"Zarathushtra
was and is in very Truth, the world teacher.
His message is meant for all humanity for all time." Dr. Taraporewala
5th Gatha 1272 Y.Z. 14th September 1903
Dear Shams-Ulema Ervad
Jivanji Jamshedji Modi,
Secretary of the B.P.P.,
Dear Sir,
You have requested me to give my opinion on whether or not to
allow
non-Zoroastrians to convert to Zoroastrianism. In reply, I have to
state that there is no bar in our religion, to accept
non-Zoroastrian
converts. Every Zoroastrian reciting his obligatory
daily prayers, such
as Khorshed & Meher yashts, prays that our Mazdayasni
religion may
spread to all the Haftakeshwar Zamin. (i.e. the seven regions of
the
earth). The athornans of days gone by did not just sit around
wishing
this (spread of religion) to come true, but travelled to distant
lands
to spread the Zoroastrian religion (Refer to Yasna 4l.6). Such
athornans met with oppositionfrom many people (see Yasna 9.24).
We have
referred to only Two passages from the innumerable in the Zoroastrian
Scriptures confirming that the conversion of juddins to
Zoroastrianism
is permitted.
The second edition of
Ervad Tehmurasp Dinshahji Anklesaria's "Treatise on the
Conversion of
Juddins into Mazdayasni Religion" has just been published,in
which this
able Ervad Saheb has quoted examples from Avesta, Pahlevi and
Persian
texts - and we totally agree with quotation/examples. In the
second
edition of “Pashoke Nirange Javit Dinan" published in 1252 by
our dear
departed Dastur Jamaspji, further examples/ quotations have been
given
concerning the conversion/ acceptance of juddins into the
Zoroastrian
religion. From the writings of Ervad Tehmurasp (Anklesaria)and
our dear
departed Dastur Jamaspji, it can he said that there is hardly
any
material left on this matter for further research by any
scholar.
Therefore rather than state more quotations/ examples it is best
that
we give to your Sub-Committee these books (referred to above).
Yours sincerely,
Kaikhushru Dastur Jamaspji.
As to how this can be brought about is a matter for consideration by local and larger Zoroastrian bodies in different parts of the world. It may be that no single course of action will be possible because of culture and political circumstances in different countries.
The purpose of this article is to present the scriptural evidence on the subject matter under consideration for the benefit of the Parsi community.Gatha
Ahunavaiti 4.3 (Yasna 31.3)
What Thou hast through the Inner Fire disclosed,
The Bliss through Asha promise to us all,
The Law Divine for the discerning soul;--
All that to us, O Mazda, clear explain,
In words of inspiration from Thy mouth,
To help us to convert all living men. [Dr. I.J.S.Taraporewala’s Translation]
Now will I speak; give ear and mind as well,
All ye, who come from near and far to learn,
Remember well these clear Truths, I teach;--
Never again shall Evil Teachers seek
Life to destroy, nor offer unto dupes
“The
conclusion that Ahura Mazda himself sent Zarathushtra into this
world for the
purpose of announcing the new doctrine to mankind, and that God
stands always
by his side as his adviser or guide, comes out prominently in the
Gathas. The Prophet directly
expresses it in Yasna
45.5* when he says that God communicated to him the Word which is
best for man.
[“Zarathushtra in the
Gathas” – Dastur Darab P. Sanjana’s translation, Page 21]
*Yasna
45.5: Ushtavaiti Gatha 3.5
And I will teach what was revealed to me
In words of the Most Holy—best to hear;
Those who obey them truly in their hearts,
To these shall come Perfect Immortal Life;
And Vohu Man shall lead them on to deeds
Of Love; and
thus they reach Ahura’
[Dr. I.J.S. Taraporewala’s
translation]
In
detailing the life of Prophet Zarathushtra, the late Dastur Dr.
M.N. Dhalla
writes:-
“I
who am Zarathushtra will make the heads of the houses, the
villages, provinces
and country to follow and think about this World Religion,
thinking in
conformity with, speaking in conformity with and acting in
conformity with this
religion as revealed to Zarathushtra by Ahura Mazda.” [1“Khordeh Avesta Ba Maini” Ervad K.E.
Kanga
Page 25: 2. English translation by T.R. Sethna vide his book
“Yasna” Pages 33
& 34.]
“We
revere the flowing waters, we revere the flight of birds. We
revere the return
of priests who go to remote countries to promote
righteousness. We revere all
the eternal holy laws.” [Yashts by
T.R. Sethna Pages
21 & 23]
“Zarathushtra asked Ahura Mazda, ‘O the all-knowing Ahura Mazda, should I guide righteous men, should I guide righteous women, should I guide irreligious men, worshippers of evil and sinners that spoil the land, the flowing waters and spoil the increase of corn and other things of value in general created by Ahura Mazda? Then spoke Ahura Mazda, ‘You should guide, O righteous Zarathushtra.’”
[Vendidad in Gujarati by Ervad K.E. Kanga –3rd Edition Page 312: Vendidad in English by T.R. Sethna. Page 144]In
a book called “Shikand Gumanik Vajar” written during Pahlavi
period, it is
mentioned that after King Vistasp (also known as Gushtasp)
accepted the Faith
of Zarathushtra, ordered his sons Aspandiar, Zarfar (Zarir) and
other royal
sons to spread the message as far as Arum in the west and to
“The
claim to Indian converts is quite persistent in the later
writings, which is
not strange, when, we consider the Indo-Iranian kinship and the
fact that the
Parsis found in
The
“Shah Nameh” by the famous Persian poet, Firdausi Tusi also
mentions that the
King Gushtasp sent his son Isfandiar to foreign countries for the
purpose of
diffusing the new religion so that the whole world might be
enlightened. [Source: “The
Shah Nameh of
Firdausi” by James Atkinson Page 263]
Below are two passages from both the Avestan and Pahlavi periods respectively.
(1) “Good fortune to us that Spitama Zarathushtra is born an athravan, to move with us, praising and calling for assistance with high mentality. Henceforth, this good Mazdayasnian religion will go over towards all the regions which are seven.”
[Source: Farvardin Yasht
(Karda XXIV-94) “Yashts” by T.R.
Sethna.
Page 231]
Early
in the twentieth century scholars like Darab Dastur Peshotanji
Sanjana, Sir
Jivanji Jamsjhedji Mody, Ervad Sheriar Dadabhai Bharucha,,
Khurshdeji Rustomji
Cama and Tehmurasp Dinshaji Anklesria had opined that if a
person seriously
wishes to become a Zoroastrian then there is no bar in our
religion; their
conclusions were not based on blind beliefs but on the study and
authority of
Zoroastrian scriptures.
‘Urvan-no-Kardo’
(b) “May the citizens ‘……..’ be more blessed with complete success, may their souls be glorified with the highest gratification and their brilliance be auspiciously increased! May it be so!”
[Source: ‘Mazda Yasna – Some Daily Prayers from Zend Avesta’ by D.S. Framroze]Group 2. The Farohars that work on spiritual plane and come to aid when invoked.
Group 3. The Farohars of Asho (righteous) that approach the domain of the living during ten days of ‘Muktad’ or ‘Farvardegan’, irrespective of their being invoked or not, to pour down their benedictions upon the “power of righteousness that pervades the earth.”
[Source: “Yashts” by
T.R. Sethna – Page 259]
All the above subjects are interrelated and therefore interwoven within the 241 stanzas, a moving mosaic of Message. One may pick a subject in a stanzas but to comprehend its meaning and message, he/she will have to see it in its context as given in the stanza, then look at it in the song in which the stanza stands, and then understand its interrelation with other stanzas in other songs. Understanding the Gathas is easy, provided one has the entire picture, the complete Doctrine, in his/her full view. A single sample, out of context, may lead to misunderstanding or even wrong deduction.
Therefore to comprehend the second stanza of the third song, we shall have to carefully look at its main point in the context of the entire Gathic guidance. That main point is “Freedom of Choice” and the word on which it is based is âverenâo. It is from the root var (Sanskrit vr), which means to choose, to select with a secondary meaning to prefer, to like.
Happily the words derived from this root have been used for 30 times in the Gathas, more than enough to give us the true meaning of it. They have been used twice in the Haptanghaiti and 12 times in the Fravarti (Yasna 12). It makes a total of 44 times in the Gathas and their Supplements in the same dialect.
The words from this root occur twice in the non-Gathic Yasna, once in the Vispered, twice in the Yashts and thrice in the Vendidad, a total of eight times in the entire Later Avesta. The non-Gathic Avesta is, in size, almost twelve times larger than its Gathic part. One may wonder at the ratio of eight times against the Gathic 44 times. The reason is simple. The non-Gathic part of the extant Avesta is more concerned about rituals, customs, prescriptions, proscriptions, legend, history, geography, medicine, and more. Its composers knew well that the Gathas were the Divine Doctrine. That was enough and adequate for them. They appended what they considered appropriate. As it will be seen, although eight in number, they are a good help in understanding the significance of our subject of ‘Freedom of Choice’ as seen by the Avestan people.
My translation of the our main stanza reads:
Hear
the best with your ears
and ponder with a bright mind.
Then each man and woman, for his or her self,
select either of the [following] two choices.
Awaken to this Doctrine of ours
before the Great Event of Choice ushers in.
(Song 3 - stanza 2)
But let me give also the translations by three Parsi scholars and three Iranian Zartoshtis:
(1) Ervad Kavasji Edalji Kanga: …. (tê) mhotâ banâvo-ni agamcha darêk jan-nê potânê-mâtê ê (potâni) pasandagi-no êtekâd (hovo joîyê – yâne darêk mânasê khodâ-parasti tathâ dêv-parasti, ê bê-mâñ-thi jê sârûñ hoê tê pasand kari-nê, tê mûjab potâ-no dharm sañbañdhi êtêkâd râkhvo …
“…. Then before the great event, each person should, for his own self, have his preferred belief. (It means that each person should prefer from the two – God-worship and demon-worship, the one which is better and thus have his belief concerning the religion.) ….” (Ervadji Kanga – Happily, he has this stanza in the Avestan script on the cover page of his book Gâthâ bâ Maenî, Gujarati language, Bombay, 1895)
(2) D.J. Irani: “…. Let each one choose his creed with that freedom of ‘choice,’ each must have at great events. ….”
(3) Dr. Irach J.S. Taraporewala: “…. Before you choose which of the Paths to tread, deciding each man by man, each for each; before the great New Age is ushered in, wake up, alert to spread Ahura’s word.
(4) Ardeshir Faramji Khabardar: “…. the careful selection of the two ‘choices,’ man by man for his own self, before the great setting off on life’s journey, ….”
(5) Mobed Firuz Azargoshasb: “…. decide each man and woman personally between the two paths, good and evil. Before ushering in of the great day, or the day of the judgment, arise all of you and try to spread Ahura’s words (Zarathushtra’s message).”
(6) Mobedan Mobed Rostam Shahzadi: “…. Before the opportunity is lost, each man and woman should for his/herself choose between the two – the right path (Mazda-worship) or the wrong path (demon-worship). May you, with the help of Mazda Ahura, be successful in your choice of the right path.”
The word âvarenâo has been translated as ‘etekâd, yekîn, belief, faith’ by Kangaji; ‘creed’ by Irani; ‘choices’ by Khabardar; ‘Path” by Taraporewala with the note “Bartholomae translates ‘avowal of belief or of faith’ and derives it from var (Skt. Vr), to choose and with [the prefix] â, to profess (a belief); ‘râh, aqîdeh (path, belief) by Azargoshasb, and ‘râh’ (path) followed by ‘Mazda-worship or Demon-worship’ by Shahzadi.
