (casta) system designed to divide and control based on racial superiority with pure peninsular Spanish at the top. This video uncovers the shocking genetic and social consequences of colonization, from the erasure of native bloodlines to the invention of racial categories that still echo today.
When he spoke this way, the Blessed One said to the Brahmin: "Do you know, Brahmin, who an outcast is and what the conditions are that make one an outcast?"
The Buddha was much respected.
"Actually, no, Venerable Gautama, I do not know who an outcast is nor the conditions that make one an outcast. It would be good if Venerable Gautama were to explain the Dhamma to me so that I might know who an outcast is and what the conditions are that make one an outcast."
[The abusive terms used by the Brahmin and the respectful address that follows need a word of explanation. The Brahmin had just prepared his offering to his God, Great Brahma, when his eyes fell upon the Buddha. To the Brahmin the sight of a wandering ascetic (samana), a shaven-headed recluse, is an unlucky omen. So he burst into angry words. The Buddha, however, was unruffled and spoke to him gently in words with a soft cadence. The Brahmin was apparently ashamed of his unskillful outburst and, repenting of his folly, addressed the Buddha courteously. Commentary: Note the Buddha's emphasis on anger and hatred in his very first stanza.]
"Listen then, Brahmin, and pay attention. I will explain."
"Yes, Venerable Sir," replied the Brahmin.
1. "Whoever is angry, harbors hatred, and is reluctant to speak well of others [discredits the good of others], perverse in views, deceitful — know that person as an outcast.
2. "Whoever in this world kills living beings, once born or twice born,* in whom there is no sympathy for living beings — know that person as an outcast.
[*Dvijam, birds, are "twice-born" in that they are first born as an egg and then are born again out of their shells when they hatch.]
3. "Whoever destroys and besieges villages and hamlets and becomes notorious as an oppressor — know that person as an outcast.
4. "Be it in village or forest, whoever steals what belongs to others, what is not freely given — know that person as an outcast.
5. "Whoever having actually incurred a debt runs away when pressed to pay it, saying, 'I owe no debt to you' — know that person as an outcast.
6. "Whoever, coveting anything, kills a person going along the road, and grabs whatever that person has — know that person as an outcast.
7. "One who for one's own sake or for the sake of another or for the sake of wealth, utters lies when questioned as a witness — know that person as an outcast.
8. "Whoever by force [rape] or with consent [adultery] associates with the spouses of relatives or friends — know that person as an outcast.
Good karma: Treat parents like buddhas.
9. "Whoever having wealth supports not one's own mother and father who have grown old — know that person as an outcast.
10. "Whoever strikes and annoys by [harsh] speech, mother, father, brother, sister, mother-in-law, or father-in-law — know that person as an outcast.
11. "Whoever, when questioned about what is good, says what is detrimental, and talks in an evasive manner — know that person as an outcast.
12. "Whoever, having committed an unskillful deed, wishes that it may not be discovered by others, and commits harm in secret — know that person as an outcast.
13. "Whoever, having gone to another's house and partaken of choice food, does not honor that host by offering food when receiving a visit — know that person as an outcast.
14. "Whoever deceives a Brahmin priest or wandering ascetic or any other mendicant [alms person] by uttering lies — know that person as an outcast.
15. "Whoever when a Brahmin or wandering ascetic appears during mealtime angers that person by harsh speech and does not offer that person [any alms] — know that person as an outcast.
16. "Whoever in this world, shrouded by ignorance, speaks harsh words (asatam) or falsehood [asantamtipi patho (SnA)] expecting to gain something — know that person as an outcast.
17. "Whoever, debased by pride, exalts oneself and belittles others — know that person as an outcast.
18. "Whoever is given to anger, is miserly, has base desires, and is selfish, deceitful, shameless, and fearless [in doing what is unskillful] — know that person as an outcast.
19. "Whoever reviles the Enlightened One [the Buddha], a disciple of the Buddha, a recluse, or a householder — know that person as an outcast.
20. "Whoever not being an enlightened person, a consummate one, pretends to be one, is a thief in the whole universe — the lowest of outcasts.
