Spiritual hara-kiri

The repeated rantings about our religion in your magazine forces me to write this. It would be unfortunate if Brig N. B. Grant’s misguided statements about the Zarathushtrian practice of the disposal of the dead are left unchallenged. This would cause the less knowledgeable in our community to be left with the impression that what he says is correct. Grant’s views are based not on any religious study of our religious texts, but on his own views on the matter. Such people with "surface” knowledge pontificate on religious and spiritual matters they do not fully understand.

The dakhmenashini method and the religious ceremonies asso­ciated with it are not only the most scientific and ecologically sound mode ever devised for the disposal of the dead body, but are also the most desirable for the onward journey of the soul. This practice had been followed unbroken for thousands of years in Iran before we came to India, as is borne out by the astodans still seen in Iran. There was no cremation nor burial under the Achemenians, the Parthians or the Sassanians.

Does Grant think that the funeral ceremony is a social function for all and sundry to attend? As it is, on a recent visit to Bombay I observed people at a funeral, chit chatting, instead of reciting prayers for the soul of the departed person. Also, because most of us have not taken the trouble to find out, we do not even know which prayers are most beneficial for the soul at such times. This is the time when the soul which is still present near the dead body needs our prayers for help on its onward journey. At such times, no non-Zarathushtrian will object to our religious practice, if properly explained to him/her. In fact they will respect us for it.

Does Grant think that 1,300 years ago our great spiritually advanced high priests brought us to India to be "liked?” We came here because with their foresight they knew that this was the only country where our religion and our people would not only survive but flourish. For 1,300 years, all non-Zarathushtrians have respected our religious practices in every respect. Their religious leaders have the wisdom to understand that these prac­tices flow from our great Prophet, ancient religious texts and knowledge and should be left undisturbed and undefiled. Why is it that we Parsi Zarathushtis ourselves want to change these prac­tices and commit spiritual hara-kiri in the name of being pro­gressive, liberal and being "liked?”

For Grant’s information, our sacred scriptures are specific regarding inter-religious marriage. The Vendidad, Husparam Nask, Patet Pashemani, Setayashes, Vahishtaisti Gatha, all declare inter-religious marriage as a spiritual sin against the religion as well as against one’s soul. In the entire sacred Avesta, there is no reference to a Zarathushti marrying a non-Zarathushti. Even after the downfall of the Sassanian empire, when the times were difficult for Zarathushtis in Iran, the Dinkard and Dadistan reveal that inter-religious marriages were condemned although it meant escape from certain death and unbearable persecution at the hands of the Arabs. Some Sassanian nobility married non-Zar­athushtis for political reasons which led to disastrous conse­quences and the empire rapidly collapsed from within, causing the Arabs to obliterate it completely.

Parsis in India should visit Iran and see the state of Iranian Zarathushtis and our religion there. We Parsis have something most beautiful in India in the form of our fire-tem­ples, our dakhmas, the remnants of our religious texts and the only true remaining fountainhead and source of Zarathushtrian religious, spiritual and esoteric knowledge in the world. We do not have this in the US or England or Canada or anywhere else. What we have in these countries are plastic replicas, like gas fires, of what you have in India. There is no real consecrated fire or atash anywhere else in the world. What we have in India in the form of all our ancient religious practices and institu­tions, are priceless gems, which people like Grant in their ignorance want to adulterate, defile and destroy.

Does Grant have the remotest idea how a dakhma is built and consecrated for the spiritual benefit of a Zarathushti soul? Does he have the foggiest idea how much time and effort is needed to consecrate an agiary or atash behram fire? Does he know anything about the pavmahal ceremonies in these places which connects with every Zarathushti soul and which has been protecting the communi­ty for 1,300 years?

We Zarathushtis should have more faith in Asho Zarathushtra and our religion. Why are we worried with the lessening numbers? If we read our religious texts, we will see that from the begin­ning it has been Ahura Mazda’s plan that there would be five religions in this world. So, how can our religion disappear?

The neo, pseudo Zoroastrians and the "Gatha only” Zoroast­rians are a passing phase and will disappear in two or three generations at the most. It is the karma of Zarathushtis like myself to be in the US where we have lived happily for many years. We have everything here in respect of physical well-being. However we do not have our religious institutions. Therefore, as we now cannot uproot ourselves from this land, we visit India and our agiaries and atash behrams as many times as possible.

Religion and the religious texts are the products of the mystic. They are not objects which one can look at objectively and explain logically. Can the miracles ascribed to the great prophets and saints of all religions be looked at objectively and be explained logically? Religion comes from the heart not the head. Only a paigumbar (prophet) like Jesus, Mohammad, Krishna or Zara­thush­tra can reform a religion. Who amongst us today has the pride to call himself a Jesus or a Mohammad or a Krishna that he can "reform” our religion or any other religion ?

MEHLLI BHAGALIACalifornia, USA