By 'living tradition', D.P. Mukerji means that the traditions were formed in the past but they kept on changing with the present and were evolved over time. A living tradition is the one which has some old elements as well as some new ones. In spite of all the changes with the change in time and other things the tradition manages to retain basic elements from the past. He insisted that Indian sociologists must be rooted in this tradition to understand the social system because to understand the social system he/she must be a part of it. The very first duty of an Indian sociologist is to study and to know the social traditions of India. He/she must be aware of the past tradition and also its sensitivity to change.