21. "Not by birth is one an outcast; not by birth is one a Brahmin. By deed one becomes an outcast, and by deed one becomes a Brahmin.
22. "Know by the example now cited [the fact that by birth one is not an outcast]: There was an outcast's son, Sopaka, who became known as Matanga.
23. "This Matanga attained the highest fame difficult to gain. Many were the warriors (kshatriyas) and Brahmins who went to attend on him.
24. "Mounting the celestial chariot [the Noble Eightfold Path, and driving] along the passion-free high road, [Sopaka, now a monk], reached the Brahma realm having given up sense-desires.
25. "His [lowly] birth did not prevent him from being reborn in the Brahma realm. There are Brahmins born in the family of preceptors, kinsmen of [Vedic] hymns.
26. "They are often seen committing unskillful deeds. In this life itself they are despised, in the next they are reborn in an unfortunate state of existence. High birth does not prevent them from falling into a woeful state or from censure [here and now].
27. "Not by birth is one an outcast; not by birth is one a Brahmin. By deed one becomes an outcast, and by deed one becomes an Brahmin."
Honoring the worthy ones is good karma.
When the Buddha had spoken, the Brahmin Aggika Bharadvaja said to him:
"Excellent, O Venerable Gautama, excellent! O Venerable Gautama, it is just as if a person were to set upright what had been overturned, or were to reveal what had been hidden, or were to point the way to one who had gone astray, or were to hold an oil lamp to the dark so that those with eyes might see things, even so in many ways has Venerable Gautama expounded the Dharma, the Doctrine.
"I go for guidance (sarana) to Venerable Gautama, the Dharma, and the [Arya-] Sangha [the community of those disciples along the stages of enlightenment]. May Venerable Gautama accept me as a lay follower who has gone for guidance from this day onwards so long as life lasts."
The Simpsons; Ven. Piyadassi Thera (trans.), Vasala Sutra: "The Discourse on Outcasts" (Sn 1.7, PTS Sn 116-142), 1999, edited by Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly, orig. published 6/21/20
Official prototype of $20 bill featuring Tubman with addition of the hint of a Mona Lisa smile.
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Proposed redesigns of the American 20 dollar bill: In a campaign called "Women on 20s," selected voters were asked to choose three of 15 female candidates to have a portrait on the $20 bill. The goal was to have a woman on the $20 bill by 2020, the centennial of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote [13]. Among the candidates on the petition were former slave Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Wilma [White-] Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation [14]. Who knows if low rent hoodlums and Vegas casino rats could ever get used to saying they're "all about the Tubmans"? More
What was it like to ride the Underground Railroad? It wasn't underground and wasn't a railroad
Harriet Tubman: They called her Moses (2018) | full movie | Dr. Eric Lewis Williams
(Vision Video) Discover the real Harriet Tubman (Araminta Ross, property of Anthony Thompson) in this compelling documentary narrated by Alfrelynn Roberts.
Kanye West, watch your mouth, Yeezy!
It features expert interviews with leading scholars, including Dr. Eric Lewis Williams of the Smithsonian Institute and Carl Westmoreland of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
It also features remarkable early 20th century audio recordings of African-American spirituals sung by former slaves. Harriet Tubman is a familiar and revered name in American history. But many are unfamiliar with the details of her remarkable story, the depth of her character, and the inner motivations that drove her.
Harriet Tubman was not a US military spy.
Born into slavery in Maryland in the 1820s, Harriet Tubman's resolute Christian faith would compel her to extraordinary acts of courage and sacrifice.
Through her selfless efforts, hundreds of African-American slaves escaped to freedom. Tubman's tenacious trust in God and love for others earned her the title "the Moses of her people."
Discover the real Harriet Tubman in this compelling documentary directed by Robert Fernandez and.
The USA will turn 200-years-old next year. Will we still be allowed to study American history, or will Trump, MAGA, and their anti-DEI movement succeed in erasing the past in the name of "color blindness"?
What we never knew about Harriet Tubman
(Smithsonian Channel) One of our nation's greatest heroes/heroines, Harriet Tubman led slaves north to freedom via secret paths and waterways, but her skills allegedly also made her a valuable military asset to the Union Army.
