Live your life well

The practice and beliefs of any religion change dramatically over time, especially one as ancient as Zoroastrianism is believed to be. "But there are some factors that are constant,” noted Dr Dinyar Patel, historian and assistant professor at S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research. "Ahura Mazda is fundamentally good…He is not responsible for evil in this world…Humans are hum-kars (meant to help Ahura Mazda achieve good).” The emphasis on religious purity has been yet another constant as is the focus on charity and truth. Patel was anchoring a conversation with Zoroastrianism expert and Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustee Noshir Dadrawala and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Parzor director Dr Shernaz Cama on "The faith and philosophy of Zoroastrianism” presented as part of "Voices of Faith” series of the online Jaipur Literature Festival on September 22, 2021. The series is being presented by the Kamini and Vindi Banga Family Trust, noted Festival director Sanjoy Roy.

Patel kicked off the discussion with an emphasis on the lack of details on the origins of Zoroastrianism. "There are limited archeological findings in the areas that Zarathushtra is believed to have lived.” Further, the texts are in multiple languages, with each translation "differing dramatically,” he stated. The conquest of Iran and the Islamization of Iran took "perhaps six centuries…Zoroastrianism did not recede in Iran in one fell swoop.” Contrary to popular belief which implies that Parsis first arrived on the western shores of India, Patel stated that the earliest evidence of Zoroastrian presence in India is the existence of the Kollam Copper Plates from 825 CE. (These are a set of inscribed copper plates that list land endowments, privileges and titles bestowed circa 825 CE by a Hindu king to a Christian church and have some signatures in the Pahlavi script. Four plates are kept at the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church while two small plates are at Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church, both in Kerala.)
It is true that where and when exactly Zarathushtra was born is unclear. "But it is clear that he did walk on planet earth because his message is embodied in the Gathas,” said Dadrawala. The Zarathushtnameh, which is part of the Denkard, narrates how Zarathushtra asked his first question to Ahura Mazda, whose answer encapsulates the entire Zoroastrian philosophy. "The best person is the one who walks on the path of Asha (truth or righteous conduct); who lives a life in harmony with nature; one who is charitable; one who reveres fire, water, animals and vegetation,” said Dadrawala while emphasizing the need to imbibe concepts from the seven Amesha Spentas in our day-to-day life. "Whatever you do, you do in the name of Ahura Mazda… You will do your deeds dedicated to Bahman (good mind) and with Ardibehesht (truth)…This in turn will lead you to Shahrevar (strength) which with Spandarmad (humility and piety) will lead you to Khordad (perfection) or Amardad (immortality).”
"Evil has no existence of its own… It is merely the absence of good…It exists at various levels…at the physical, in anything that is unclean… at the social level in poverty, illness and want,” Dadrawala noted. Anger and jealousy are examples of ethical evil, he said. As mentioned in the Zamyad Yasht, at the end of time Ahriman will bow out and Frashokereti (final renovation of the universe, when evil will be destroyed) will prevail.
To Cama, the relevance of Zoroastrianism in today’s world comes from its emphasis on removal of pollution and waste. "We have to activate goodness to bring about Frashokereti.” She spoke of the importance of freedom of choice that is the cornerstone of the Zoroastrian philosophy. "We are given one life…There is no reincarnation… Live it well… Use it to give happiness to others,” she urged.
While a lot has been documented about Zoroastrianism’s influence on Middle Eastern religions, Patel pointed out that in a small way Islam has influenced Zoroastrianism too. The words kebla (sanctum sanctorum) and din no kalmo (prayer for religion) could have derived from Islamic terms. Hindu customs deeply influenced Zoroastrian wedding rituals till the 1850s, he said. "Probably Vedic and Zoroastrian thought grew side by side in Central Asia,” Patel mentioned. The professor advocated that we should revel in the various similarities we have between religions. "In the study of religion, the idea of authenticity is among the first shibboleths (that should) go away.”