Prophet’s teachings

It is correctly said that ours is one of the most ancient, practised religions in the world today. That we who are considered a miniscule minority are inordinately proud and grateful to be a part of our Zoroastrian religion. The ideology, the customs, the everyday way of life, if practised correctly and in accordance with the tenets of our religion, can bring nothing but joy and happiness and fulfil all our aspirations in this world and the next.

The very essence of the teachings of our great Prophet Zarathushtra, who enjoined us to speak, think and perform good deeds, is undoubtedly a supreme philosophy. Our scriptures idolize and shower praise on our Lord and Master Ahura Mazda. The depth and meaning of our laws pertaining to either our religious ceremonies or the mundane pursuits of life can only be attributed to a highly evolved soul who has blessed us with his knowledge so that we can tread on the correct path.

In recent times, the people of our community have raised questions as to why we follow our old customs when, according to them, they have no relevance in our modern world. This train of questioning is nothing new. The error lies in the fact that we have few men of stature in our community to guide us and to explain to us the reason for the dissatisfaction permeating our society. If we argue that what was good enough for our ancestors should be good enough for us, our argument would not hold weight. In fact, we have moved away from our old customs to the extent that we cannot relate to our old ways and seek something new. It is tragic that that which is so beautiful and has so much grandeur is relegated to the background to make room for weak and puerile arguments.

We continuously harp on intermarriage or disposal of the dead or ceremonies by our priests. If our beliefs have become so diluted that we cannot accept the teachings of our Prophet, then surely this is a great cause for alarm.

The only ray of hope lies in the fact that although we are small in number, we still have staunch believers in our faith, and if tomorrow we are reduced to a few thousand Zoroastrians, we will surely inspire future generations to follow this great religion in all its purity.

M. D. COOPER

Poona