Navayana Buddhism, as articulated by B. R. Ambedkar, treats the caste system as an illegitimate and oppressive social construct, entirely incompatible with the Dhamma. Caste is understood not as a divinely sanctioned or karmic order, but as a man‑made hierarchy that perpetuates discrimination, social suffering, and moral degradation. From this perspective, any religious framework that sanctions caste is judged to be ethically defective and unworthy of allegiance. Equality, compassion, and the inherent dignity of every human being are taken as non‑negotiable spiritual principles, leaving no room for birth‑based superiority or inferiority.

Ambedkar’s reading of the Buddhist tradition presents the Buddha’s teaching as fundamentally anti‑caste and anti‑hierarchical. Early Buddhism is interpreted as welcoming all, regardless of varṇa or jāti, into the saṅgha, and later caste distinctions are seen as corruptions imposed from outside rather than authentic expressions of the Dharma. On this basis, Navayana does not merely discourage caste; it regards the maintenance of caste identity and practice as a violation of Buddhist ethics. Caste‑based discrimination is thus framed as a direct denial of the equal potential for spiritual growth that all beings share.

Within this reinterpretation, the rejection of caste is not a peripheral social reform but a central religious and ethical commitment. Conversion to Navayana Buddhism is understood as a conscious act of breaking with caste identity and its associated customs, a deliberate step out of a system of oppression. The path of liberation is envisioned as encompassing both inner transformation and the dismantling of unjust social structures, with caste abolition treated as a spiritual imperative. In this way, Navayana Buddhism seeks to embody liberty, equality, and fraternity in both doctrine and communal life, cultivating caste‑free worship, shared rituals, and inter‑caste solidarity as expressions of the Buddha’s teaching.