Page:An Essay On Hinduism.pdf/6

sies, which, however necessary they may be to the scientific world, are of no great interest to an average reader. He has also to take care that his readers may not charge him with a desire to display learning, an impression which is very likely to arise in the mind of a reader.

This work is being published in parts. Each volume is published as soon as it is prepared and under this condition it is inevitable that I may discover some mistake or change my opinion after the publication of the volume. Under these conditions if I change my opinion I should not be charged with inconsistency provided I call attention to the change.

Religion and Constitution.— Whether the caste system is allowed by the Hindu religion or not is a vain question. Occidental peoples ask it and answer it also, in their own way. The Hindus also take the question as it is and put before themselves, without considering the rationality of the question. The Europeans ask this question simply because it is rational with reference to their own society, and because they cannot imagine a society of any other kind. Their own society was formed on pre-existing constitution. A certain master and his teaching existed and those who joined the theophratry and followed its teachings became members of the tribe. The members undertook to follow the teachings as they are. Thus it became an important matter for every person to find out whether any particular dogma or doctrine can be found in the religion, that is, in the original constitution which he is supposed to follow. If anything is approved of by the master it is to be followed; if it is disapproved, it should be abandoned. In this case whether anything is allowed by religion or not is a perfectly natural inquiry