Triad with prayers

The practice of manashni-gavashni-kunashni in our lives is intrinsically linked and bound with our scriptures – Gathas, Avesta, Vendidad (prayers).

With our present extremely low level of spiritual development, it is impossible for us to practice manashni-gavashni-kunashni. Can any one of us honestly hold a good thought in our mind for more than a few seconds? We are easily distracted. So there goes manashni out of the window.

As we have no control over our tongue, can anyone practice gavashni, i.e. speak the truth at all times? We are constantly speaking white lies or lies to get out of trouble. So there goes gavash­ni!

Except for paying lip service to doing good deeds, how much kunashni do we do in this terrible and wicked world today? Do you think doing charity, as it is done today (with some thought of gain always in mind), would really classify as a good deed — kunashni? Kunashni out.

So, how then do we practice manash­ni-gavashni-kunashni? The answer is simple: by reciting the prayers in our scriptures.

When we recite our prayers we are in effect doing manashni-gavashni-kunashni:

We are naturally placed in a meditative state of good thoughts — manashni

We are naturally speaking the universal truths which are in our prayers — gavashni

The very act of reciting our prayers is itself a "good deed” — kunashni. It is also the highest form of charity as only 1/10th of the benefits of prayer is received by the reciter; 9/10th goes to benefit the rest of creation — kunashni. By the way, this is the true meaning of the term universality of our religion.

Our prayers are also a method of alchemy. After all they have been prepared by the Greatest Master of Alchemy — Asho Zarathushtra.

The reason why all of us (including this writer) have difficulty understanding our religion and religious matters is because our aura and khoré, the gates of our spiritual understanding, are very cloudy and dark, filled with the impurities imbibed by us from the outside world. The regular recitation of our prayers clears and alchemizes our aura and khoré so that religious and spiritual understanding enters into one’s life.

If every Parsi/Irani and all members of the Parsi Punchayet, World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis, World Zoroastrian Organisation, the traditionalists, the liberals and reformists, started following this divine prescription, all the present misunderstandings and rancor within our community would miraculously disappear. We would then look at each other in a new light with greater understanding. There would be a tsunami-like revival of the Parsi Irani Zarathushtrian community in the entire world.

MEHLLI BHAGALIA

California, USA