The stanza speaks of the full Freedom of Choice of Belief as the right of each man and woman, and has a request to awaken to the Zarathushtrian Teaching of the Divine Doctrine before the Great Event. The stanza is one of the eleven stanzas of the Song devoted to the first sermon on vahya mainyu and aka mainyu, the better and the bad mentalities, which translate in human thoughts, words and deeds. It expounds this unique theme of Good and Evil that has confounded many an exponent. The following Song 4 (Yasna 31) guides how to choose the better mentality and lead a good life, and Song 5 (Yasna 32) exposes the wrongs done by the aberrant.
Regarding the remaining 29 instances of the words derived from var, all the above five persons give the meanings of verbs as ‘to choose, to prefer, to like (pasand karvûñ), to please, to believe, to put faith in (mânvûñ, etekâd râkhvûñ), and nouns as ‘faith, creed, religion, doctrine, custom, path.’
I have, in a larger version of my essay, given the renderings of the above persons for almost all the 44 instances in which the derivatives of the root var occur. Here I will confine myself to only those passages, which are more related to our subject of the day.
Ahunavar (Yathâ Ahû): We begin with Ahunavar, the stanza which has given the first Gatha its name Ahunavaiti. It says: “Just as the lord (ahu) is vairyo, meaning ‘to be chosen,’ so is the leader (ratu) on account of their righteousness only.” Lord, according to Song 2 (Yasna 29) is the person “who repels the fury of the wrongful,” and the leader is the person “who offers civilization, nourishment and strength” to the living world. The person ‘to be chosen’ as both the “Lord and Leader” by the Living World was and is, of course, Zarathushtra Spitâma. He was the only person who had listened to the Divine Message and was prepared to proclaim it through his Songs. He was granted the sweetness of tongue to carry out his universal mission.
Song
1:5 (Yasna 28:5):
Zarathushtra says: “With these greatest thought-provoking
words, we
shall convince the barbarians to choose (vâurôimaidi)
the right
religion.”
Kangaji:
“We shall be able to give faith to the wicked people.”
Taraporewala:
“May we e’er convert with force of tongue those gone astray.,
(with a note:
“… At any rate this passage is clear proof of the great desire
of Z. that
His New Message should spread all over the world.”)
Shahzadi:
“When shall I have the ability of leading the warriors,
antagonists, robbers,
and astray to the path which is the best and superior.”
Song
4:3 (Yasna 31:3):
Zarathushtra wants the Divine Message to help him “to guide
all the
living to choose for themselves (vâurayâ) the right
religion.”
Kangaji: “I
may make all the living as believers.”
Taraporewala:
“to convert all the living” and in his note he mentions about
‘conversion” and adds “that Zoroastrians in India today are on
the whole
averse to proselytizing; some indeed regard it as positively
‘sinful’ (adharmî).
Shahzadi:
“…. Mazda has taught me the Religion of Mazda through his own
tongue and
talk and told me to convey it to mankind.”
Song
4:11 (Yasna 31:11): God
has “fashioned for us the living world, conceptions and
intellects, put life
in the physical frame, and gave deeds and doctrine, so that
one makes his
‘choice’ ((varenêng) through free will.
Kangaji: “….
for fixing the deeds and religious commandments or for the
belief or choice.” Taraporewala
“Whereby one may hold whatever Faith one wills.”
Shahzadi: Subtitle:
“…. You wanted every person to choose the way he/she prefers
by his
determination and in full freedom.”
It may be pointed out that Mobed Firuz Azargoshasb has written notes on stanzas 1:5, 4:3 and 4:11 that the Good Religion of Zarathushtra is a universal religion for all mankind and that it is to be spread through teachings without any push, persuasion and/or force. People may choose it through their knowledgeable discretion and Free Will only.
Song
6:2 (Yasna 33:2): Whosoever
foils the wrongful by word, thought or action, or …. teaches
good things,
advances in his choice (vârâi).
Kangaji: “He
… presents for his religious belief i.e. he strengthens his
belief.”
Taraporewala:
They accomplish (Thy) Purpose. (in the vocabulary vâra,
wish, lit.
‘choice.’) Shahzadi:
“… or
guides a wrongful person on the right path, … (Note:
Propagation of religion
and fighting evil is permitted according to this stanza.)
Song
12:6 (Yasna 47:6): “…. With the growth of serenity and righteousness,
(serenity) shall
convert many a seeker.”
Kangaji: “It
is completely selected by the aspirants.”
Taraporewala:
She shall draw (into her fold) many Seekers.
D.J. Irani:
This shall cause many to hear Thy Message.
Song
13:4 (Yasna 48:4): Whoever,
Mazda, has set his mind on the better or the worse, sets his
conscience
accordingly with actions and words. His desire follows his
cherished choice (varenêng).
Kangaji:
“He who keeps himself good and pure, maintains the religion
the same way; his
wish, belief and faith follow suit.
Taraporewala:
“His will follows his voluntary choice.”
Shahzadi: “His
desire follows the same path.” (Note: a Persian couplet: You
see exactly what
you wish. You wish exactly what you see.)
Song
14:3 (Yasna 49:3): This
has been put as a choice (varenâi) that righteousness
is for the
promotion of the doctrine, and wrong is for harming it.
Kangaji:
“In order to guide the people of world, the religious
preference ….
has been laid down.
Taraporewala:
“It is laid down by Mazda as choice for all – the Teaching
that Truth shall
prevail, that Untruth shall be frustrated.”
D.J. Irani:
“According to Thy Faith, O Mazda, the choice of Righteousness
is its own
vindication.” Shahzadi:
“…
the Mazda-worship Religion is based on Truth and therefore it
is always
beneficial, and the demon-worship religion on Lie and
therefore always
harmful.”
Song
17:2 (Yasna 53:2): “And now, let Kavi Vishtaspa, the Zarathushtrian
Spitama, and
Ferashaoshtra pursue, with mind, words, and deeds, the
knowledge for the praise
and for the choice (fraoret) of venerations of the Wise
One, in order to
establish in straight paths the religion which God has granted
to the
benefactor.”
Kangaji:. “….
With faith in adoration rites ….”
Taraporewala:
“Let each choose acts of piety … meditating on the Path of
Truth – the
Faith Ahura has revealed to the Saviour.”
D.J. Irani:
“May they teach all to keep to the established straight path,
….”
Shahzadi: Subtitle:
The
Best Course to Teach the Religion to Mankind. “For the
pleasure of Mazda,
all should sincerely spread the best religion through thought,
word and deed.
…. Vishtaspa and Ferashaoshtra became supporters of
Zarathushtra and succeeded
as the Benefactors (Saoshyants) …. in teaching people the
right path of the
religion.”
NOTE I: Mobed Azargoshasb follows closely his preceptor, Dr. Taraporewala, in his translations of the Gathas. Nevertheless, he has his independent way also. His renderings of the above stanzas are in quite harmony with Dr. Taraporewala’s.
NOTE II: Mobed Shahzadi has given subtitles to most of the stanzas of the Gathas in his translation. Thirty-two of them present the Good Religion as the ‘universal’ and that it should be propagated and spread, and the Subtitles speak of Freedom of Choice.
Haptanghaiti: Song 1.3 = Yasna 35.3: That we have chosen (vairîmaidî), Lord Wise, through sublime Righteousness, Which we have thought, spoken and done. Of these deeds, the best be for both the [mental and physical] existences.
Yasna 16:2: We venerate Zarathushtra’s Religion. We venerate Zarathushtra’s Choice (varena) and Doctrine.
Yasna 57:24: This religion was forth chosen (fraoreñta) by Ahura Mazda the Righteous, also by Good Mind, Best Righteousness, Choice Dominion, Progressive Serenity, Wholeness, Immortality, Ahurian Questions, and Ahurian Doctrine.
Vispered 5:3: For You, Righteous Ahura Mazda, I choose for myself (verenê) this religion as a Mazda-worshipper, Zarathushtrian, void of false gods and of the Divine Doctrine.
Yasht 10:92: This religion was chosen forth (fraoreñta) by Ahura Mazda the Righteous. …. The Amesha Spentas chose (vereñta) the religion …. .
Yasht 13:89: Zarathushtra was the first to eliminate false gods and to choose (fraorenata) to be a Mazda-worshipper, Zarathushtrian, void of false gods, and Divine Doctrine.
Vendidad 12:21: Should an alien-believer (anya-varena) alien-doctrined (anya-tkaesha) die, how many creations of the Progressive Mentality would he pollute?
Vendidad 15:2: He who teaches the alien-belief (anya-varena) and alien-doctrine (anya-tkaesha) to a righteous person knowing.
These two passages show that other religions were known by the term ‘alien’ instead of what some religions do by calling others as heterodoxy, unbelief, heresy, paganism, or heathenism.
Vendidad 19:2: Zarathushtra chose for himself (fraorenaêta) the Mazda-worshipping Religion.
The use of the words derived from var show that they do carry the idea of the choice of religion and also that the Gathas are the Divine Message for mankind. That means that the Good Religion is the first missionary religion, a mission that firmly believed in “Freedom of Choice” after a good knowledge of the thought-provoking Message presented with a sweet tongue. To sum up what one understands from all the above references is:
(1) Freedom of Choice is for every individual person.
(2) A good choice is made by considering the subject with a bright, clear, un-tinted and unbiased mind.
(3) Zarathushtra wishes all to be awake to his Teachings also.
(4) The message is universal and is not confined to race, color, and nationality.
(5) It has to be peacefully spread with a soft and sweet tongue.
(6) Force and coercion are not allowed.
It is because of such a meaningful mission that the composer of the eulogy in honor of Zarathushtra in the Farvardin Yasht declares: “Henceforth the Good Religion of Mazda-worship will spread all over the seven climes of the earth.”
With our main subject of Song 3:2 (Yasna 30:2) in view, we now turn to two important points: (a) Mazê Yâonghô, the Great Event and (b) Declaration of Choice.
The word ‘yâonghô/yâh’ is derived from the root yah/Sanskrit yas, meaning ‘to endeavor, to strive.’ It occurs in Song 3:2 (Yasna 30:2), Song 11:14 (Yasna 46:14), and Song 14:9 (Yasna 49:9). It also occurs as ‘mazishtâi yâonghâm – the greatest of events’ in Haptanghaiti Song 2:2 (Yasna 36:2). The two Gathic instances show that the occasions refer to the days King Vishtaspa and Jamaspa chose the Good Religion and the Haptanghaiti occurrence speaks of the day when the congregation of early Zoroastrians had encircled the Fire altar in their community enclosure for a special occasion called the greatest of the events, perhaps a group initiation into the Good Religion.
Yâonghô has been rendered as ‘mhoto banâv, agtyanûñ kâm – a great event, an important undertaking’ by Kangaji, ‘great events’ by D.J. Irani, ‘ushering-in-of the Great New Age’ by Taraporewala, ‘the great setting off on life’s journey’ by Khabardar, ‘ushering in of the great day or the day of judgement’ by Azargoshasb, and ‘opportunity (sic)’ by Shahzadi. In Song 11:14 and Song 14:9, the some of the above scholars have translated it as ‘The Day of Judgment.’
