Acharya Prashant explains that the Indian caste system is a mental construct based on false notions of blood purity and superiority. He points out the hypocrisy of caste beliefs by highlighting that in life-threatening situations, such as a medical emergency requiring a blood transfusion, individuals do not inquire about the donor's caste. He asserts that everyone effectively has mixed blood and that the physical body, which is composed of basic elements, cannot possess a caste. Referring to the scriptures, he notes that birth only produces a physical being, and one's status is determined by the evolution of their consciousness and the choices they make in life. Citing the Vajrasuchika Upanishad, Acharya Prashant describes a dialogue where a sage leads a disciple to realize that caste resides neither in the body nor in the eternal self, but is merely an imagination of the mind. He argues that caste is a man-made concept that has outlived any perceived utility and must be dropped through self-knowledge. He emphasizes that the ego clutches onto caste due to inner ignorance. By understanding the nature of the mind, one can spontaneously drop caste along with other related irrationalities like ritualism, superstition, and violence, as they all stem from the same center of ignorance.
