Readers' Forum
For all mankind
Having been a student of our religion for 72 years, I find some very favorable and unique features we should adhere to.
Our religion is free of gender bias. We have both male and female archangels and angels who are equally powerful, benign and ever ready to help.
Zoroastrianism deprecates asceticism, fasting and beggary, much less treating these as virtues. The religion denounces hands stretched out for doles, and firmly believes in eating half a slice of bread earned by the sweat of one’s brow. Feasting (by fair means) is preferred to fasting. Rectitude is the religion’s shortest, perpendicular and narrow path, and it dispenses justice at the legendary Chinvat Pul (bridge) according to the unequivocal laws of truth and piety.
Zoroastrianism does not expect its followers to feed priests and crows, or to embellish fire temples with costly gifts and artifacts. There are no "chhatris” or mausolea to be created for the final resting places of the wealthy. All lie cheek by jowl in the dakhma. (Today, 10% of Parsis opt to be cremated, but there is no immersion of ashes into a river, polluting it.)
Zoroastrianism is a religion of plenty and not privation as a road to salvation. Amassing wealth by fair means is considered a virtue. The Gathas categorically state that He does not want one to hoard wealth, but to be a conduit for distributing it. "Robbing Peter to pay Paul” is strictly forbidden, as is charity by way of ill-gotten wealth.
Our religion is self-sufficient and enduring. There is no need to look elsewhere for inspiration and salvation.
One must reject outright the Parsi fanatics who treat Zoroastrianism as a closed shop. Zoroastrianism enjoins conversion. The Haptan Yasht clearly mentions "we long for the safe return of our athravans who go abroad to propagate our religion.” The Gathas and the Yasnas are replete with references to its universality. Zoroaster was sent out as a prophet "for all mankind.” B. T. DASTUR
Our religion is free of gender bias. We have both male and female archangels and angels who are equally powerful, benign and ever ready to help.
Zoroastrianism deprecates asceticism, fasting and beggary, much less treating these as virtues. The religion denounces hands stretched out for doles, and firmly believes in eating half a slice of bread earned by the sweat of one’s brow. Feasting (by fair means) is preferred to fasting. Rectitude is the religion’s shortest, perpendicular and narrow path, and it dispenses justice at the legendary Chinvat Pul (bridge) according to the unequivocal laws of truth and piety.
Zoroastrianism does not expect its followers to feed priests and crows, or to embellish fire temples with costly gifts and artifacts. There are no "chhatris” or mausolea to be created for the final resting places of the wealthy. All lie cheek by jowl in the dakhma. (Today, 10% of Parsis opt to be cremated, but there is no immersion of ashes into a river, polluting it.)
Zoroastrianism is a religion of plenty and not privation as a road to salvation. Amassing wealth by fair means is considered a virtue. The Gathas categorically state that He does not want one to hoard wealth, but to be a conduit for distributing it. "Robbing Peter to pay Paul” is strictly forbidden, as is charity by way of ill-gotten wealth.
Our religion is self-sufficient and enduring. There is no need to look elsewhere for inspiration and salvation.
One must reject outright the Parsi fanatics who treat Zoroastrianism as a closed shop. Zoroastrianism enjoins conversion. The Haptan Yasht clearly mentions "we long for the safe return of our athravans who go abroad to propagate our religion.” The Gathas and the Yasnas are replete with references to its universality. Zoroaster was sent out as a prophet "for all mankind.” B. T. DASTUR
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