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by Jayaram V
Balance and Moderation
In Zoroastrianism there is a great deal of emphasis on
leading a balanced life.
The body is susceptible to evil where
as the spirit is immune from it. But both are deemed important for practicing
righteousness and doing what is desirable for the creator. While
living upon earth one should aim to "seek the maintenance and prosperity
of the body without injury to soul and preservation of the soul without
injury to the body," (Menog-i-Khrad). One should avoid excesses
of all kinds, such as covetousness, lustfulness and unseasonable
chatter. The body and soul should be well maintained by practicing the
three commandments preached by Zoroaster: good thoughts, good words
and good actions. Actions should be guided by the principle of
moderation for the greater good of oneself and others. The body should
not be subjected to extreme harshness but kept strong so that it would
be immune to the the evil forces. Whether it is drinking wine or
eating food, the guiding principle is whether such acts are impairing
one's ability to think good thoughts, speak good words and do good
actions.
Performance of sacrificial rituals, paying visits to
the fire temple, offering prayers, following the teachings of
Zoroaster and reciting the sacred verses are the recommended methods
to live righteously in this world. Fasting is not a recommended
religious practice. Zoroastrianism does not find any virtue in renouncing the
world or becoming a monk. There is no place for asceticism or renunciation
either. It does not entertain the concept of spiritual liberation. The
souls are already liberated. They are in the material world, for a
specific purpose, as per God's decree, who commanded them to be upon
earth and wait for end of the world. Man's duty is to fulfill that
purpose, not escape from it. Monkhood and monastic orders are therefore not
recognized institutions in Zoroastrianism. Followers are
advised to lead normal and healthy lives safeguarding themselves
against the dangers posed evil forces. They should live righteously,
doing their part, get married and beget children, cultivate the good qualities represented by the
six Amesha Spentas and keep the good in them alive and active.
Sudre and Kusti
Zoroastrian wear, Sudre, a
white upper garment, as a symbol of purity, and kusti, a sacred
thread,
around their waists. They are worn for protection. It is believed that
those who do not wear these are mysteriously harmed by the evil
forces. They are also used to profess one's faith in the religion.
According to Denkard, those who do not wear kusti or Sudre are
"equal to men of alien religion and not considered to belong to
the true faith." In Zoroastrianism it is "a sinful act
to keep the body unclothed with the Sudre and to wear Sudre without
the girdle of the kusti." The kusti is made of 72 strands of lamb's wool.
Each strand symbolizes a chapter in the Yasna. It is wound three times
around the waist, signifying the three great commandments, namely,
humata (good thoughts), hukta (good words) and harshvata (good
deeds). A sacred mantra is chanted while tying or untying the
kusti. Tradition demands that the kusti is worn in the middle
of the body to signify the importance of balance and moderation in
human life.
Naujote
In Zoroastrianism, young boys and girls are admitted into the community
through an initiation ceremony called Naujote. It is usually performed when a child is of
seven or nine years age. In exceptional cases the maximum prescribed
age is 15. Age is important because a child is initiated into the
religions only when he has enough awareness and maturity to make an
intelligent decision to become a follower of God and live a life of
righteousness. Unlike in Vedic religion, in Zoroastrianism the
initiation ceremony
is performed for both boys and girls without any discrimination.
During the ceremony, the initiate is given a sacred bath and made to
wear Sudre (white garment) and kusti (sacred thread) to signify the beginning
of their lives on the spiritual path.
Yasna
Like the yajna of the Vedic people, yasna is a sacrificial ritual, performed
daily in the
morning hours by two
qualified Zoroastrian priests at a designated sacred place in a fire temple.
In Zoroastrianism rituals are an important aspect of religious
practice. Apart from the material gains that may accrue, they are
performed to enhance and invigorate the purity and righteousness of the world
in general and people in particular, so that they remain immune to the
forces of evil. In a yasna, the priests usually chant the sacred
manthras and make sacrificial offerings symbolically to the sacred
fire, which is a symbol of god and seek His blessings. The Yasna is therefore
is a tool of righteousness, the practice of which is equal to the
practice of the three commandments of God, namely to practice as well
as live in the company of good thoughts, good words and good actions.
Apart from its ethical implications, the yasna has a symbolic
significance. The various sacrificial items used in the yasna
symbolically represent some aspects of God's
invisible creation. The fire used in the sacrifice represents God
Himself as a symbol of light and recipient of the offerings, and also
Asha Vahishta or the spirit of Purity and Righteousness. The barsom,
the twigs or the metal wire, used in the sacrifice, represents the
connecting link between the visible and the invisible aspects of
creation. The metal implements used in the ritual such as the cups,
saucers and the stands represent the sky and Kshatra Virya, the
creative power of God. The earth and the stones used in the
construction of the ritual place represent the earth and Aramaiti, the
spirit of devotion. Milk, butter and the hair from a white bull
represent the animal kingdom and spirit of Good Mind. The fruit, haoma
(wine or a sacred drink) and pomegranate twigs represent plant kingdom
and the spirit of Ameretat or Immortality. Consecrated water represent
the waters of the world and Haurvatat or the spirit of Purity and
Wholeness. The priests themselves through their righteous conduct
represent humans as a part of the divine force.