Manumission, or enfranchisement (emancipation), is the act of freeing slaves by their owners.
Different approaches to manumission were developed, each specific to the time and place of a particular society. Historian Verene Shepherd states that the most widely used term is gratuitous manumission, "the conferment of freedom on the enslaved by enslavers before the end of the slave system" [1].
Gregg Braden, what keeps us disempowered? - When was first legal interracial marriage in US?
The motivations for manumission were complex and varied. Firstly, it may present itself as a sentimental and benevolent gesture. One typical scenario was the freeing in the master's will of a devoted servant after long years of service.
A trusted bailiff might be manumitted as a gesture of gratitude. For those working as agricultural laborers or in workshops, there was little likelihood of being so noticed.
What about liberation from samsara, Graham Hancock?
In general, it was more common for older slaves to be given freedom.
Legislation under the early Roman Empire put limits on the number of slaves that could be freed in wills (lex Fufia Caninia, 2 BC), which suggests that it had been widely used.
Freeing slaves could serve the pragmatic interests of the owner. The prospect of manumission worked as an incentive for slaves to be industrious and compliant.
Roman slaves were paid a wage (peculium), which they could save up to buy themselves freedom. Manumission contracts, found in some abundance at Delphi (ancient Greece), specify in detail the prerequisites for liberation. More
Uncover the untold stories of thriving Black communities erased from the American map, their cultural legacy, and the impact of these purposeful tragedies on modern society.
Tulsa race massacre, the Black Wall Street massacre, was a two-day-long white supremacist terrorist massacre whites committed between May 31 and June 1, 1921: Mobs of white residents, some deputies armed by city government officials, ATTACKED Black residents and destroyed homes and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma
ABOUT: Black Culture Unlocked is a movement focused on bringing the raw truth and real history to the [mainstream] culture. Its mission is to write its own stories and unlock the minds of the culture to become free thinkers. Subscribe and turn on post notifications to join the movement 💰 Business inquiries ➡️ kingsonparade@gmail.com
Black Culture Unlocked, Dec. 22, 2024; Scott Pelley, 60 Minutes, 2020; Extra History (animation); Amy Goodman, DemocracyNow.org, 2021; Seth Auberon, CC Liu, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
It is said "tomorrow never knows," but if it is only said by the Beatles on reefer on a trip to India to meet their sex guru to learn TM, well, maybe today knows. Is it a mad, mad world, grinding on in the Magaverse, or is there a new dawn of endless war, stealth CIA rule, and business prosperity for all the arms manufacturers in the country? Who can know, who can know? Stewart Swerdlow says he knows; he heard it from working in the secret government as a back channel to Russia and Putin with Laura Eisenhower, daughter of a previous president. The Cheneys align on one side against the egomaniacal monster, championing the "little guy," the current replacement for the genocidal doddering old fool in the office now. She's the next Obama, ushering in war after war with not much opposition because it's her and not them. We're played like fools right down the middle. We vote Green and put our trust in Jill Stein, Andrew D. Basiago, Jimmy Dore, Tulsi Gabbard, Mike MacRae, and RFK Jr. It's a choice, the only choice. Yes, the monster should be in prison, and maybe he'll be sentenced, or the next paid assassin won't miss, either way or another, Swerdlow says the future is Vance. That's JD to us all, President 47. Alan Watts had a lot to say about the future of politics:
"White Trash" historian Nancy Isenberg on J.D. Vance, "Hillbilly Elegy," and class in America
(Democracy Now!) July 18, 2024: American historian and the author of White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America, Nancy Isenberg, calls Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance a peddler of the "self-made man myth." Isenberg criticizes Hillbilly Elegy, the memoir that propelled him to fame, as a deceptive way of selling this myth and the conservative politics it comes with.
"Much of what his memoir says tells us nothing about real class conditions," Isenberg says, pointing to her own historical and sociological research on the rural poor in the United States.
ABOUT: Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET.
Subscribe to our Daily Email Digest: https://democracynow.org/subscribe
The Surreal Fashion of Mexico City's Urban Tribes | States of Undress
(Refinery29) In Mexico City, familiar subcultures like punk and emo transform into warring urban tribes. Hailey goes to all corners of the city to find out why these unique identities have taken hold.