The word yâh does not occur in the Later Avesta but the word for Koshti, the religious girdle is derived from it. It aiwi-yâongh. The prefix aiwi meaning ‘to, towards, for’ also imparts ‘intensity’ to the word. That expresses what the Koshti stands for: to strive for the New Age begun by Zarathushtra’s Divine Message. The Koshti, we all know well, is girdled on the occasion of the Declaration of Choice – the Initiation Ceremony. Aiwi-yâongh, the Koshti, is first girdled on Yâongh, the Great Event in one’s life.
The Declaration of Choice begins with Yasna 12, known as Fraoreitish Hâitish, the Religious Choice Chapter, a declaration that was/is made by the Initiate for the Choice of the Good Religion. It is, in fact, the responsible response to Zarathushtra’s call for consideration and choice.
In Yasna 12 (repeated in Yasna 1:13, 3:24, 11:16, 14:4, 57:24), the Initiate states: "1 do hereby eliminate the false gods. I do hereby choose for myself (fravarânê) to be Mazda-worshipper, Zoroastrian, void of false gods and Divine Doctrinal. ….”
“1 do hereby choose (varemaidî) the progressive serenity for myself. May it be mine!”
Then the Initiate declares that he/she will cleanse the world from theft and violence; guard the home of the Mazda-worshippers against harm and destruction; give the wise people, who live on this earth with their cattle, full freedom of movement; does not intend to hurt any body or soul; renounces false gods and their devotees; renounces sorcerers and their devotees; renounces each and every mental malady and physical ailment; in fact all falsities and malignities in thoughts, words, and deeds.
He/she renounces the false gods just as the Righteous Zarathushtra did, and goes on to declare:
"With the Choice Belief (varena) in waters, with the Choice Belief in plants, with the Choice Belief in the bountiful world; with the Choice Belief in God Wise who created the living world and the righteous man -- the Choice Belief Zarathushtra had, the Choice Belief Kavi Vishtaspa had, the Choice Belief Ferashaoshtra and Jamaspa had, and the Choice Belief each of the truth-practicing righteous Benefactors have, it is with the same Choice Belief and doctrine that I am a worshipper of the Wise One.
"1, with my appreciations and Choice Beliefs (fravaretas-châ), choose for myself (fravarânê) to be Mazda-worshipper and Zoroastrian.
I
appreciate well-thought thoughts,
I appreciate well-said words,
I appreciate well-done deeds.
"I appreciate the Good Religion of Mazda-worship which overthrows yokes yet sheaths swords, teaches self-reliance, and is righteous. Therefore, of the religions that have been and that shall be, this is the greatest, best, and sublimest. It is divine and Zoroastrian. I do attribute all good to God Wise."
It is a daring declaration, and it is a great event. The very fact that one calls his/her religion as the greatest, best and the sublimest, means that he/she considers all other religions as great, good and sublime and that he/she has made the choice after a comparative study of as many of them as possible with a bright mind. The declaration explains the full meaning of the Gathic stanza. It gives the salient points of the Good Religion. Enjoying the Freedom of Choice, it is a highly desirable, proper and practical response to Zarathushtra’s call for awakening to his Divine Message, our subject of the day.
mazdayasnô
ahmî, mazdayasnô zarathushtrish
fravarânê âstûtascâ fravaretascâ.
âstuyê humatem manô
âstuyê hûxtem vacô
âstuyê hvarshtem shyaothanem.
âstuyê daênãm mâzdayasnîm
fraspâyaoxedhrãm nidhâsnaithishem
khvaêtvadathãm ashaonîm
ýâ hâitinãmcâ bûshyeiñtinãmcâ
mazishtâcâ vahishtâcâ sraêshtâcâ
ýâ âhûirish zarathushtrish
ahurâi mazdâi vîspâ vohû cinahmî.
aêshâ astî daênayå mâzdayasnôish âstûitish!
*
* * * * *
NOTE:
The above article is the Speech made by Ali A. Jafarey at
the Special
Event, sponsored by FEZANA (The Federation of
North American
Zoroastrian Association) as a concurrent event on 30 December
2000 to the 7th
World Zoroastrian Congress, also sponsored by FEZANA and
hosted by the
Zoroastrian Association of Houston, held at J.W. Marriott,
Houston, Texas from
28 December 2000 to 1 January 2001.
Dear Companions-in-Asha: The
following are my answers to the questions asked and comments
made by some of our companions:
QUESTION: Is it important for some people to formally be
accepted as
Zarathushtris after they have converted, because it makes a
difference
*as to how they are perceived by others*?
ANSWER: Those who joined the Manthran in his own days, called
themselves *Zarathushtris,* and so do we, because we too have,
of our
free will and wise discernment, chosen to join his
Zarathushtrian
Fellowship. Mazdayasna, I have shown in one of my earlier
articles, is
a name which was adopted by early Zarathushtris to be
distinguished
from the daevayasna and the "insider" adulterators of the
later Gathic
age.
We do not want any recognition from any of the authorities of
the
"Traditionalist" or whatever they want to call themselves,
and/or from
any person or organization who/which considers him/her/itself
as the
"guardian" of the faith. We have declared right at the
founding of the
Assembly in 1990 that the Assembly is the sole Authority in
this case.
It *formally* recognizes and accepts the knowledgeable person
who
chooses the Good Religion for him/herself and joins the
Fellowship.
He/she is Zarathushtrian.
We are the Mazdayasna Zarathushtris. Mazda is a word,
explained in my
articles posted Online, coined by Zarathushtra. To us Mazda,
Ahura,
Mazda Ahura, and/or Ahura Mazda, *the Super-Intellect Being,*
is the
only creator, fashioner, maintainer, and promoter of the
universe with
no durbar of helpers - amesha spentas, yazatas, fravashis,
angels, or
any other "fanciful" being, and with no horde of opponents -
Anghra
Mainyu, Devil, Satan, daevas, demons, evil spirits, witches,
wizards or
any other "weird" wanderer.
The people who consider, rather believe, Ahura Mazda to be a
"yazata"
(venerated, adored, adorable), the greatest Yazata (Mazishta
Yazata)
among a host of yazatas, and recite "yazamaide" (we venerate,
we
worship) formulas while mentioning each of the yazatas by name
or all
of them together, may call themselves by the name of
"Yazatayasna" with
pride. It is more appropriate for them than Mazdayasna. They
do not do
so. Therefore, respecting them, we call them by the name they
call
themselves -Traditionalist/Traditional/Traditional Mazdayasni.
We do
not coin and use any sarcastic or derogatory name for our
opponents.
It is the Traditionalists who are fond of calling those who
follow the
Gathas by the name coined by one of them - The
Gatha-Alone-Cult (GAC).
We smile. They are simply showing what Zarathushtra and his
companions
should be called! He, the companions and the following
generations of
what I term "the Gathic era" had the Gathas *only* plus a few
prayers,
all in the Gathic spirit, of their own. The pre-Gathic
Avestan/Vedic
compositions belonged to the daevayasna (devayâjin). Was it a
"cult" Zarathushtra founded or a religion? We are following
the very
Doctrine he has given us. One may call him/us by any name. It
only
reflects his/her/their mode of mind and core of character.
QUESTION: If the same label is to applied to converts as well
as those
who are Zarathushtris by birth, then would the latter not feel
*their*
formal label to have lost some of its "lustre" - at least as
far as
*they* are concerned? Perhaps the best thing to do under the
circumstances would be to have some qualifying label applied
to the
main label, much like the labels "Protestant" and "(Roman)
Catholic"
are applied to Christians. That way one can't be confused with
the
other. What is your opinion?
ANSWER: We need not. We are Zarathushtrians, Zarathushtris,
Zartoshtis,
Zoroastrians, and Behdins. And we are not denying others the
use of
these names. It is they who are denying others these
names/labels. It
is they who named themselves as "Traditionalists, Traditional
Mazdayasnis" and others as "Liberals, Reformists, Cultists,"
and what
not. They may take appropriate action to distinguish
themselves from
those whom they do not recognize. Let the naming begin at home
and not
by calling others by derogatory names.
QUESTION: Has history not shown that applying labels like
this,
especially in religion, can also cause much strife and even
bloodshed?
Is that such a good thing?
ANSWER: Not in today's world. The Sassanians and Inquisition
Christians
as well as the "crusaders" of all theocratic governments are
gone. At
present, in the wide world of the melting pots, the fast
dwindling and
spreading-thin "Traditionalists" are trying their best to
survive. That
IS their main concern. They cannot afford a strife. All they
have been
able to do and are doing, is the uproar they have raised, and
that too
in a teacup of their press and Internet. As far as we are
concerned,
the Gathas are guiding us through a peaceful progress. We have
no
quarrel with any person/group, and this particularly includes
the
Traditionalists.
The excuse that conversion "creates animosities and strife"
does not
hold true any longer. Conversion by force or against force
has, no
doubt, brought mighty misery to all the peoples of the world.
Hinduism
against Buddhists, Christianity against pagans, Islam against
non-believers, and all these religions plus Sassanian
Zoroastrianism
against other sects and "heretics" of their relevant religions
have
shed more blood than any other strife in the world.
Even conversion through persuasion, practiced by zealot
missionaries, is not pleasant.
Ways have changed. We hardly see, particularly in the
civilized world,
any forced conversions. It has turned into a peaceful
competition. And
the great winners are the Baha'is, Buddhists, Christians, and
Muslims.
Some organizations, especially the charitable missionary
establishments, are praised for their humanitarian works in
the
so-called "Third World" countries. Mother Teresa has been
lauded by
all, including the anti-conversion Zoroastrian Traditionalist
diehards,
for her noble work without ever mentioning the conversions she
made and
her establishment is making of orphans, homeless, and the poor
in
Bengal. Mothers Teresa and Fathers Francis are all over the
world to
help the poor live better as *Christians* converts.
The same holds true about other proselytizing religions.
Conversion is
widely practiced by the sects of one religion in winning over
the
members of other denominations. All in comparative peace and
tranquility.
Here in North America alone, over 60,000 Muslim Iranians are
reported
to have formally converted to Christianity during the last 20
years
without any reaction from any Muslim quarters. They have four
churches
in southern California alone.
Baha'is do not divulge their figures of the conversion of
Muslim and
other converts. When I was a small boy, my father asked the
owner of an
Iranian restaurant in Karachi, an active Baha'i of Iranian
Zoroastrian
parentage, as to the number of Baha'is in the then India, the
reply was
200 -- all converts from Iranian Zoroastrians. Today, the
Baha'is claim
700,000 Baha'is in the present-size India alone. Bangla Desh,
Pakistan,
and Shri Lanka have their own Baha'is. No animosity or strife
but
praise for the Baha'is, particularly by Indians. The new Taj
Mahal-like
Baha'i House is a tourist attraction in Delhi, and so is the
Chicago
one. All in good faith.
Although twice reported to the Iranian authorities by certain
"Parsi-ized" Iranis and Traditionalist zealots, the
Zarathushtrian
Assembly is very well received by Iranians, most of whom are
Muslims.
We are quite at home with all. The only opposition is by some
Traditionalists. This Alias is a firsthand witness to the
uproar
Online. The uproar also rages on the pages of the Bombay Parsi
press.
No other opposition. Admiration? Sure, very much. And
increasingly on
an international scale.