Ahuna Vairya Mantra
Just as the Hindus chant Gayatri mantra and consider it as very
sacred, the Parsis chant Ahuna Vairya Mantra which is considered to be
very sacred by them. according to the scriptures of Zorastrianism,
Ahura Mazda uttered this manthra at the time creation and manifested
the whole creation. He also used it to drive away Angra Mainyu when he
tried to invade the kingdom of God. According to the Zoroastrian
texts, Angra Mainyu was so terried upon hearing the manthra that he
fell back into the abyss and remained their stupefied for 3000 years. The significance of this mantra is such that
chanting of it is considered to be equivalent to chanting of all the
sacred texts. By chanting it continuously, the Parsis believe that one
can drive away forces of darkness both within and without. The mantra
is reproduced below both in the Avestan and English
Avestan:
ýathâ ahű vairyô
athâ ratush ashâtcît hacâ
vanghęush dazdâ mananghô
shyaothananăm anghęush mazdâi
xshathremcâ ahurâi â
ýim drigubyô dadat vâstârem!!
English:
The will of the Lord is the law of righteousness.
The gifts of Vohu-mano to the deeds done in this world for Mazda.
He who relieves the poor makes Ahura king.
The first line of the verse says that just as a ahu (king) is
powerful on earth, a ratu (a seer or a great soul ) is powerful
everywhere because of his Asha. The second line of the verse says that
the gifts of Vahumano are for those who work for the Lord of life. It
means that Vahumano bestows his boons (love and purity of thought)
upon those who indulge in good thoughts and good actions according to
the divine will of God. The third line of the verse says that the
Supreme power of God is bestowed upon him who considers himself as the
helper of the meek and the lowly. The third line thus lays special
emphasis on the concept of Sraosha or service.
The three great Commandments
According to Zoroastrian tenets men of faith should live upon earth
doing what is desirable for the Creator. Through wisdom they should
come to know what God
wants and do it for His sake. The best way to
accomplish it is by practicing righteousness through the three
commandments given to them through Zoroaster. The three commandments
are humata (good thought), hukhta (good word), and havarshta (good
deeds). According to Zoroastrian beliefs, good thoughts keep the mind
free from impurities. Holy thoughts are the source of good words and
good deeds. Through good thoughts, good works and good deeds one can
communicate with Vohu Mano and other divine entities. They enhance the
power of the good forces in the world and increase their numbers. They
also weaken and slow down the influx of evil forces. Men should be
aware of how evil works in the world, how they make the thoughts,
words and deeds of men contaminated with destructive vices. When men
think evil thoughts, they attract evil into themselves. When Ahirman
enters a person, Vohuman departs from there, leaving him entirely to
the evil. What awaits such a fallen and contaminated person is
agonizing suffering in the hell.
The following is a passage from the Denkard (Bk.3-Chp.275)
Be it known that, it is the duty of man to be always grateful in
thought, word, and deed, especially towards the following four: (1)
Towards Ohrmazd, principally for His having created him. (2) Towards
the sovereign, chiefly for his having given him protection in this
world. (3) Towards the parents, especially for their having brought
him up with care. (4) Towards the moral teacher, chiefly for his
instruction (that enables him) to recognize these four kinds of
obligations.
Social Divisions - The four social classes
Ancient Zoroastrian society was organized more or less like the
Vedic society into four classes consisting of priests, warriors, husbandmen
and artisans. The duty of the priestly class was to
maintain the religious purity by performing the religious rituals and
invocations according to established procedures and preserving their
purity and sanctity, practicing righteousness and keeping themselves
free from heresy, greed, trafficking, attention to trifles and
non-belief. The duty of the warriors was to defeat the enemy and keep
their country well protected. safeguarding themselves against
violence, dishonesty, cruelty, ostentation, pride and arrogance. The
duty of the husbandmen was to cultivate the lands and keep the world
invigorated and populous, staying away from ignorance, envy, ill-will
and maliciousness. The duty of the artisan class was to do labor using
their skills and charge fair wages for the work rendered and
protecting themselves from vices such as unbelief, ingratitude,
improper recitation of prayers, laziness and abusiveness.
An echo of the Purushasukta in a Zoroastrian Scripture
We find an echo of the Purushasukta of the Rigveda in the following
verse from the Denkard:
"The dignity of the head in the human body is (allotted) to
the profession of Athornan; of the hand, to the profession Arthestar;
of the belly, to the profession of Vastariush; and of feet, to the
profession of Hutokhsh: thus, it is symbolically shown, that in rank
and dignity, the profession of Athornan is as the head of the world;
the profession of Arthestar is as the hands of the world; the
profession of Vastariush is as the belly of the world; and, the
profession of Hutokhsh is as the feet of the world.
Vices of the four classes
The following vices of the four classes are listed in the Menog-i
Khrad (Chp.59)
- The vices of priests are heresy, covetousness,
negligence, trafficking (sudakih), attention to trifles, and
unbelief in the religion.
- The vices of warriors are oppression, violence,
promise-breaking, unmercifulness (an-avokhshaga-vandih),
ostentation (dakhshih), haughtiness, and arrogance.
- The vices of husbandmen are ignorance, enviousness,
ill-will, and maliciousness.
- And the vices of artisans are unbelief, want of
thanksgiving, improper muttering of prayers, moroseness, and
abusiveness.'
Suggested Further Reading
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