A BLUE PRINT FOR A VIABLE ZARATHUSHTI COMMUNITY FOR THE FUTURE.

Pashna Munshi

I wish to begin this essay, by defining the term blue-print for clarity of thought. The New revised edition of Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary published in 1989 (Random House Value Publishing Incorp)on pg.162, defines a blueprint as “a process of photographic printing used chiefly in copying architectural, and mechanical drawings, which produce a white line on blue background.” The blue background as I see it, is our chequered history; our glorious heritage, and the white line indicates the path, that we, as a community wish to follow in the future. Not only is it important for this grand design to be viable, it has to be practicable , with the capacity to grow, expand and develop into something vivid, real and stimulating. A blue-print that will see the community through another vast expanse of time . An architect, an engineer, a designer works on his drawing board, equipped with the knowledge of his subject and sees the blue-print in his mind’s eye before he can translate it into reality. He cannot activate his mind’s eye unless he has formal knowledge, which in turn forms the basis of what he eventually wants to create, knowledge of where he comes from and where he wants to go, in terms of the end product. Therefore, as the future architects and engineers of the Zarathushti community, we have to be aware of our history, our background and above all what indeed, constitutes our religious identity. The base upon which the grand design of the future of the community is to be outlined, is the religious world view that Zarathushtra perceived in his mind’s eye , his vision, his revelation, his message which he passed on to the people of ancient Iran and which lay the foundation for the oldest revealed religion of the world. Zarathushtra lived and preached in ancient Iran, which to-day forms part of the Central Asian Steppes. He lived some three and a half thousand years ago, more than a millennium before Christianity. Zoroastrianism , remained the state religion of ancient Iran for over a thousand years from the 6th century BCE to the 7th century CE . Zarathushtra’s message formed the foundation rock for three mighty Iranian empires, the Achaemenians, the Parthians, and the Sasanians. . The boundaries of ancient Iran extended from River Danube, to River Indus in the East, and from lower Egypt in the west all the way across the borders of present day China, yet ,Zoroastrianism essentially remained the religion of the Iranian people. An uncommon level of religious tolerance was shown by our great kings to wards their subject peoples. History establishes and acknowledges the fact that it was King Cyrus, the great Achaemenian King who liberated the Jews from captivity in Babylon in the 6th century, CE and not only did he allow them to return to Palestine but gave them money from his treasury to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. It was the same King Cyrus who was the first to declare to the world the first Bill of Human Rights which is today enshrined in the United Nations. Darius the Great was the first to build the canal linking the Red Sea with the River Nile.

Thus, these great Persian Kings , established through their rule, the Zarathushti identity, which the followers of Zarathushtra maintained and preserved as they stoically defended their religion in spite of the repeated conquests and invasions by the Greeks, Arabs and the Mongols, daring the consequent religious persecution that they faced. The Iranian Zarathushtis preserved their identity in their religious rituals, their culture and customs, in the mode of dress and language and in the practise of their religious festivals. A new chapter began in our history when our forefathers fled from Iran and landed on the shores of India more than a thousand years ago. They came here, in exile, not in search of new pastures , but to preserve their religion and maintain their distinct identity. Small groups of our people came , from the province of Khorasan, known in ancient times as Parthia. The story of the Parsis therefore began in 936 CE when the people of Gujarat called the new immigrants Parsis, from the Persian word Farsi. The Iranis, on the other hand came from Farz, in Central Iran. However, both the Parsis and Iranis came from the same Aryan stock and they came, as stated earlier, with the common object of preserving their religion and maintaining their distinct identity. In those early years of their arrival in India, preservation of their ancient religion became the raison d’être for their existence. The phenomenal rise and growth of Parsis in India is well known . It is not within the scope of this essay to record the early history of our ancestors in India, and the tremendous contribution they made to the growth and development of India, in the early 19th and 20th centuries. Suffice it to say here that our forefathers left their homes , their lands , their wealth , in short everything that was precious to them and came to an alien land to preserve what was most sacred to them-their religion. Not only did they survive as a distinct identifiable group in the vast sub-continent of India, but they prospered economically and repaid their debt to their adopted country in the form of vast charities that they endowed wherever they went. In spite of the community being the smallest in terms of numbers,it excelled in every field, be it politics, fine arts or sciences, social work or philantrophy. They beautifully integrated their Parsi Zoroastrian identity with their secular pursuits. Stalwarts like Dadabhai Naoroji, Sir Pherozsha Mehta, Sir Jamsetji Jeejeebhoy, to name just a few were proud of their religious and cultural heritage and declared themselves Parsi Zoroastrians with great pride. Historians and scholars of religion say that the survival of this microscopic community and their ancient religion is a marvel of history. Perhaps , the clue to a viable blue print is the understanding and analysis of the reason for this miracle which happened and continues to happen. I think it happened, because our forefathers knew that the survival of the community was inextricably linked with the survival of the religion. Hence, I think, it is imperative to give here a brief account of the significance of the message of Zarathushtra and its relevance in modern times. So, let us then understand what was the essence of this great religion which had its roots in remote antiquity. Zarathushtra Spitaman, the prophet of ancient Iran, was trained and initiated as a priest in the religion of his forefathers. His revelation brought a new vision into the world.