QUESTION: What do you say about those who like to be called a
"Zarathushtri", a "Christian", a "Muslim", and a "Hindu" as
well not to
mention "Buddhist", "Taoist" and every other "-ist" in
addition - all
at once?
ANSWER: A fair comparison of the existing religions shows that
the
contrasts between various religions are sharper than the
similarities.
The similarities, even among those of the same stock, are not
so close
as to enable one to say that he/she belongs to all of
them. If,
therefore, someone likes to call him/herself an all-faiths
fan, it is,
in my frank opinion, because he/she is supposing, musing,
presuming,
assuming, pretending, or feigning, or simply because of
his/her lack of
a fair knowledge of fundamentals of these religions and
orders.
COMMENT by an Alias subscriber: <<I don't see a problem
in
like-minded people forming their own organizations, as long as
their
objective and emphasis is on spiritual growth according to
what they
perceive as the *true* teachings of their preferred Prophet or
Sage.>>
ANSWER: The Zarathushtrian Assembly has been formed to pursue
and it
pursues only the learning, practicing, teaching, and preaching
on a
universal basis the "true" teachings of Zarathushtra?
QUESTION: "Should not the use of the label "Zarathushtrian" or
"Zoroastrian," if absolutely necessary, be qualified by some
other word
to avoid confusion of identity with the mainstream
Zarathushtis? In
this way, the concern of mainstream Zarathushtis about
representation
in world bodies could be alleviated. Otherwise you can also
have
confusion in the outside public as to who represents the
mainstream
Zarathushtis.
ANSWER: The other side stands with the qualifications it
wants-Traditional, Traditionalist, and Traditional Mazdayasni.
Then we
have the "Parsi" label, again exclusively used by them.
Sometimes, names are given by the antagonist side. We already
know
about the "Gatha Cult Alone" and other name-callings. As
already
explained above, we are Zarathushtrians, Zarathushtris,
Zartoshtis,
Zoroastrians, and Behdins, and that is all. And we are
Fundamentalists
because we adhere to the original Divine Message of
Zarathushtra, and
not pre-Gathic, Gathic and post-Gathic "Traditions" combined.
If others
like, they, according to their degree of dignity, will give us
names.
We are satisfied with what we call ourselves.
I have no comment on calling the now proven narrowing course
of the
Traditionalists as the "mainstream" Zarathushtis except that
are you
not forgetting the Iranians and Parsi Reformists?
COMMENT by an Alias subscriber: "I do not want to keep the
message of
Prophet Zarathushtra exclusively among born Zarathushtis. I do
feel
that Iranians who were mostly converted through force,
deception, or
coercion, have a right to go back to their original faith, and
would be
more naturally accepted with fewer reservations in the
Zarathushti
community. Here we are not stealing anyone from another
recognized
faith, but merely accepting them back, and helping them to
learn and
assimilate.
Some of us may have valid reservations about the fact that
while our
ancestors did not waver and suffered death, persecution,
humiliation,
and poverty to keep the faith, others and their children who
now want
to come back, did not suffer or sacrifice. And, they may
rightly
question the motives of these people who want to come back -
is it
political (such as monarchists and others who oppose the
mullahs),
social (those who are suffering lack of personal freedoms)
? We
need to understand these concerns and respect such feelings,
while
encouraging people to forgive those that submitted to the
invaders, if
they are really sincere.
Even for Iranians wishing to come back, it would be advisable
that they
demonstrate their sincerity for some time, before they are
fully
accepted by the community.
ANSWER: Should one have a fair view of the conditions
prevailing among
the then Zartoshtis of the prostrated empire of the
Sassanians, one
would not make such a generalized statement. The merciless
force used
by conquerors was such that of the fifteen million Zartoshtis,
only a
handful has survived the disaster. All suffered equally the
unending
mental harassment and physical torture - those who died, those
who
submitted, and those who have survived in Iran. The sheer
majority
could not escape and gave in. Some Iranians have survived
*only*
because their turn for the breaking torture did not come. And
some were
able to escape and survive. The small community of Parsis
exists
because of their successful flight to a haven where the rigid
caste
system tolerated them as the fifth caste.
My studies show that the laity followed the Mobeds and other
leaders
who went over because of the circumstances. And now,
after 1400
years, the circumstances have turned such that many want to
return to
what is their inherent right.
COMMENT by an Alias subscriber: In India and Iran it could
alleviate
the concern about the use of charities by non-Parsis and
non-Irani
Zarathushtis, and the concern that some people might be
calling
themselves Zarathushtis mainly to take advantage of these
benefits.
ANSWER: Please note these Iranians are not coming back to the
Parsis.
No Iranian has approached the Parsis to accept him/her.
None has
asked them for any charity or favor. And the Iranian
Zoroastrians do
not have the charities the Parsis have. In Iran, and outside
Iran, the
non-Zartoshti Iranians are well off and to this day none has
asked any
Zartoshti for financial aid. Furthermore, they are not the
"fourth
caste" people who would grab a "golden" opportunity to have a
free ride
in the Parsi community. They are the elite and educated.
Iranians are returning to their *own* ancestral religion. And
that is
what the majority of Iranian Zartoshtis openly know and
inwardly want.
And they are silently looking for it.
One wonders why some speak on behalf of the Iranian Zartoshtis
and the
reformist Parsis. Their views are different from those of the
Traditionalists. The Iranian Zoroastrians are neither dumb nor
silenced. In fact, I have found Iranians more daring and vocal
in such
situations. If need be, the Iranian Zoroastrians and the
Reformists
will, each, have their own spokesperson/s.
I repeat, the returning Iranians are not approaching the
Parsis to
accept them in the Parsi community. They do not need so. So
why worry
and throw conditions in the air? The Traditionalists can sit
safe and
sound within their closed doors, and enjoy all the charity
facilities
they have. I can assure you that no one, NO ONE, will knock at
their
doors, here or in India. If at all some freak does, throw
him/her out
and set an example!
Let it be clear, that the Good Religion is for mankind. It is
universal. The mission of the Assembly is to spread the Divine
Message
throughout the world, and that includes India. Indians will be
welcome
to study the Good Religion, decide for themselves to choose
it, and
join the Assembly. They will become Zarathushtris,
Zoroastrians,
Zartoshtis, Zartushtis, Jarthostis, and/or Behdins. But never,
never
Parsis. Parsis constitute the ethnic surviving community of
those
Iranian Zoroastrians who took asylum in Gujarat almost a
thousand years
ago. They have their doors closed to non-Parsis. These doors
shall
remain closed until they are opened by the Parsis themselves.
In fact, the Assembly makes it *quite* clear to all those,
Iranians or
not, who join it of what they should expect if they happen to
meet a
Parsi here, in India and in any other part of the world. They
are
explained as to ascertain if he/she is Traditionalist or
reformist.
They are told that while in Iran, they can go to the anjomans
and enter
fire-temples, but in the Indian subcontinent, they should
never venture
to enter any of the Parsi out-of-bound premises. The same
holds true
about Dar-e Mehrs and associations in the West. That is why
one does
not see any Assembly member trespassing any of the
Traditionalist
boundaries in any of part of the Zoroastrian world.
COMMENT by an Alias subscriber: Those who proselytize do so
either for
satisfying their ego, power, money, or they truly believe that
they are
saving the souls of people whose current religions according
to their
understanding are not teaching the right things.
ANSWER: What would you say about Zarathushtra and all others
whom you
call "prophets and sages?" Did they not teach, preach, and
accept those
who went over to their side after being fully convinced? Was
it because
of their ego, power, money, or they truly believed that they
were
saving the souls of people whose then current religions
according to
their understanding were not teaching the right things?
Proselytization, conversion, acceptance, choice, reformation,
or
whatever you like to call it has been initiated and promoted
by every
founder of a religion, order, sect, or denomination.
What would you say about the persons who stand opposed to
proselytization? Is it their ego, power, money, politics,
prejudice,
fanaticism, jealousy, fancy, or sheer fear, which drives them
to take
such a stand?
(1) A Marked Change: With foul uproars and personal attacks
off the
Zoroastrian Alias, we see a new atmosphere prevail.
Proselytization/Conversion/Acceptance/Choice/Label is now
being
discussed in peace and respect by persons of different schools
of
thought. The same holds true about other subjects too. Many
who had
gone silent, are slowly returning to take part in expressing
their
views and exchanging information. It is a healthy sign.
We should all be thankful to the person/persons, whosoever
he/she/they
is/are, who brought the restraining order. But more than that,
we
should all be grateful to Mr. Mehrdad Khosraviani who suffered
from
both sides - from the restrainer/s and the restrained. Both
were hard
on him. It appears that the restrained and their
behind-the-scene
supporters and feeders are still harassing Mr. Khosraviani.
His
honorary services to the Zoroastrians and friends should be
greatly
appreciated.
Meanwhile, I hope that the persons who were behind the past
uproars of
distortions, lies, blasphemy, foul language, cheap shots, and
personal
attacks, have realized that it bore them no fruits. They only
reflected
their true selves.
One says that the Gathas are the guide. The other has the
Vendidad as
its practical partner. One speaks how powerful the Avestan
prayers are
with their vibrations. The other says that the prayers are
good only
when understood. One makes the reader know that only a select
high can
comprehend the true meaning of the Avesta. The other is
"mistified* why
there should be mysticism in the Message. One wants the Avesta
to be
understood through translations. The other believes that no
one can
translate the sacrosanct scriptures. One emphasizes the need
to
preserve the Traditions his/her community in Iran/India has
kept alive
to this day. The other shows that the Good Religion is a
modernizing way without any loss of the Primal Principles of
Life. One
is resolved to spread the Divine Message throughout the world.
The
other wants to promote the Parsi community to the heights it
enjoyed in
the British India.
All of them can present their viewpoints with logic, reason,
and in
peace on this List. They can, with tolerant and yet strong
argument,
prove their viewpoint to be correct. Etiquette and netiquette
can
present logic and maintain dignity. A fair competition for a
fair
result.
The subscribers are all elite and educated. It will give them
a good
opportunity to look at them all, understand what different
schools of
thought say, and decide to choose what they consider the best
and the
most practical.
Ali A. Jafarey
9 Dey 3736 ZRE = 30 December 1998
Reposted: 31 Farvardin 3743 ZRE = 20 April 2005 CE
* * * * * *
Foreword
<>This booklet provides the answers to these questions and more. It is hoped that it will illuminate the subject and open the way to an increasing study of mâñthra, the thought-provoking message of Zarathushtra. They are embodied in the Gathas, his ever-fresh divine songs of guidance.
Introduction
The religion founded by Zarathushtra is known by several names. He himself called it Daênâ Vañuhi, meaning the "Good Conscience," or freely rendered, the "Good Religion." His disciples chose to add Zarathushtri, Zarathushtrian, to show that it was founded by Zarathushtra. To express its true source of inspiration, it is also called Âhuiri, belonging to Ahura, divine. A little later, they coined a new befitting term, Mazda-yasna, to make it clear that they regarded their only god as Mazdâ, the "Supreme Intellect," a Wise Being quite unique and above the human-conceived, human-natured deities known as daêvas, whose cult came to be called daêva-yasna.
The name Zarathushtra has been contracted into Zartosht in Persian and Zarathusht or Zarthusht in Gujarati. Daênâ Vañuhi is Dîn-e Behi or Behdîni in Persian. Zoroaster is the Anglicized form of a Greek mispronunciation of the name Zarathushtra. And since the 19th century CE, "the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism" means the final institutionalized version of the Good Religion.
