Parsiism and the Prophet

The orthodox have concocted a new religion, sweeping aside the teachings of Zarathushtra, and replacing it with something called "Parsiism.” Has one of them conferred upon himself the mantle of "Prophethood?”

I am not being facetious. It is the attitude, the behavior of their leaders which has prompted this question. They make demands, and issue commands, assuming an authority which is not theirs alone to take. There is no dignified discussion. Even our Prophet gave his listeners the freedom to reflect upon all he taught them, and then make choices.

I am very proud of my ancestors: those of ancient times and of recent history; as well as those of our community who are trying to live according to the Zarathushti principles in these very difficult, chaotic and dangerous times, when even Nature seems to be conspiring against the human race.

Our Prophet’s teachings concerned the human soul, without making any reference to the race of his listeners. He revealed the existence of the one and only God — a spiritual, wise being whom he called Ahura Mazda.

The salvation of the human soul was his main concern: for this purpose he made clear the principles which raised all souls to the level of spirituality which had not been reached before. He taught his listeners of the only true path which would lead mankind to their creator, Ahura Mazda — the path of Asha, the path of righteousness.

Our Prophet’s preaching gave to his listeners a new understanding of religion: It was no longer based mainly on rituals; in fact many rituals were abandoned. Religion became a way of life. He brought new hope of salvation to the lowliest of human beings. No longer was it the prerogative of kings, princes and priests. He accused them of injustices against their people, and of leading them astray, instead of protecting them against all forms of evil — physical and spiritual, moral and ethical.

He spoke of the human mind, and the vital part it played in our lives — physical, intellectual and spiritual. Ahura Mazda bestowed upon mankind the dignity of free will — which gave them the capacity to mature in body, mind and soul: to reach up to Him; and be His true co-workers. The freedom of thought, speech and action are integral parts of our freedom of worship.

True worship comes from the heart and mind of the worshipper, and what goes on between the human soul and its creator cannot be prevented by any kind of physical act, or human laws. Only Ahura Mazda knows who are His true worshippers.

This lies at the heart of all acts of worship; and this should be clear to the scholar, Khojeste Mistree, and the high priests. In fact, scholarship has little to do with the relationship between God and His worshipper. This does not mean that a deeply religious scholar cannot reach the height of spirituality which few of us come to realize. Nor is academic achievement to be belittled or scoffed at: but it is not enough to draw a worshipper closer to his divine creator.

I was in Karachi from June 1977 to May 1983, and attended every lecture Mistree gave at Katrak Hall. One point he emphasized was that Ahura Mazda was not all-powerful: He needs our help to make him so. If he still believes this, how does he think such a situation may be brought about? Who are going to help Him establish His kingdom? Specially as we see, very clearly, that evil is all around us. There is not a country, community or race, religion or ideology which has not been influenced by evil. Simultaneously we see goodness — righteousness — struggling to overcome evil.

Overcoming religious and racial hatred, bigotry and intolerance is very much a part of this struggle.

Surely the orthodox can see that their interpretation of Zoroastrianism raises all sorts of questions. For example, are there other creator-gods whose worshippers will be judged by their own gods? In which case, what happens to Zarathush-tra’s revelations of the one and only God? Are all human souls going to be judged by different gods?

We believe in the one and only God, yet the orthodox erect some kind of an invisible barrier around Him. Is this possible? Can they prevent the heart and mind of any human being coming into the presence of the supreme spiritual being? Can He be confined by any human power or law? Of course not! Are the orthodox saying they have that power?

Since this Supreme Spirit exists everywhere, then it stands to reason that all the souls He has created can find Him everywhere. And if a particular religion draws a soul closer, and suits his/her spiritual needs — brings that soul strength, and understanding of His purpose for creating us, surely it is the most natural action for that soul to take: to follow that path — as long as it is the path of goodness; of righteousness — the path of Asha. Would Ahura Mazda bar that approach to Himself? I think not!

Since there is only one source of life — physical and spiritual, and one source of all goodness, what difference would it make by which religion we try to reach Him as long as it is the path of righteousness?

When the souls of Parsis and Iranis leave their bodies, they leave behind their ethnic identity: all that is physical. Their souls, together with their minds, their conscience, and the merits of their thoughts, words and actions will be laid bare before their divine creator, the ultimate judge of all souls.

What part are we Zarathushtis playing in establishing peace and harmony in our world? At present there is great discord besetting our tiny community. We are far from accomplishing the task Ahura Mazda set us through Zarathushtra – the renewal of the world, both physically and spiritually. Bringing it to the state of perfection.

I wonder what the Fravashi of our Holy Prophet must be thinking? Specially as he sees his teachings, his religion, being made to give way to something called Parsiism. I wonder what he would say to us if he could speak in an audible voice?

PERIN DIVECHA

Kent, UK