“Stand a notch higher”

"The wealth of the Parsi Irani Zoroastrian community does not lie in bank balances, the funds with the trusts or in the vaults of the banks,” said Ervad Zerick Dastur while delivering the keynote address titled "Ask not what your community can do for you: ask what you can do for your community” at the Bahman Ameshaspand jashan ceremony organized jointly by The Bombay Zoroastrian Jashan Committee and Athornan Mandal at Allbless Baug on June 28, 2015. The wealth, he continued, consists of the core Zoroastrian values of integrity, perseverance and the search for excellence.
Recalling a 2011 speech of the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi at Udvada, Dastur said that Modi had then lauded the sanskar (values) that go into the forging of the mindset of Zoroastrians, a community that according to Modi, is "selfless and dedicated.” A triple gold medalist from Bombay University in law, and a partner with the reputed firm of advocates and solicitors, J. Sagar Associates, Dastur held up the example of Sarosh Kapadia, former Chief Justice of India as a shining beacon of integrity for all to follow. Perseverance, he said, was embodied in how the community has thrived for the last 1,000 years in India without compromising on its core values. The search for excellence, continued Dastur, was evidenced by the fact that most Zoroastrians reach the top in their chosen field.

"We have inherited a legacy; we know we stand a notch higher,” said Dastur, "but it is hard work and sweat that will lead us to success.” Don’t be afraid to give wings to your passion, he exhorted the audience, which included children from various Zoroastrian schools in Bombay. Don’t be afraid to do something unconventional, he advised. Everyone in Zoroastrian society has a role to play, he said. The mobed, the housewife, the lay person, and the professional, all have to contribute to the community repository of goodness. We need to be our brother’s keeper. "The pain of the senior citizen debating between medication and house rent is a community pain,” concluded this 33-year-old professional who practices in diverse areas of corporate commercial and securities law.
The morning began with a jashan ceremony conducted by the mobeds of the Bai Soonaiji Hirji Readymoney Daremeher followed by a humbandagi. Welcoming the audience on behalf of both organizers, Zarine Commissariat mentioned that this was the centenary year of the Athornan Mandal. She lauded the work of the Jashan Committee in spreading religious knowledge and conducting public jashans, and the role of the Athornan Mandal and Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia in particular in the running of the Dadar Athornan Institute as its principal.
Reminding the congregation to observe the six annual gahanbars in the Zoroastrian calendar, Vada Dastur Khurshed Dastoor, president of the Athornan Mandal, in his talk mentioned that "it will be an evil day when the gahanbars will not be performed.” There are four aspects of a gahanbar that he said every Zoroastrian needed to follow — to observe a gahanbar, to pray at one, to donate towards or render service towards one and to partake of the chasni (offerings) at one. "If you want good thoughts to come from within, pray to Bahman Ameshaspand,” he concluded.
Latching on to the word ‘community,’ Nadir Modi, chairman of the Athornan Mandal, in his closing remarks questioned if Zoroastrians were indeed a close knit community with common goals. He stated that the community should not hark back to its past, but must instead think ahead. "The community needs leaders with vision,” he stressed.
Bombay resident Cyrus Siganporia and his band of 37 volunteers who take on the task of cleaning agiaries and dakhmas in and around Bombay were felicitated individually by the organizers. Ratamai Peer, veteran religious educator was also felicitated by Dastoor. The morning ended with a contributory vegetarian lunch.