With all the forms in view, a follower of the Good Religion is a Zarathushtrian, Zarathushti, Zartoshti, Zoroastrian, Mazdayasni, or Behdin. The two forms of Zarathushtrian and Zartoshti have been preferred by the Zarathushtrian Assembly.
This book distinguishes between the pristine form of the Good Religion and the evolved, transformed, and transmuted state of the religion. The Zarathushtrian Religion is the religion taught and practiced by Zarathushtra and his generating followers for centuries. It is based only on the Gâthâs, the very Teachings of the Teacher. The Institutionalized Zoroastrianism is the massing shape it has taken over the last 2,500 years. Some call it the "Traditional" Zoroastrian religion.
The pristine state and the evolving form will be explained under the subtitles of Source Scriptures, History, Zarathushtra, Institutionalization, Doctrine, Rituals, Outside Influence, Present and Future, Changing Attitudes, the Zarathushtrian Assembly, and Conclusion.
Source Scriptures
The Good Religion: Zarathushtra practiced, taught, and preached his Divine Doctrine for a full forty-seven years. Finally, he reduced his teachings in seventeen songs as the all-time guidelines for "all the living beings" to come. Later the songs were called Gathas, meaning "sacred songs," His immediate followers, adhering fast to his teachings, wove more songs and composed several pieces to supplement the Gathas: They are Haptañhâiti (Seven-chapters in poetry), Hadhaokhta (a short piece advising people to listen to seraosha, the inner-voice expounding the divine message of Zarathushtra), Fshusho-mâñthra (another short piece on one preparing oneself to serve the progressive cause in thoughts, words, and deeds), Yeñhe Hâtâm (a paraphrase of a Gathic verse in veneration of men and women), and Fravarti (a section on Initiation in which one renounces one’s superstitious beliefs and cultic practices and chooses the Good Religion). They are all in the same dialect, now termed Gathic. The entire collection of a total of 312 stanzas or approximately 7,600 words, is called Staota Yesnya, reverential praises, by Zarathushtra’s followers. It is also known by its Pahlavized form of Stot Yasn. It is homogeneous in doctrine and very inspiring and stimulating.
The Institutionalized Zoroastrianism was quite rich in scriptures. In addition to the Staota Yesnya texts, it had compositions going back to pre-Zarathushtrian eras and writings ending as late as 1773 CE in three languages of Avesta, Pahlavi, and Persian over a span of more than 4,000 years. It was rich in subjects also: theology, myth, legends, history, geography, agriculture, animal care, medicine, pollution and purity laws, prayer preparations, elaborate rituals, potent spells, and commentaries of the Gathas, all en masse, of course, around the Staota Yesnya. The canonized collection, duly selected and collated by the priestly authorities of the Sassanian order, was completed in about 550 CE It consisted of 21 volumes. Only one volume, called Stot Yasn, contained the Gathas and its supplements. The remaining volumes were commentaries, interpretations, later liturgies, religious epics, administrative and social laws, or miscellaneous subjects of day-to-day life of the Sassanian theocracy.
The Arab conquest and the subsequent conversions dealt a heavy blow to the 21-volume collection. Most of the collection was lost and less than one third of the volumes was salvaged and re-arranged into six volumes: the Yasna containing the Staota Yesnya and later liturgical compositions; the Vispered on the Gâhânbâr seasonal festivals; the Yasht, praises in honor of Ahura Mazda and his "assisting" deities; the Vendidâd, mainly concerning pollution and purification laws; the Khordeh Avesta, a handy popularized late collection of mostly non-Gathic daily prayers in Avesta and Middle Persian; and lastly, the collection of Avestan and Pahlavi fragments of various lengths on various subjects. Fresh compositions appeared in Pahlavi during the 9th century in order to make some good of the loss. Avesta was a dead language long before and Pahlavi died a consequent death to produce modern Persian. Persian writings, written in Arabic script, began from the 15th century and lasted until the close of the 18th century. Further writings, in Persian, Sanskrit, Gujarati, and English, have been solely based on this comparatively vast literature.
Only a comprehensive study of this literature could project the full form of the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism. This booklet is, therefore, confined to the main points of the subject. A better presentation is made in the author’s The Zarathushtrian Religion, a chronological perspective.
History
Zarathushtra was born, according to a conventional reckoning, 3,757 years ago. His family raised cattle and horses. They belonged to an Indo-European people who called themselves Aryans, meaning "noble." They were polytheists and believed in superstitions and magic. The greedy priests put on a good show of bloody sacrifices, instant intoxicants, and loud chants to please the gods and repel magic, and exploit the simple laity. The people were also exploited by their ruling princes.
Zarathushtra, an inquisitive person, looked at the Aryan cult with doubt at the tender age of seven. His doubts increased when the priests could not satisfy him with their dubious answers. They, in their frustration, boycotted him. He left them to discover the truth by himself. His questioning search into the contrast between social disorder and natural order led him to a discovery: the Being whose supreme wisdom created the order which prevails throughout the universe. His discovery of, and communion with the "Being of Supreme Intellect," Ahura Mazdâ, gave him a message he conveyed to others. Zarathushtra founded a religion based on the "Primal Principles of Life" he had divinely discovered. He publicly proclaimed his divine message at the age of thirty with the sole aim of leading the entire human society to an ever-fresh spiritual and material existence.
The priests and princes, realized the threat to their vested interests, vehemently opposed him, and forced him and his few friends to leave home. Zarathushtra left home, only to go to the court of Vishtaspa, the leading ruler in the region. They had a two-year long discussion, and Zarathushtra converted Vishtaspa and his sagacious companions of men and women. They became fervent peaceful preachers of the new religion, and it spread fast, far, and wide.
A thousand years passed and the Good Religion was accepted by all the Aryan and Aryanized people on the Iranian Plateau through the peaceful, but zealous propagation of its devotees. About 2,500 years ago, Cyrus the Persian founded the first world empire, known as the Achaemenian empire, based on the Zarathushtrian doctrine of freedom, benevolence, tolerance, and progress. It extended from Libya to the Pamirs and the Indus. It lasted 220 years (550-330 BCE). After a short rule by alien Macedonians and Greeks, the Zoroastrian Parthians took over and ruled a shrunk empire, mostly confined to the Iranian Plateau, for 478 years (254 BCE-224 CE) with the same spirit of benevolence and tolerance. It was taken over by the Sassanians who turned the empire into a tight theocratic state of one sect. Other Zoroastrian sects were condemned as heretics.
Theocracy means total dependence of religion’s sustenance on the ruling power, consequently causing the religion to weaken much. It turns it into a parasite which depends more on the theocratic government than on its own potentiality, and therefore, the fall of government proves disastrous for the religion.
Meanwhile, Christianity, the religion of the Byzantine Empire west of the Sassanians, posed as a rival. The two empires fought several wars over a period of several centuries. Both were badly weakened and were not able to stop the rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. Zealous Muslim warriors defeated both, and completely overthrew the Sassanian dynasty and overran the vast Iranian empire within a short span of twenty years— 532 to 652 CE
With the empire gone, Zoroastrian survival has been at stake. Conversion to Islam through force, persecution, propagation, and concession has drastically reduced the number of Zoroastrians in Iran. Outside Iran, only one group of Iranian emigrants has survived. They are the Parsis of the Indian sub-continent. All other pockets, Iranian or not, have disappeared without leaving any noticeable trace.
Zarathushtra
In the Good Religion Zarathushtra is a human being who, in his persistent search for truth, discovered and realized the Supreme Entity; called it Ahura Mazda, the Wise God; renounced and discarded the old cultic beliefs and practices; communed with his God; was inspired to convey the Divine Message he had realized, to all men and women of all climes and times; and founded an entirely new universal religion. He is the foremost Ahu (Lord), Ratu (Leader), and Mâñthran (Thought-provoker); in fact, the primal mental and material, spiritual and physical Guide of a righteous life for every person and for ever.
In the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism Zarathushtra is more of a reformer than a founder of an ancient Iranian religion which had deviated from its path. He cleansed the religion of its daeva worship and superstitions but perpetuated all the "good" old beliefs and rituals. He is the "Prophet" of an ethnic community, at present represented by Iranis and Parsis. Yet some Zoroastrians consider him a Divine Being of supernatural knowledge and power.
Zarathushtra was to be followed by three saviors, known as Saoshyants, meaning "benefactors," who were to be miraculously born of virgin mothers, each a thousand years after the other, to renovate the deteriorating world. Although approximately three thousand years have passed since Zarathushtra passed away, so far the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism has recognized no one as a Saoshyant. Many Zoroastrians are now eagerly awaiting the appearance of Bahrâm Varjâvand. This person is not mentioned, even casually, in the Avesta or Pahlavi writings. He appears more in Persian and oral tradition. Some historian scholars say that he could be Bahram Chobin, a defiant Sassanian chief who left Iran for India and China to form an army and return to expel the invading Arabs. He was never heard of but people, looking for a savior, waited for his return. The waiting has grown into the Bahram Varjavand legend.
Institutionalization
The Good Religion: Zarathushtra founded an altogether new religion on the basis of his divine realization. He eliminated every rite and ritual that was performed to appease false gods, enrich priests, and exploit people. He cleansed minds of superstitions. He taught a very sublime and strong doctrine.
His meaningful prayers make the soul divinely soar high but his simple rituals hardly distract one’s mind to ceremonial performances. His doctrine is based on the "Primal Principles of Life" on this good earth, but does not set up do’s and don’ts to govern one’s every mental thought and physical movement. His highly philosophical teachings are not commandments to govern minute details of every day life. It is a progressive doctrine that wants its adherents to wisely progress with time and adjust their lives accordingly. The motto is: Continuous renovation and refreshing of life.
Zarathushtra is ahu, an improving lord and a ratu, a true guide "chosen" by the people for his righteous actions. He is a manthran, a thought-provoker. He has put his entire doctrine in seventeen songs of a total 241 stanzas or less than 6,000 words—the Gathas—enough to guide humanity of all ages to wholeness, immortality and God without depriving them of their mental and physical freedom and choice.
The Institutionalized Zoroastrianism: But the Aryan cult was a well-formalized establishment with an orthodox hierarchy, colorful rituals, and a detailed way of life. When the leaders of the cult joined the spreading religion, many of them wanted to save and perpetuate their leading profession. They very cleverly reintroduced many old beliefs and rituals, and reinstated many gods and animated more from Gathic conceptions and thus created a large pantheon of deities under the godhead of Ahura Mazda.
First the elaborate Haoma ritual was introduced. However, the original intoxicant drink was substituted by an ephedraic drink. The ritual was blended in with the Staota Yesnya recitation. It was followed by personifying some of the Gathic abstractions under the term of amesha spenta, conventionally rendered as " Incremental Immortals" and yazata, adorables. Seraosha, the inner-voice, was turned into a warrior deity, and then some of the prominent "heroically helping" gods and goddesses of the pre-Zarathushtrian era—Mithra, god of tribal contract; Verethraghna, god of war and victory; Tishtrya, god of rain; Anâhitâ, goddess of waters; Vayu, god of wind; Drvaspa, goddess of animal health, and many more—were re-introduced as yazatas. Bloody sacrifices accompanied the heroic gods. Still later sun, moon, stars, earth, and other objects had their presiding deities. And still later, the Gathic personifications, called amesha spentas, lost much of their Gathic concepts and were given the task of guarding over cattle, fire, metal, earth, trees, and waters without infringing upon the authority of pre-Zarathushtrian deities presiding over the same elements.
