Present state of priests

The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) must pay athornans a handsome salary with fringe benefits to lift them from their present state of mendicancy.

Athornans may be temporal or institutionalized, educators or personalized, with the title of mobed or dastur based on the academic erudition of a navar/maratab. Studies for becoming a navar/maratab should not be restricted to just the Atash Nyaish. That’s a farce. Game Boys, newspapers, magazines must be prohibited during nahans, this particular time being dedicated to studying the Mazdayasna philosophy and Avestan scriptures like the Khordeh Avesta, Yazashne-Ba-Nirang, etc.

Temporals should be in charge of maintenance/upkeep of temples, dakhmas, panthaks and other aspects of a community’s welfare and, to some degree, its religious education. Educators should be in charge of scriptures, navjotes, navar/maratab ceremonies, nahans and athornan institutions (madressas). They have to be fluent in the interpretation of our prayers, available for lectures, references and be published authorities on the subject.

Believers ordained and consecrated as Zarthoshtis at the navjote should have subsequent nahans for greater understanding and spiritual betterment.

Our earliest texts mention a classless, casteless, non-discriminatory society. It is not clear when and why the classification/creation of ostas and behdins took place. The priesthood should be open to all believers (women included) who at the navjote have solemnly sworn to uphold the standards of morality trusted to them for the preservation and propagation of our faith. Let us show others the goodness and glory of Dadar Ahura Mazda.

Hame andar kasara, Zarathushti din shad baad (May the religion of Zara-thushtra bring happiness to all mankind)!

PARVEZ S. DASTOOR

Farmington, MO, USA

Parsi2@sbcglobal.net