Readers' Forum
Zarathushtra’s religion
Should the foundation of the Parsi community be the religion of Prophet Zarathushtra or should the religion be adapted to suit the thinking of the community and its priests? Which is paramount?
Parsis want to cling on to outdated practices like use of non-operating dakhma (in the absence of scavenging birds), declaring as outcasts girls marrying non-Parsis, non-acceptance of others into our religion, etc — all under the guise of following the traditions. We claim to be Zoroastrians, but as a group we ignore Zarathushtra’s proclamations!
We seem to have evolved our own unique brand of religion which is based neither on the scriptures nor on common sense! Our high priests have termed it as the "Parsi Zoroastrian” religion. The diktats of the priests seem to have overruled the proclamations of Zarathushtra!
It is high time all Parsis know that Zarathushtra wanted his good religion, revealed by Ahura Mazda, to be spread in all corners of the world; that none of our scriptures are against accepting anyone into our religion; that the dakhma system is only traditional — actually the Vendidad prohibits its use in the absence of birds.
Parsis have to make a choice between following the diktats of the priests and the good philosophy of life as proclaimed by Zarathushtra. The first one will lead to the extinction of the community and the other to the emergence of a refreshed community of Zoroastrians.
Parsis want to cling on to outdated practices like use of non-operating dakhma (in the absence of scavenging birds), declaring as outcasts girls marrying non-Parsis, non-acceptance of others into our religion, etc — all under the guise of following the traditions. We claim to be Zoroastrians, but as a group we ignore Zarathushtra’s proclamations!
We seem to have evolved our own unique brand of religion which is based neither on the scriptures nor on common sense! Our high priests have termed it as the "Parsi Zoroastrian” religion. The diktats of the priests seem to have overruled the proclamations of Zarathushtra!
It is high time all Parsis know that Zarathushtra wanted his good religion, revealed by Ahura Mazda, to be spread in all corners of the world; that none of our scriptures are against accepting anyone into our religion; that the dakhma system is only traditional — actually the Vendidad prohibits its use in the absence of birds.
Parsis have to make a choice between following the diktats of the priests and the good philosophy of life as proclaimed by Zarathushtra. The first one will lead to the extinction of the community and the other to the emergence of a refreshed community of Zoroastrians.
◆ ◆ ◆
From the archive