The priestly hierarchy, now firmly established, was at the head of two or occasionally three lower classes of warriors, professional producers, and artisans. At present, Zoroastrians are divided into two classes only—The Priests known either as Mobeds or Athornâns (misreading of Avestan/Pahlavi âthravan/âsravan or âsron) and the Laity called Behdins (meaning" [of] the Good Religion").
Doctrine
The Good Religion: Zarathushtra presents a progressive monotheism. Ahura Mazda, literally "the Being [of] Supreme Intellect, " is the "continuous" creator, sustainer, and promoter of the universe. Ahura Mazda is the "most progressive." He is also transcendental and impersonal, and therefore without any pantheon at all. Yet he is so close, that one can easily commune with him without any mediation.
Ahura Mazda has created and creates the universe by his progressive mentality (spenta mainyu). It is a good creation. Among his creations, he has fashioned the "joy-bringing" living world of ours on the earth. It is guided by the "Primal Principles of Life." The Gathas present them in a beautifully intertwined, inseparable pattern to provide one with a well-blended, progressive way of life. Here they are given separately with the sole view of giving a glimpse of the most important of them:
Vohu Manah, good mind, good thinking. It stands for the discerning wisdom and thorough thinking required for leading a useful life.
Asha stands for "truth, order, righteousness." It is the universal law of righteous precision. It may best be explained by stating that it means "to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, and with the right means in order to attain the right result." It should result in constructive and loving good not only for oneself but also for one’s fellow creatures and for God. It is the positive, beneficial and unselfish precision par excellence.
Khshathra denotes the "power" to settle in peace. Used with the adjective of vohu, good, or vairya, to be chosen, it stands for benevolent power, good rule, and the chosen order. It is chosen by free and wise people as their ideal order in spirit and matter. It is the divine dominion.
Âramaiti, means "tranquility, stability and serenity." It is peace and prosperity. When used with the adjective spenta, it means the "ever-increasing serene peace" achieved by adhering to the Primal Principles of Life.
Seraosha means "listening" to the divine voice within us to guide us on the right path. It means inspiration, divine enlightenment, communion with God.
Daênâ is a person’s inner-perception, the conscience. It also stands for one’s chosen religion. Zarathushtra named the religion he founded as the "Good Conscience."
All the above and more Primal Principles of Life given in the Gathas, when followed precisely, lead to:
Haurvatât, wholeness and completion. It is the perfecting process and final completion of our material and spiritual evolution.
Ameretât means "deathlessness" and "immortality." Together with Haurvatât, it is the ultimate goal and represents the completion of our evolutionary development and the final achievement of our life on the earth.
In short, the Primal Principles lead one and all to become "godlike" and to live with God in an eternal bliss. The blissful state is called garo demâna, the abode of songs, or one may as well call it "the house of music."
The Gathas speak about urvan, soul, and its final destiny to "live where the Wise God lives." but there exists no fanciful eschatology. All it says is that the soul of a wrongful person "returns" to stay in the "house of wrong" or "house of the worst mind" until it realizes the truth to progress to wholeness and immortality. Yet, this "return" does not feed one with the elaborate doctrine of "reincarnation" and "transmigration of soul" as is found in other religions and beliefs. It is a fair deduction that a soul must evolve to become righteous to continue to live in bliss.
Ahura Mazda has endowed mankind with a powerful mentality—one which can discriminate between good and evil. Human beings are free to choose between a better or more progressive mentality (vahya or spanya mainyu) and an evil or retarding mentality (aka or angra mainyu). The reward for the choice of the better mentality is eternal bliss, and the consequence of choosing the evil mentality is a long suffering by the soul until it is refined to achieve wholeness and immortality. Every person receives the reward for every righteous act or suffers the bad consequence for every wrong deed one does. The dualism of the Good Conscience is purely ethical and confined to human behavior only.
Everything in nature, the entire environment, is a good creation and should be looked upon as such. Light and darkness, day and night, water and plants, in fact, the very world alive with life, should be promoted according to asha, the universal law of nature. Mankind is not on the earth to interfere in its evolution to perfection but being creative and "godlike," he and she should increase its pace to progress. The Gathic doctrine is a progressively ecological order. Zarathushtra stands high in protecting and promoting the environment in a happy scientific way.
Man and woman enjoy equal status. The religion of Zarathushtra is a universal religion which knows no sex, race, color, or national barriers. It is historically the first missionary movement, a moderate movement.
The Institutionalized Zoroastrianism has a well-balanced pantheon of deities and demons. Ahura Mazda has created the six amesha spentas (Vohu Manah, Asha, Khshathra, Aramaiti, Haurvatat, and Ameretat), numerous yazatas (adorables consisting of Gathic concepts and pre-Zarathushtrian deities), innumerable fravashis (conventionally rendered as Guardian Spirits), and righteous human beings to assist Him in the continuous cosmic fight with His Adversary, Añhra Mainyu (the Evil Spirit), the horde of daevas (demons) created by him, and evil human beings who follow him.
In contrast to the ethical dualism of the Gathas, the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism is a cosmical dualistic religion in which all that is "termed" as good has been created by Ahura Mazda, and every "bad" event and object, from natural disasters to disease and death, and to the so-called "noxious" creatures, are the creations of the Evil Spirit. Life on this earth and the cosmos is a continuous fight against Anghra Mainyu, the so-called Evil Spirit.
The Gathic doctrine of harmony with nature was partially maintained. Air, water, plants, earth, and minerals were, and are, held in high regard. But ecology was not as protected as it should have been according to the Gathic doctrine. Good animals and plants were promoted and improved. "Noxious" animals, particularly ants and frogs, and "evil" plants were meritoriously destroyed. The destruction of the "evil creation" is at present much reduced because of the prevailing circumstances, but the belief in fighting it in mind and matter continues.
The fight has made the scriptural doctrine to cover every walk of life from birth to death. The Evil Spirit has created the all-spreading pollution, and rites of purification are elaborate and complex. Life in the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism means a constant watch against devilish moves. It is patterned upon the directives given in the holy scriptures. They include, among a multiple of old and new subjects: priestly duties, kingship, judiciary, religious festivals, ownership, inheritance, agriculture, pastures, animal care, animal slaughter, medicine, prophecy, apostasy, charity, begging, initiation, marriage, polygamy, adultery, slavery, relations with non-Zoroastrians, religious conversion, warfare, retribution, punishment, fine, ransom, compensation, theft, murder, assault, witchcraft, sin, crime, death penalty, carrion, menstruation, and other "do’s and don’ts" to fight the evil and lead a righteous life. The canonized text was, and its salvage part is, in the Avestan language, the translations and added commentaries were, and what remains of them are, in Pahlavi or Middle Persian.
Many of the directives given in the scriptures are difficult and some of them are impossible to be followed in a modern world of intercommunicating and intermingling society. The result is that only a dwindling number of priests try to follow as many of the directives as are possible within the prevailing conditions. The laity have silently abandoned many and are gradually abandoning more.
The eschatology is elaborate and picturesque. The soul remains for three days and nights beside the dead body on the earth and ascends on the fourth morning to reach the "Bridge of Separation," originally a Gathic allegory, now turned into a concrete construction. There, it is judged by three yazatas—Mithra, Sraosha, and Rashnu. Here one is not judged separately for each of his or her deeds, but the total of good acts are placed in one pan and all the evil actions in another pan of the balance. Those whose good deeds outweigh their evil actions, are declared righteous and go, according to merits, to one of the four categories of the Heaven and live a life of bliss, and those whose evil deeds are heavier than their good actions are wrongful and likewise go to one of the four Hells. There they are grotesquely tortured, ironically, by the Evil Spirit and his horde of demons. For those who have equal weights of good and evil, there is the purgatory (Avesta Misvâna Gâtu, "mixing place" or Pahlavi Hammistagân, “place of equal mixing”) to eventually purge them of their evil. Here the souls are not tortured but made to suffer only from cold and heat. In spite of these assignments, there is also the bodily resurrection when the dead will arise. Then souls and bodies will again be judged and sentenced to bliss or a temporary punishment. All will eventually be united in the blissful existence. The Evil Spirit and his creation will be doomed for ever.
The Institutionalized Zoroastrianism has transformed the Gathic conception of the mental state of enjoying good and suffering evil and the subsequent achievement of wholeness, immortality, and the eternal divine bliss into an elaborate eschatology of death, judgement, heaven, hell, purgatory, bodily resurrection, and salvation, an eschatology which has greatly influenced other religions, including, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Man and woman continue to enjoy equal status. Yet woman is considered more prone to pollution because of her monthly menstruation and periodical childbirth. She has to undergo elaborate and lengthy purification rites to regain her purity. Many modern Zoroastrians have, as already said, given up most of the purification rites. During the Sassanian times, while man could marry more than once and yet keep his status, woman had several standards. Among them, she was a "royal wife" if married as maiden with the consent of her parents, a "self-willed" if she married without her parents' consent, and a "serving wife" if remarrying as a widow. The husband had an upper hand in divorcing his spouse. At present, modified laws promulgated by Zoroastrian associations in Iran and India have restored the equality to a great extent.
Nevertheless, marriage outside the community, generally places the woman outside the society among orthodox Parsis. Parsi women married to non-Zoroastrians are fighting for full rights. They are supported by many of their co-religionists. Iranian women are not faced with such social problems.
Rituals
The Good Religion: The Gathas are divine praises and guidance at the same time. They contain barely any rituals. One only finds some outlines of simple ceremonies in the Staota Yesnya texts concerning the Initiation of a person choosing the Good Religion, meditation for enlightenment, individual prayers, congregational prayers, marriage, and honoring the living and the dead for their good services—outlines that give one the virtuous freedom to keep in good tune with the changing times and climes. The Gathas do not interfere in one’s traditional good "living." Yet they advocate a happy life of radiating happiness to others whosoever they may be.
Early non-Gathic Avestan texts show that the Gathas were sung, chanted and recited by people whenever they were in a mood and urge to do so. They also gathered around a hearth or fire altar to recite the Gathas and their supplements in a congregation. Pure priestly "profession" is absent in the Gathic texts. If required, persons of more knowledge led the prayers. Later texts show that people celebrated their age-old seasonal changes in their pastoral and agricultural life. They are the six Gahanbars celebrated at the end of each change in activity. Staota Yesnya was recited and explained to an inquisitive gathering. It was followed by enjoying a feast collectively prepared by all the participants. One’s life, mentally and spiritually enriched by the Gathic doctrine, continued to progress with a higher, sublimer purpose.
The Gathic age did not have priests, professional or otherwise. The prayers were not led by any particular individual. Persons with greater knowledge of the doctrine officiated at simple ceremonies and congregational rituals and in their spare time, taught and preached the religion. In fact, every person was, in his or her own capacity, a practicing, preaching Zarathushtrian.
