“Praying matters”

In "Praying matters” (Bawa Musings, Parsiana, September 7, 2015) columnist Berjis Desai has rightly observed that "few believing Parsis pray at all, and even those, not regularly.” A pertinent question that needs to be addressed is, who are the true practising Zarathushtis? Those who "attend the traditional function (on the Avan Yazad nu Parav) at Radio Club... spending a goodly 60 minutes intoning one of the longest prayers, the most boon granting Avan Yasht,” but have no compunction wasting water at home with a needlessly running tap and flushing out a massive loft tank of stored water at frequent intervals, or those who pray little but are astute in using and conserving water in their daily lives?
Are they those who are blind victims of superstitions like considering the presence of an owl or the howling of a dog "inauspicious,” or those who love and rescue birds and live with and strive to understand all animals as part of Ahura Mazda’s creation? Are they those who "religiously” visit a crowded and noisy fire temple on arbitrarily chosen "mandatory” days, mumble lengthy prayers out of a book, and beg for favors of a humanized "god,” or those who prefer the calm and quiet of odd days to surrender to the divine before the dancing and crackling flames, even if they silently recite nothing more than Yatha Ahu Vairyo and Ashem Vohu?
Very pertinently, the wise words of Dr Sir Jivanji Jamshedji Modi have been quoted by independent researcher Farrokh Vajifdar in his explanation to the letter "Shortage of priests” in the same issue: "A Parsee has to believe that for the salvation of his soul he has to look up to nobody else, but to himself. Nobody — no priest, or no prophet — will intercede for him.” I may add here, no mechanical recitation of prayers, either.
PHIROZE B. JAVERI
phiroze.javeri@gmail.com