“An irreligious act”

Parsiana deserves full credit for publishing the letters of the Singaporean Ervad Kersi Kapadia, Mazdayasno Zarathushtrish extraordinary ("An irreligious act,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, August 7, 2010 and "The nightmare and...” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, July 21, 2010). We now know things about his religion which nobody else has ever realized — thank goodness!

So, the Gathas are "mere,” are they? Curious, then, that these ancient Iranian trifles are to be marginalized by three Arabic terms! Furthermore, it seems that Kersee Kabraji is considered shallow by this mislocated Kapadia. In fact the only "pristine” material in Kapadia’s rave is the pristine nonsense with which he liberally sprinkles his appalling ignorance of Mazdayasna.

Trusting that Kapadia will not consider the (learned) priest-composed Vandidad as "mere,” even misquoting it to suit his disgraceful purpose, let us extract him from his mental maze. For a start, the Vandidad clearly states that Yima/Jamshid was not the furtherer of Mazda’s religion; it is expressly stated in Ch. II that having turned down this unique offer, the awesome privilege of first promoter was conferred upon Zarathushtra by Mazda himself. The Sage calls Yima a "sinner!”

The fact that the legendary Yima was ruler of the entire world and the Mazdaic religion was intended for all humankind will doubtless displease the very many who fail to know this text’s contents. Yima therefore could not have woven the first kusti around the very first sudreh, nor designed and constructed the first atash temple. He was certainly responsible for the Mazda-designed-Yima-built first var into which the best of mankind and its sustenance animals were herded to avoid the worst of the prolonged Ahriman-created Ice Age. Those intrigued should profitably consult and contrast the ground plans of Togolok-21 in South Central Asia and Firuzabad in Iran.

Most shamefully, Kapadia elects to misuse the Vandidad’s very sensible caution against consorting with prostitutes — the kind of concerned advice which all educated parents would give their offspring. Very significantly, he craftily skirts around the very blunt enjoinment for conversion. Here is the relevant exchange:

"Zarathushtra asks Ahura Mazda, ‘O omniscient Ahura Mazda, should I guide the pious man, should I guide the pious woman; should I impel the sinful daeva-worshipper … (with regard to leaving the material world for the spiritual)?’

"Responds Ahura Mazda: ‘That you should, O pious Zarathushtra!’” (Vd.19.26)

Moreover it is incumbent on the teaching-priest (herbad/ervad) to "gird his loins with the true religion,” to learn and teach. Most importantly, the one who increases evil in the material world is he who teaches a wrong religion, and does not chant the Gathas. "Do not call such a one an Athravan!” (from Vd. XVIII.1–9).

The charge against Kapadia remains: are these "mere” Gathas, which the Vandidad recommends be used as spiritual bulwark against just about all difficulties, still considered as trifles to be rejected in favor of alien tenets (reincarnation included!)? No Mazdayasnian priest with any integrity or honesty would dare contradict what he prays when he recites: "The Gathas are to us as food and clothing; they are our shelter” (from Ys. 55). Well now, Your Hollowness, what say you? The Gathas are replete with Mazda-worship: His truth against all deceit.

For those interested in knowing the unadorned truth about acceptance and conversion — there being no contradictory religious texts whatsoever — feel free to e-mail me for a fuller non-copyright exposition of what our Mazdayasno Zarathushtrish really teaches. And yes, we do have an open agenda: it is to speak the truth as taught by the sage Zara-thushtra and generations of learned priests whose teachings we will never betray by either thought, word or deed.

FARROKH VAJIFDAR

London

f.vajifdar@btinternet.com