QA on racism Q 1 From a spiritual perspective, why does racism exist?

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QA on Racism – Q1: From a spiritual perspective, why does racism exist?

Question: From a spiritual perspective, why does racism exist?

Answer:

To understand why racism exists from a spiritual perspective, we first need to define what racism is.

At a basic level, racism is a form of discrimination where people are judged and treated unfairly based on their race, often perceived in terms of skin color, ethnicity, or lineage. However, the very concept of race is not a clear-cut scientific category. It is widely debated whether race has a strong biological basis or if it is primarily a social construct.

From the spiritual viewpoint of the Bhagavad-gita, racism—and discrimination in general—can be understood in terms of how we see others based on the modes of material nature (guna).

Let’s break this down into four levels:

1. Spiritual Identity
   In the mode of goodness (sattva), we recognize that all living beings are spiritual souls, part of the divine. This vision leads to equality, compassion, and unity.
2. Bodily Identification
   In the mode of passion (rajas), we identify people with their bodies—their appearance, gender, race, etc.—and judge their worth based on these temporary external factors.
3. Stereotyped Reductionism
   In the mode of ignorance (tamas), we reduce people even further—to just one trait like skin color, caste, or economic status—and treat them as inferior or superior based solely on that. This is the root of racism.
4. False Knowledge = Ignorance Disguised as Wisdom
   In Bhagavad-gita 18.20–22, Krishna describes three kinds of knowledge. The knowledge in ignorance is where we think we know, but our understanding is narrow and misleading. For example, thinking, “All people of this race are like this,” is not real knowledge—it is ignorance disguised as understanding.

So why does racism exist?

It exists because we lack a holistic vision of reality and others. When we reduce people to their physical appearance or a single trait, we overlook the spiritual essence that unites us all. This leads to segregation, prejudice, and division—of which racism is a glaring example.

True spiritual wisdom enables us to look beyond the body and see the soul within. When that vision becomes widespread, discrimination—including racism—can be uprooted.

Bonus QA: Does Brahmaloka refer to the abode of Brahma or to the Brahman effulgence?

Answer:

The term Brahmaloka can refer to either the abode of Lord Brahma or the Brahman effulgence, depending on the context.

Let’s understand why:

• The word “Brahma” in Sanskrit has multiple meanings:
  • It can refer to Lord Brahma, the first created being in the universe.
  • It can also refer to Brahman, the impersonal, all-pervading spiritual reality.
• Similarly, “loka” means abode or realm. So Brahmaloka can mean:
  1. The topmost planet in the material universe, where Lord Brahma resides.
  2. The spiritual realm of Brahman effulgence, where souls who attain impersonal liberation reside.

For example:

• When discussing the structure of the universe, Brahmaloka generally means the planet of Lord Brahma.
• When discussing liberation or post-death destinations, Brahmaloka can mean the Brahman effulgence—especially when scriptures say, “those killed by the Lord attain Brahmaloka.” In this context, it is not Vaikuntha (the personal abode of Vishnu) but a merging into the divine light—a kind of impersonal liberation.

This ambiguity arises because Sanskrit words are often multivalent—one word can carry multiple layers of meaning based on usage.

So to answer briefly:
➡ Brahmaloka can refer to either the abode of Lord Brahma (in the material realm) or the Brahman effulgence (a spiritual realm), depending on context and connotation.