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48 PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIAL ACTION
consciousness of the remote reference groups, class and system. Among the various factors I would like to mention only few; (1) tradition (2) religion (dharma), (3) custom, (4) convention, (5) rite, (6) myth, (7) karma, (8) samskara, (9) re-birth, (10) Hinduisation or Indianisation.
Each of these factors merits detailed discussion. But I propose to offer only few analytical and critical remarks. Tradition is hang-over of history without disclosing its rationale. It is more regulative and prohibitive than creative and prescriptive. A traditional society or community is generally backward-looking and therefore static in character. I say "generally” because there are non-static types of tradition as well, e.g. scientific and technological traditions. While in the former case traditional actions are imitative and repetitive, in the latter they are innovative and creative. The same is more or less true in respect of religion. Religion is a bad English equivalent of dharma. Dharma has both theological and ethical implications. Codification of religious ideas and institutionalisation of religious activities are primarily mant to preserve dead or dying value-systems lending them metaphysical sanctions. Customs, conventions and rites converge on a common end. They embody certain forms of action and in most cases, these forms are observed or followed without questioning their content, meaning or consequence. Whenever these questions are raised one is referred to the sanctions of tradition, dharma, shruti, or smiriti. The questions which are relevant in respect of customs, conventions and rites are relevant in respect of the sanctions as well. When I say this I do not intend to deny the positive aspects of dharmacara and shastracara, actions enjoined by religion and scriptures. A society bedevilled by anomie is required to provide some action parameters, however questionable they might be to its members. Even a normal society has its do's and don'ts and provides some guidance to its people to act and respond appropriately under different circumstances. These are also mechanisms of adjustment and adaptation. Consequently they are of little or no use in the matter of bringing about social transformation. All these factors objectively favour status quoism. The concepts of karma and samskara lend strong support to the status quoist. According to the concept of karma a man, whatever he is or has, is the result of his own action. It is a sort of inexorable moral causation and determinism. Every karma (action) has its momentum (after-effect) and samskara. I know it is quite possible to offer non-deterministic interpretation to the concepts of karma and samskara. But that will be theoretical rationalisation of these concepts and not how in fact they are accepted and practised by the bulk of the people of the country. Re-birth is an extension of the concepts of karma and samskara. The producer of karma must also consume its effect, if possible in this very life and, if not, then in the life beyond. It has been said that the samskaras generated by karmas are so deeprooted in the human being that even if the gross body (sthula-sharira) is destroyed, the samskaras remain active and effective in the subtle body (sukshma-sharira). These concepts, as anybody can well see, are too metaphysical or transcendental to be empirically tested. But the layman's life