The Institutionalized Zoroastrianism, on the other hand, has an established hereditary priestly class with intricate rituals. It has its fire-temples of different grades. While in Iran non-Zoroastrians are allowed to enter a fire-temple, fire-temples in India and Pakistan bar any person who is not a "born" Zoroastrian. Zoroastrians in Europe, North America and Australia do not, to this date, have a "consecrated" temple. Fire altars in prayer sanctuaries fulfill the job. A few are gas-fired. With the passage of time, congregational prayers, which once comprised only of the Gathas and their supplements in the Gathic texts, have given way to ceremonies in which the Gathas do not constitute the body of the prayer text but are, in certain longer rituals, a part of a much longer whole. While seasonal festivals of Gahanbars gradually have been turned into a feast without Stoata Yesnya recitation, the reformed calendar, based on days and months named after deities, have given more festivals. Whenever the name of the day and the name of the month of the same deity coincides, a festival (Pahlavi yazishn, Persian jashn, and Gujarati jashan, [ritual] veneration) is celebrated in honor of the deity. The total of such deity-festivals comes to fifteen in a year. Birth, initiation, marriage, death, disposal of the dead, and memorial ceremonies each have their preparations and performances. Pollution and purification rituals are elaborate and difficult to perform. Certain laid conditions make some of the rituals almost impossible to be performed "overseas" on American continents, Australia, and other island regions outside the Eurasian mainland.
Prayers are recited in Avesta and in a later form of Middle Persian basically learned by rote. Both the languages lie beyond the comprehension of the reciting priests and the listening laypersons. Only a small number of Zoroastrian scholars know what the prayers mean. No standard translation of the holy texts exist in English, Persian, or Gujarati. Most of the available translations, especially of the Gathas, are by non-Zoroastrian scholars in a scholarly language that rob the "scriptural" texts of their beauty. The sublime songs of Zarathushtra lie too philologically analyzed to inspire and deliver the divine message. The laity has only one book to be spiritually contented with: Khordeh Avesta, usually in Persian, Gujarati, or English script and without a translation. Moreover, neither the priests nor the laity know the relevance or irrelevance of the ritual to the texts recited during the performance.
The elaborate ceremonies, some running for hours have done one thing—eclipsed the Gathas so much so that they are only recited either along with the entire Yasna text or on the occasion of the last five memorial days, the Muktâd or Panjeh. The Ahunavaiti Gatha, the first seven songs, are recited during a funeral ceremony. And it is the officiating priests who do the recitations, not the laity. It is just a generation that a movement has been generated to turn to the Gathas.
Metaphysical interpretations of the Avestan texts presented by certain circles satisfy those in search of mysticism, but the common men and women, who are coming in ever-growing contact with science and other religions whose scriptures are in intelligible renderings, are looking and asking for good, understandable renderings.
Calendar
The Good Religion, founded approximately 4,000 years ago, did not prescribe a calendar that would have become outdated. The Gathas and certain earlier parts of the Avesta show that the Gathic people continued to adhere to their ancestral luni-solar calendar with a precise intercalation of 11 days to keep the Gahanbar festivals in line with the agricultural life. There is no clue as to what were the names of the months. One can only look at the Gahanbar names and the Vedic months to presume that they might have been names after seasonal changes and agricultural phases. The early Achaemenians, more Gathic in practice than the following dynasties, had a solar calendar of their own with specific names of the months. The days of the month were numbered the way one does in modern times. That shows that they found themselves free to change the calendar to suit their times.
The Institutionalized Zoroastrianism too changed later to a purely solar calendar. It, however, had its months named, in a non-orderly sequence, after the amesha spentas and yazatas. It also named the thirty days of the month, here in a more or less, orderly sequence, after the amesha spentas and yazatas. The last five days were dedicated to the five Gathas to provide a 365-day year. Intercalations of one day every four years or one month every 120 years kept the calendar in its place.
But the downfall of the Sassanians deprived the community of a single calendarical authority. The Indian pocket was cut off from the Iranian community. Leap years were observed only for few centuries and then were given up for good. As a result, until recently, there were two calendars, the Qadimi (Old) followed by the Iranian Zoroastrians and the Shâhanshâhi (Royal) by the Parsis, both drifting months from the vernal equinox. At present, the Qadimi year begins in July and the Shahanshahi begins one full month later. A few decades ago, some rose to reform it into a solar year of 365 days with its leap year. It begins with the vernal equinox and is called Fasli (seasonal) by many.
Meanwhile, Iran and Afghanistan have changed to the precise solar year of 365.2422 days. It has the first six months of 31 days each, the following five months of 30 days each, and the last month either of 29 or 30 days. It is the most correct current calendar. It is very practical. The Iranian months carry Zoroastrian names and the Afghan months have Zodiacal terms. The days have their numbers—1 to 31.
Outside Influences
The Good Religion stands pure and pristine and is based upon the Gathic guidelines with no alien religious influence. Zarathushtra "renounced" the old cult after he discovered the truth and was divinely enlightened. He did not have any contacts with any of the then existing cults and religions. Furthermore, the Good Religion is firmly based on the Primal Principles of Life and that is sufficient to lead a wise, righteous, and practical life of usefulness to the living world. As already stated, the Gathas did not, and do not, interfere in one’s good mode of living. They guide and inspire one to lead a better life.
Orthodox Christianity came into close contact with the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism during the Sassanian period. Its confession of sins has been instrumental in creating numerous Patets, penitence pieces in late Middle Persian, in which all the possible sins are listed and repentance is expressed for each of them in daily prayers faithfully recited by many. Even children, who definitely lie outside the scope of adult "sins," are made to recite them on certain occasions.
Islamic influence on the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism in Iran may be seen in the number of Zoroastrian shrines and the unconscious ascribing of every event, good or bad, to God. While the later Avesta would begin an act with Khshnaothra Ahurahe Mazdâo (for the pleasure of Ahura Mazda), post-Sassanian prayers in Zoroastrian Persian begin with be nâm-e Îzad bakshâyande-ye bakhshâyeshgar-e mehrabân (In the name of God, the compassionate, merciful, and kind), an echo of Bismillâhi al-Rahmân al-Rahîm. The same holds true about Peimân-e Dîn or Dîn-no Kalmo. It follows the Islamic profession of faith Shahâdah, also known as Kalema-e Dîn among Indo-Iranian Muslims. In fact, Din-no Kalmo is a mere Gujarati rendering of Kalema-e Din. One may also see a response to 99 names of Allah in the much popularized 101 names of "Hormazd." These names have, with a few exceptions, no roots in the Avesta and Pahlavi writings. They even lie outside the Hormazd Yasht, a late Avestan composition in which God enumerates His names and speaks about their potentials. Furthermore, the Muslim dominance has, for the past 1,400 years, made the Iranian Zoroastrians behave very protectively.
Hindu influence on the Zoroastrians of the Indian sub-continent may be found in the growing number of persons attracted to Hindu saints, gurus, sâiñs, bâbâs, mâtâs, and shrines and other pilgrimage centers. Turning the community into a closed, caste-like society, prostration before the fire altar, tinting the forehead with ashes, and many social customs are perhaps among older influences. Once very strong, the attraction of the Theosophical order is on the decline.
Finally, the Good Religion is a universal, progressive, and modernizing religion meant for the humanity at large. The Institutionalized Zoroastrianism, in its present traditional form, is an ethnical, static, and closed religion of a specific community The two stand apart in their outlook..
Present and Future
The present, with the drastic changes in social orders, the discoveries by science and the rapid progress of technology, challenges every religion, old and new. Many of the religious rules and regulations appear to many a modern person as outdated, obsolete, and impractical. It is mostly the simple or blind faith, strengthened by interpretations, some of them esoteric, which is keeping many religious dogmas in place.
Meanwhile, Zoroastrians are no more confined to certain specific cities within their enclosed residential areas in Iran, India, and Pakistan. They are fanning out of their old strongholds and thinning into far-flung cities in which they can find a better and safer place to live. Estimates put the present number of Zoroastrians in North American cities at 10,000 persons. The number is increasing.
But the story in India and Pakistan is different. There the number is fast decreasing because of more deaths and less births. "Exodusic" emigration and excommunication of persons marrying outside the community are also eroding the numbers. Experts on demography are warning of the day, not far, when the community will disappear. The faithful adherents of ethnical the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism express their confidence that it will never be so. Zealous inbreeding, they confidently predict, will keep the community alive and expanding. Some are awaiting the appearance of Bahram Varjavand to see the balance totally tilted in their favor.
While many are alarmed at the dwindling number of "born" Zoroastrians, non-Zoroastrian Iranians are showing ever-greater interest in their ancestral religion. A jump of 60,000 persons in the recent census of Zoroastrians in Iran has surprised many. The number of persons approaching Zoroastrians and Zoroastrian associations in North America and Europe to seek knowledge with a view to join the community is increasing. Enjoying the relative freedom, some educated Tajiks, people of Iranian stock in the Soviet Central Asia, are also anxious to join the fold. Even some Armenians have made inquiries. Moreover, as more and more Americans and Europeans are getting acquainted with the name of Zarathushtra and his teachings, the number of inquiries is showing a steady rise. A few have declared themselves Zarathushtrians and others have expressed a desire to do so.
Zoroastrians today see other religious orders in their neighborhood. They establish friendship with their adherents. They stand fully exposed to non-Zoroastrian environments. Mixed-marriages between Zoroastrians and non-Zoroastrians have become a common feature, and the figures of mixed-marriages are showing a steady rise at the loss of inter-community weddings.
So far excommunication of persons marrying outside the community has been the usual reaction by the self-styled "traditionalists" and "orthodox" who consider themselves as the ultimate authority. But the action does not seem to be working in face of new challenges thrown by the fast changing circumstances wherever the Zoroastrians live, in good old India and Pakistan, or in new permanent residential countries of Europe, America, and Australia. All these challenges cannot be brushed aside or taken lightly. Conditions show that threats, intimidation, condemnation, boycott, excommunication, refusal to recognize a so-called convert as Zarathushtrian, blasphemy and abusive language do not work. On the contrary, they turn many to become increasingly curious to know the truth. The matter warrants serious consideration, both for the traditionalists and the liberals.
Changing Attitudes
Attitudes are undergoing a change since Western scholars began taking an increasing interest in the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism almost 200 years ago. They have, with their translations and interpretations, brought the mute Avestan and Pahlavi texts to speak for themselves. The Gathas, once outranked by daily Avesta/Pazend recitation, are the subject of much discussion now.
The reformist movement started by those trained in Western schools has gained much strength during the last century. It has made, and continues to make, even the staunch traditionalists to reform without acknowledging the change. Gathic studies have helped some to believe that if the Good Religion is restored to its pristine purity, it can well meet the challenge of social changes, scientific progress and technological advances. It can also live in friendly relations with other religions.
One of the subjects brought up by the movement has been conversion/acceptance. It has been vehemently opposed by the traditionalists, and condemned by their high priests in India. Nevertheless, the process of accepting spouses is gaining favor. First, many began supporting the idea that the children of a mixed-marriage in which the father is Zoroastrian should be initiated into the religion. Now, those who stand for equality of the sexes are pressing for the admittance of the children of a Zoroastrian wife. This opinion is strong in Europe and North America and it appears that Zoroastrians of these two continents will eventually admit both. Initiations of children of Zoroastrian wives and non-Zoroastrian fathers are more common than occasional.
The number of Zoroastrians who believe in accepting converts is also increasing. The Iranian Mobeds Councils in Iran and North America have given a green light to acceptance but are not, for obvious reasons, making any special efforts to propagate and win converts. If a "qualified" candidate, generally one marrying into a Zoroastrian family, comes forward, he or she is quietly initiated into the religion. There are several associations in North America who hold the same opinion and occasionally follow the same policy. Against this, the traditionalists in America are already protesting against the move and are quite vociferous in their protest. The number of those in favor of acceptance in India and Pakistan is considerable but so far no one has dared to come in open except a few. It means prompt condemnation by the orthodox who wield the power in the society. A bold step by a few in future may change the silent supporters of acceptance and consequently change the balance.
