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The following passages are reproduced from Zoroastrian texts to
present the
Zoroastrian view of what is a good religion and what is not,
what practices it should encourage and what practices it should avoid
and what end it should actually serve. Such a knowledge is deemed
necessary in Zoroastrianism for people to know clearly what they should
do and what they should follow in order to practice righteousness and
remain centered in the religion.
Denkard - book 3- Chapter 190
Be it known that, the good religion is one that is in correspondence
with the (divine) intuitive reason; it possesses every degree of
embellished wisdom, it is the interpreter of superior knowledge,
dignified by its communication with the spiritual existences, possessing
(inculcating) the noblest system of morals, all manner of felicity in
eternal existence, liberality, and preservation; and its object is to
make its professor an extoller of the Deity, to keep him in obedience
(to him), in union with the Original (Being), and possessed of the
original thought. It is the very abode of piety and the source of
graceful authority. And the faithful thereby (i.e. by the medium of the
religion) are enabled to reform their natural habits and to strengthen
their own common sense and to propagate the glory (of the religion).
That supremacy or rule is graceful (or blessed), which is acquired by
the aid of that religion. And the fidelity of the mass of the people to
that religion, is the precursor of a time of happiness. It suppresses in
this world unrighteousness and the Blemish-giver (Ahriman), and saves
the people (from hell). Herein exist the institutions of the priest, the
warrior, the farmer and the artisan, the worship of Ohrmazd, piety, and
other good qualities, righteousness and virtue.
Again, the bad religion is imbued with the wickedness (or perverse
doctrine) of (Ahriman), is an opponent of providence, possesses a store
of false sayings for the sake of avarice, keeps (men) in distress
through the evil spirits, glorifies the demons by means of sorcery,
leads to the worship of the Druj by giving her the appellation of God,
inculcates immoral habits in the name of morality; it is the mother of
frehbut and aibibut, and the creed of falsehood.
With such a religion tyranny is seemly (becoming), and its adherents
are corrupt in their habits; they pervert or destroy their wisdom or
common sense, and forfeit their fame. To lend his evil help to it is
worthy of its tyrant-adherent. The mass of its followers through fraud
are subjected to many calamities, for they bestow (let loose) on the
world their vicious help (vices) and the (sinful) strength of the
Blemish-giver (Ahriman), and they cause distress to the good creatures.
Herein (i.e. in the bad religion) are found such vices, as disturbance
of piety, tyranny, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, demon-worship,
degeneration, and of other defects and sins and evil-doings. The bad
religion is also coupled with selfishness; it is the enemy of prudence,
the opponent of intelligence, the disturber of the belief in the
spiritual world, and the approver of the law of non-existence; herein
are skepticism, habits of infidelity, and sorcery.
Denkard - book 3- Chapter 214
Be it known that, the manifestation in this world of the good
religion is by its constant extensive propagation; since by means of its
propagation by all orthodox
people, there will occur among men, through
the good religion, remembrance of the Yazads, and praise of truth and
goodness, and hatred of falsehood and evil, and of whatever is
embarrassing on account of an evil faith. The religion of the Dadar
[Creator] is (ordained) for the performance of good actions by all pious
and religious people, whereas the evil faith is for the performance of
evil actions.
Sovereignty, devotion, protection of the poor, keeping cattle at
liberty, and many other truly meritorious actions as well as the gifts
pertaining thereto, are the result of the good religion, whereby the
people, who are obedient unto God, are said to be of the good ways (i.e.
principles). In those people whose creed comprehends falsehood and
sinning, there is but little power of doing the following really
meritorious deeds. The power of the good religion restrains [lit.
improves] mankind from treading in the path of impurity; its sovereignty
leads to the extension of their race (paevandashne); its guidance of the
people of this world to purity, curtails (the power of) the
Blemish-giver. The cleansing of the people of this world from failings
and corruption of all kinds, prepares them for the everlasting (region
of) full resplendence, and in such wise that a single motive of one's
advance into impurity being known, he shall (essay to) promote goodness,
and curb evil, and guide himself by those sublime meditations that tend
to destroy all devilish propensities within. By means of firm reliance
on it (i.e. the religion) by men, the people of this world shall be
altogether improved through goodness; and as a consequence Ganamino
shall be severely afflicted. By virtue of the good religion, Ganamino
shall be severed by Spenamino from every object and action pertaining to
the Frashegird, while the spread of the Frashegird (i.e. final
reformation) shall follow the propagation (in this world) of the good
conceptions in the Mazdayasnian religion.
Denkard Book 6
33. (1) They held even this thus: namely, for every person there is
an object which is more honorable and dearer to him than anything else;
and when he regards that thing as his co-helper, and when there lies
nothing else in the midst, only then is one full of gladness therefrom.
(2) That thing is Religion.
34. They held even this thus namely, (real) Religion is that which is
being practiced.
35. They held even this thus: namely, he who believes in an
intercession for the soul is less wicked than he who believes in nothing
whatever.
Suggested Further Reading
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