‘Pillar’ of belief?

I have been asked by a few friends to explain boonak pasbani, one of the religious pillars, which does not allow mixing of the seed and guards the purity of the Parsi race.

I wonder why I have been asked about this since I am one who upholds the universality of good conscience, the religion founded and promoted by Zara­thushtra Spitama for entire humanity with no racial, social and lingual barriers. The religion starts from the smallest married home and gathers strength by combining homes to create a zone, zones join into a district, districts form a land, and lands make the entire world into a good, enlightened, righteous, free, democratic, peaceful and progressive society — Maz Maga, the universal great magnanimous fellowship of Asho Zarathushtra. I have written, published and posted hundreds of essays on related subjects since 1961 — earlier in Iran and since 1982 in the USA.

However, here is what I know about this concept.

The compound term boonak pasbani is, in pronunciation, half Pahlavi and half Persian. In Pahlavi, bunak/bunag means "baggage, abode, camp.” It becomes buneh/boneh in Persian and means "luggage.” Pasbani, pronounced paasbaani is Persian and means "guarding, protecting.” Its Pahlavi version is paspanih pronounced paaspaaneeh. The compound term should mean "protecting luggage/abode.” How it applies to "protection of race” can only be found from its usage in the top religious scriptures.

Since it is not an Avesta term, it is but evident that the Avesta, consisting of the Yasna, Vispered, Yasht, Vendidad, Khordeh Avesta and fragments, does not contain this "pillar” of religion. How strange! The Pahlavi scriptures, from A of Arda Viraz Namag to Y of Yasna, to the best of my knowledge, also do not contain it, nor do the Persian Rivayats mention it. That completes the religious scriptures of the Parsi traditionalists. How strange!

Unless proven otherwise, it is therefore quite clear that this is a late Pahlavi-Persian compound term fabricated by someone to justify the claim by the traditionalists forbidding intermarriage and admitting those who wish to choose the good religion for their way of good life.

I look forward to traditionalist scholars coming forward to clarify the point in their favor. However, even then it would only apply to those who believe in it and they are welcome to do so. It would not concern those who believe in the reformed/restored good conscience, the universal religion of Asho Zarathush-tra.

ALI A. JAFAREY

California, USA

jafarey@aol.com