Among the Zoroastrians in North America and Europe, differences of opinion have divided the immigrants and their children into two main camps: the orthodox and liberals. Although met with stiff opposition, echoed louder in remote India than in North America and Europe, so far the odds have been in favor of the liberals. They have been successful in most of the unorthodox actions they have dared to take. The orthodox, although never admitting, are yielding but very, very slowly. The question now is: how far the orthodox are going to stretch themselves to meet the changes brought in by the liberals, especially by their own children who are growing in a typically open western society?
The fear of a split, expressed mostly by the orthodox, may come true because of the stand taken by the orthodox themselves. It is they who alienate others by their condemnations, excommunications and boycotts. Once alienated, a person cannot join a traditional association, attend a ritual performed by a traditional priest, enter a fire-temple in the Indian sub-continent, or receive a Zoroastrian funerary end. Such persons have two alternatives: go and get lost, as has been the case so far, and as a result, further aggravate the present decline in population, or form their own establishment. The alienated and excommunicated persons, each feeling isolated and rejected, have never made an effort to come together to find a solution to their isolation. However, there are faint signs that some are thinking about the need for a united action to solve the problem in open.
The Zarathushtrian Assembly
But apart from the divided community, a number of prominent Zartoshtis, each in his or her city, have seriously been thinking of establishing a well-organized body in North America and Europe to promote the religion of Zarathushtra. They have been consulting each other but so far no concrete steps have been taken to form groups and start it. Only one group has felt encouraged to come forward and establish an independent organization. The Zarathushtrian Assembly is a non-profit, non-political religious corporation established in 1990 in Los Angeles. It declared its existence while celebrating Nowruz and Zarathushtra’s Birthday on 22 March 1991. It is the first of its kind. It is unique. Contrary to what happens in reformative movements, the establishment of the Assembly is not a protestant, sectarian, or denominational one, a separatist move to split apart from an existing body. It has been formed as an outside organization, an organization which does not identify itself with the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism as an ethnic entity or with any of its associations, institutions, and other sacerdotal, sanctified, social, financial, charitable, singular or federated establishments. It lies outside the closed communal religious fold of traditionalist and orthodox Zoroastrians. It does not seek any recognition by any authority/authorities of the traditional Zoroastrian community. In fact, it is not interested at all in any of the traditional/orthodox activities of keeping their identity, maintaining their rituals and ceremonies, safeguarding their culture, opposing conversion/acceptance, excommunicating persons of mixed marriages, and inbreeding to increase their number.
Nevertheless, the Zarathushtrian Assembly is a Zarathushtrian organization. It has, in theory and practice, restored the religion of Good Conscience to its Gathic purity and Zarathushtrian universality. It reserves the right to call itself and its members by the name "Zarathushtrian" and any of its variants—Zarathushti, Zartoshti, Zoroastrian, Mazdayasni, and Behdin. Based on the Gathic Doctrine, it considers itself the Authority to follow its course. Membership of the Zarathushtrian Assembly is open to all those who, of their own individual accord and after full consideration and conviction, choose the Good Religion and wish to belong to its World Fellowship. The Zarathushtrian Assembly belongs to the knowledgeable persons who are sincerely committed to the good, Gathic religion of the Manthran, the thought-provoker, Righteous Zarathushtra. The Gathas are the only guide in life for the members of the Assembly. Other Gathic texts are of explanatory importance. Its ceremonies are based on the Gathic texts. All other parts of the Avesta and Pahlavi have only their moral, historical, geographical, and anthropological values and therefore there is a placid place for them outside the doctrinal scripture-the Staota Yesnya.
The Assembly teaches, preaches, and practices the religion of Good Conscience. It does not convert people simply because the Good Religion is a religion of personal choice and does not indulge in persuaded, pursued, and pushed conversion. It is opposed to such conversions. Any person who is a Zarathushtrian, either by free choice or by birth and upbringing, and has knowledgeably performed his or her initiation (navjote/sadreh-pûshi), can apply for the membership of the Zarathushtrian Assembly, and upon the approval of the application become a member and enjoy all the rights provided by the Constitution and Bylaws of The Assembly.
Those who are interested in the Good Religion, and those who, for certain reasons, are not in a position to get themselves initiated, may associate themselves with The Assembly by becoming "friends." Friends can participate in all Assembly activities with the exception of elections and being elected to administrative positions. Assembly activities are open to all. Even administrative meetings may be attended by any person brought in by a member or with a prior request.
Conclusion
A common problem faced by followers of the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Islam and Sikhism, all of them comparatively recent immigrants, in Europe and North America, is adaptation to an entirely new environment. Western culture and social orders are very different in these countries. While the first generation of immigrants wants to preserve intact the ways of life as they were in the old world, an impossible task in the long run, the new generation looks at America and Europe as its homeland and its culture as its own.
Meanwhile, the spiritual world is witnessing increased religious activities. Inter-faith movements are working to bring most of the existing religions closer in reciprocally respectful meetings. It is gaining popularity. Parallel to this movement, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Mormons, Baha'is, and even Jews are preaching and are out to win people to their respective religions by peaceful means. Conversion is the order of the day.
The Institutionalized Zoroastrianism has its own stand: Safeguard and continue the identity and culture it has acquired through the ages of its existence, no matter what the conditions prevail in the homeland or the acquired homes. It has, however, a growing group of its members who are concerned. They favor a reform, some fast and fundamental, others slow and surface. Only time, now moving fast, will prove as to who is right and who is erring.
As far as the Good Religion of Zarathushtra is concerned, the restoration has given it a new impetus. With the eternal "Primal Principles of Life" taught by Zarathushtra approximately 4,000 years ago as its motive and goal, it stands modern and progressive. It has entered the peaceful competition and is determined to spread the Zarathushtrian Message far and wide. After all, every Zartoshti, orthodox or liberal, understanding or just chanting, has been wishing in his or her daily prayers: "May the religion of Good Conscience spread all over the seven regions of the earth." Their prayers, clear signs show, have been answered.
<> Atha jamyât yatha afrinâmahi.******
Books Recommended for Further Information
The Gathas:
1. Irach J.S. Taraporewala, The Divine Songs of Zarathushtra, Bombay, 1951.
2. S. Insler, The Gathas of Zarathustra, Leiden, 1975.
3. Ali A. Jafarey, The Gathas, Our Guide, Cypress, California, 1989.
Later Avesta, Pahlavi and Persian:
1. Sacred Books of the East, ed. F. Maxmuller, volumes IV,XXIII, and XXXI for Avesta texts and volumes V, XVIII, XXIV, and XXXVI for Pahlavi texts, Oxford, 1895, reprinted by Motilal Banarasidas, Delhi, 1970.
2. The Persian Rivayats of Hormezdyar Framarz and others, Ervad B.N. Dhabar, Bombay, 1932.
History and Doctrine:
1. Dastur Maneckji Nusservanji Dhalla, History of Zoroastrianism, New York, 1938. (The best and most comprehensive book to read on the chronological development of the Good Religion and the Institutionalized Zoroastrianism.)
2. Rustom Masani, The Religion of the Good Life, London, 1954
3. Dastur Hormazyar K. Mirza, Outlines of Parsi History, Bombay, 1974.
4. Prof. Mary Boyce, A History of Zoroastrianism, three volumes, Leiden, 1975-91.
5. ................, Zaroastrians, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, London, 1979.
6. Erach J.S. Taraporewala, The Religion of Zarathushtra, Bombay, 1980.
7. Homi B. Minocher Homji, O Wither Parsis? Placate and Perish or Reform and Flourish, Karachi, 1978.
8. ......................, Zoroastrianism, contemporary perception of ancient wisdom, a search for the true meaning and scope of zarathushtra’s gathas, Toronto, 1989.
9. Cyrus R. Pangborn, Zoroastrianism, A Beleaguered Faith, 1982.
10. Ali A. Jafarey, The Zarathushtrian Religion, a chronological perspective, 1992.
Rituals:
1. Jivanji Jamshedji Modi, The Religious Ceremonies and Customs of the Parsees, Bombay, reprint 1986.
2. Mobed Ardeshir Azargoshasb, Marasem-e Mazhabi va Adab-e Zarthoshtian (Religious Ceremonies and Customs of the Zoroastrians) (Persian), Tehran, 2nd ed. 1979.
3. Ali A. Jafarey, Fravarane, I choose for myself the Zoroastrian Religion, a guide for the initiation ceremony, Westminster, California, 1988.
<> 4. .............., Zarathushtrian Ceremonies based on the Gathas, Cypress, California, 1992.Note:
The author has, in his research
essays in English and Persian,
discussed at length many of the points which are but briefly
mentioned in this
book. If requested, copies of the original essays will be
provided at the cost
price.
Beginning In the fourteenth century priests
from
India sent a series of questions to their counterparts in Persia.
Each
question was answered by individual priests. Below are questions
from
historic letters, written over 500 years ago.
They clearly show that the historic Zoroastrians accepted new
converts
into the faith.
These Persian priests helped settle many
disputes
in the Indian community. Below are quotes from the Persian
Rivayats as
found on Joseph Peterson's excellent website www.avesta.org
Persian Priest Kaus Mahyar:
Q: Can a grave-digger, a corpse-burner and a
darvand
(one of a foreign faith) become Behdins (i.e., be converted to the
Mazdayasnian religion)?
A: If they observe the rules
of
religion steadfastly and (keep) connection with the religion, and
if no
harm comes on the Behdins (thereby), it is proper and allowable.
Persian
Priest Nariman Hoshang:
Q: A Behdin turns darvand (i.e., goes over to another
faith). If
he returns to the religion of the Behdins, is it allowed or not?
A: It is allowable. They
should
convert him to the religion in the way prescribed). He should be
advised and admonished, should perform a patet and (then)
Barashnom
should be administered to him. He should again engage himself in
performing penitential acts and should recant (his former deeds)
Let it
be known that he should be allowed (to be retaken) in this way.
Persian
Priest Shapur Bharuchi:
A: If a person (of a foreign faith) exercises tyranny
over
a man of the good religion and tells him to turn Musalman with his
family, then out of helplessness he should commit suicide [lit.
take
poison] but he should not turn Musalman.
Persian
Priest Suratya Adhyarus:
Q: If Muslms convert a Behdin by force to Muhamedanism but
the
latter's heart is not set on Muhamedanism. (What is the decision)?
A: Whenever (such a person) is converted
by
force to Muhamedanism and if his heart and mind are not set on
Muhamedanism [the word is written in Avesta characters], then it
is no
fault of his.
Persian Priest
Nariman Hoshang:
A: One should give four for one in the
spiritual world for (what is taken away by) oppression and
violence,
but if (a juddin) shows enmity towards a Behdin, then it is
allowable
to take away the thing from him by force.
Persian Priest Nariman Hoshang:
A: If slave-boys and girls have faith in
the
good religion, then it is proper that Kusti should be (given to
them to
be) tied, and when they become intelligent, attentive to religion
and
steadfast, they should give them Barashnom and it is also proper
and
allowable to eat anything out of their hands.
"Zarathushtra was and is in very Truth, the world teacher. His message is meant for all humanity for all time."