This episode of States of Undress originally aired on VICE TV in 2017.
(Mexican Institute of Sound) Who dares to sing about "Mexico"?
ABOUT: In the series States of Undress, Hailey Gates explores global fashion and issues the industry often ignores, showing us what the world wears, and why. #mexicocity
ABOUT: Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life. refinery29.com
It's Been a Minute; Fresh Air Weekend, 1/13/24; CC Liu, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
S.K. Brown, American Fiction (Amy Sussman)
American Fiction is a movie one can spend hours discussing. Based on Percival Everett's novel Erasure, the movie is a satire of what the publishing industry wants from Black authors.
The film also belongs to a lineage of Black movies that look at selling out in the entertainment industry: from CB4 to Hollywood Shuffle.
But does American Fiction say anything new? Host Brittany Luse chats with Aisha Harris, NPR culture critic and co-host of Pop Culture Happy Hour, about her essay on what American Fiction gets right — and the cultural marks it misses.
This episode was produced by Barton Girdwood, Brittany Luse, and Liam McBain. It was edited by Jessica Placzek and Bilal Qureshi. Executive producer is Veralyn Williams. VP of programming is Yolanda Sangweni.
This week on Fresh Air:
Sterling K. Brown recommends taking it "moment to moment," on screen and in life: Brown won an Emmy for his portrayal of Christopher Darden in The People v. O.J. Simpson, and another for his role in This is Us. He now appears in the film American Fiction.
We can always choose. There's freedom of choice, not just in this country by throughout the universe.
But what if there's a gun up to your head?
All the better. Makes my choice easier. I have to want to do it to do it, don't I? Or else that person should take her hands and grab mine and do it for me. Before I do it, that gun has to be there, that threat of violence or imminent death. If there's no threat of great bodily harm, I'm not stirring.
Hot yoga poses are easier in a big group.
In all of these, I have to choose. The choice may get smaller and harder, but it's a choice the gun holder is counting on.
The young man held a gun to the head of God, "Stick this holy cow!" Put the audience in action; let the slaughtered take a bow. Did God do it? His/Her choice.
Hi, I'm Stella or "Yogihantas" on Instagram. Reach out. I'd love community input!
QUOTE: Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles. It takes away today's peace.
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So what if, whatever we do for New Year's Eve, we get up before noon and get over to the yoga studio for some Sun Salutations to greet the rising sky clock? Our choice. Habit is a strong predictor. The Sandman will hold the gun and say, "Stay in bed!" We could listen. Or we could do different.
Excellent instruction will be provided. Bring a mat and a water bottle. Everything else is available at the studio.
What's a Sun Salutation? First of all, no one needs to know to participate. Beginners are welcome. It will all be explained. But for those who are a bit an*l about jumping into things, it's a series of standing and bending poses that go both ways for balance. Here's a photo of it all at once from the India's Gandhi Airport.
Why 108? It's a holy number, a mala (rosary, full string of beads)
Begin at Mountain, rise up to a Back Bend arch, Forward Bend with the breath. (It's all about the breath, which unites or "yogifies" Sun and Moon, Yin and Yang, Bright and Dark, Effort and Repose, Inhale and Exhale to bring about a UNION of complementary parts thought of as opposites).
I've never felt so good at noon on New Year's
Hatha is said by some to mean "Sun-Moon," whereas others say that's not what it means. Close enough. Breathe out for effort, in for repose, which is the reverse of how we usually do things. There are video tutorials. After plank there's the most talked about yoga pose since Full Lotus: Downward Dog. There's Upward Dog, too, then Plank. It's a lovely series. And there will be a room full of others on their journey to a great New Year.
All proceeds from this donation-based event support Yoga Gives Back (networkforgood.com), a charity that provides education to children and micro-loans to outcaste women in India to help families rise from poverty by their own efforts.
Yogini Stella Han is an ambassador out to save the world, country by country. But why India? It's the world's largest nation, now surpassing China. Why children? C'mon, they're kids! Why women? Women are the root of the family, and family is the root of traditional Indian society.
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