Dharma Ratna Yami consistently opposed superstition, ritualistic excess, and unquestioned religious authority. He believed that blind faith hindered social progress and kept people intellectually and socially suppressed. His writings encouraged rational thinking, critical inquiry, and a scientific approach to life—essentially strengthening the “frontal lobe” of society to question and resist manipulation.
Suppression vs. resistance
In societies where questioning was discouraged (like pre-democratic Nepal), people were more susceptible to manipulation by religious or political authorities. Yami’s advocacy was a direct attempt to counteract this suppression and build a citizenry capable of resisting exploitation—similar to how foreigners with developed critical mindsets reject nonsense.
How blind faith allows manipulation
Just as foreigners resist pseudoscience because their critical thinking is developed, Yami sought to cultivate the same resistance in Nepalis by promoting rationalism. Rhetoric that resonates easily in societies with limited exposure to critical inquiry often faces skepticism in cultures that emphasize questioning and evidence-based thinking. Conversely, in cultures with strong traditions of critical thinking, education, and public debate, such narratives are rigorously examined, and claims are less likely to be accepted at face value.
Where rational inquiry is suppressed, manipulation thrives; where critical faculties are nurtured, resistance emerges. When the same rhetoric is presented to foreigners (with a strong culture of critical inquiry), it meets resistance. They don’t “buy into” the same narratives that find easy acceptance in suppressed societies.
In societies where social hierarchies, religious orthodoxy, or limited access to diverse perspectives prevail, charismatic figures can more easily cultivate unquestioned followership. This helps explain why figures like Sadhguru or other prominent spiritual leaders often encounter harsher criticism abroad than in their home countries: the social and intellectual environment actively encourages scrutiny and demands justification for extraordinary claim.
Legacy and Contemporary Relevance
Dharma Ratna Yami’s vision extended beyond the dismantling of political tyranny. He sought intellectual and cultural emancipation through rational thought, social equality, and fearless defiance of tradition. His writings and activism continue to resonate in Nepal’s ongoing struggles against caste discrimination, social injustice, and the misuse of religious belief for oppression.
Today, Yami’s life serves as a powerful reminder that the path to a better society requires more than political change—it demands the courage to challenge entrenched hierarchies, the boldness to question authority, and the vision to replace fear with reason. His enduring influence on Nepalese society makes him not only a national hero but also a timeless figure in the global pursuit of justice and equality.
Yami did not dismiss spirituality itself; rather, he distinguished between faith as a personal moral compass and religion as an institutional power that perpetuated inequality. He believed that when religious belief was manipulated to sustain injustice and silence dissent, it became a force of oppression. By exposing these distortions, Yami called for a society where reason, equality, ethicks and dignity outweighed fear, ritual, and blind obedience. As a government deputy minister 1951, Yami pushed for the abolition of discriminatory caste laws. Although initially unsuccessful, his efforts laid the groundwork for future reforms. These actions positioned Yami as one of Nepal’s pioneering caste reformers, and his influence is particularly evident in the early movement for Dalit social inclusion and the formation of Dalit associations.
Champion of Rational Thought
Yami’s legacy goes far beyond his political activism. Through essays, articles, and books, he consistently challenged the superstitions, blind faith, and irrational traditions that he believed kept Nepali society stagnant. For Yami, genuine progress could not be achieved without liberating the mind from fear and uncritical obedience. He urged the people of Nepal to embrace education, critical inquiry, and reason as the cornerstones of a just society. In doing so, he established himself as one of the earliest proponents of rationalist thought in Nepal.
In a sermon delivered around 2045 B.S. (1988–89 A.D.), Dhanavajra Vajracharya stated that the emergence of Vajrayana Buddhism in the Nepal Mandala (the Kathmandu Valley, the cultural and religious center of the Newars) was initiated by Shankaracharya as a counter-reaction to the destruction of the then-existing Theravada (‘Teaching of the Elders’) and Mahayana (‘Great Vehicle’) traditions.