“Religious council”

Noshir Daboo’s letter "Religious council” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, December 21, 2009) was very interesting. Certainly, such a body is needed, but before one supports the idea a few questions need to be answered. What will be the objectives of the body? What will be its authority? On what basis will members be elected/selected/nominated? I request Daboo to reveal his thoughts on these matters.

I am somehow unable to agree with his views about "a dastur being a rainidar, a learned leader, who guides us on the righteous path…” etc. Maybe this is what he is supposed to be, but in reality one sees a priest as nothing more than "a commercial prayer chanter” who will perform the ceremony and pray for you if you pay him for it. No more, no less.

During discussions with a couple of priests regarding their training in madressas I learnt that other than getting up at 4.30 a.m. and learning by heart (by rote) the prayers and methods of performing ceremonies/rituals, little knowledge is imparted about our religion as proclaimed by Zarathushtra in his Gathas. The priests do not even understand or appreciate the fact that the Gathas are the only scriptures to have come directly from Zarathushtra’s mouth — the rest being written by his followers over thousands of years as per their understanding/misunderstanding of the religion. The philosophy of living as mentioned in the Gathas is given hardly any importance in the training of our priests.

Our so-called high priests seem to have become mere "fatwa masters.” Their statements on acceptance in our religion or on dakhmenashini are based neither on intelligence (common sense) nor on the religious scriptures. How will the new religious council resolve such issues?

KERSEE KABRAJI

Poona

kerseekabraji@gmail.com