He recognised and declared Ahura Mazda to be the one supreme source of all the good creations in the spiritual as well as the physical worlds. He declared Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom, to be the all knowing Creator, ever present, ever perfect, totally good and just and man’s best friend. Ahura Mazda’s world however, is invaded by a hostile spirit Ahriman, whose is intrinsically evil and whose will is to destroy all that is good and perfect. Ahriman or Angra Mainyu, has no existence of his own. With his demonic creations he thrives on the good creations of Mazda like a parasite bringing suffering, chaos, confusion decay and death into the world. Zarathushtra in his vision, clearly saw and recognised this philosophical paradigm for he states in his divinely inspired hymns, the Gathas; ‘..yes, there are two fundamental spirits, twins renowned to be in conflict . In thought, in word, in action they are two; the better and the bad ….the deceitful one chose to bring to realization the worst things. (But) the very bounteous spirit , who is clothed in the hardest stones, chose the truth….(y.30.3-5) . Ahrua Mazda through his omniscience knows about the existence of Ahriman and in order to completely annihilate him he traps him in the physical world, in fixed time. The responsibility for the ultimate banishing of evil is given to man, Mazda’ s finest creation, for it is man who is gifted with Vohu Manah, the Good Mind which guides him to make the right choice. Thus, man has the privilege, if he so chooses, to share the power which Ahura Mazda holds along with the heptad of the Holy Immortals, the Amesha Spentas. These seven divine beings are each in charge of the seven creations of Ahura Mazda, viz. the skies, the waters, the earth, the plants , animals , man and fire. Man is under the protection of Spenta Mainyu the beneficent Holy Spirit of Ahura Mazda and empowered with the power of the Good Mind, which none of the other creations enjoy, he has the ultimate responsibility to increase the power of Asha upon this earth. Asha , which is the power of God’s Truth and not succumb to the viles of druj , who is opposed to Asha and is personified in Angra Mainyu, the evil spirit. In order to help man make the right choice, in thought, word and action, he is given several tools. The seven key attributes of the Amesha Spentas, which he must understand and imbibe, provide an important weapon in his fight against the evil forces. Man should imbibe the Wisdom which comes from Spenta Mainyu, the Holy Spirit of Mazda, develop the Good Mind, which is the gift of Vohu Manah , follow Truth embodied in Asha Vahishta, exercise the Power and Strength to do that which is right which Khashthra Vairya holds , show Devotion and Care that Spenta Armaiti demostrates, let his thought, word and deed be perfect so that the world is filled with the Perfection of Haurvatat , and every deed that he performs should be a deed of Immortality, the quality that the seventh Amesha Spenta possesses of being eternal and undying. The Amesha Spentas also teach man to look after and care for his environment , by looking after the seven creations of Ahura Mazda. Thus, we can say with pride that the first lesson of ecology was given to the world by none other than Zarathushtra himself. Man is thus enjoined to reject evil in all its forms and manifestations through the generation of good thoughts, words and deeds which in turn will create harmony in the world, for himself and for those around him. Poverty, being a state of negation, it is man’s duty to generate wealth and further the economic prosperity and growth of his fellow beings. The texts clearly say that wealth should be generated through honest labour and its fruits must be shared judiciously. Is it any wonder then that the Zarathushtis are known the world over for their proverbial charity and honesty. The religion supports a strong after life doctrine, the concept of heaven and hell, and the final resurrection all of which is clearly outlined in the Gathas and backed by the later texts as well. Man’s righteous actions will deliver him to blessed heaven after death, whereas if his evil deeds outweigh the good, his soul will be consigned to hell. Zarathushtra has promised that the cumulative goodness and harmony generated by man will eventually render evil ineffective at the end of time when frashokereti (the making wonderful) takes place. However, Zoroastrianism is not all theory and no practise. The blue print comes alive through the experience of the religion which is encapsulated within practise of its rituals. The practise of the inner and outer rituals of the faith, the wearing of the sudreh and kusti, the performance of the ijashne , the nirangdin, the jashan and such other ceremonies, the celebration of the gahambars and parabs , looking after our holy fires, all these are virtuous acts which go to enhance the balance and harmony in the world and both, the performer (i.e. the priests) as well as the participants, earn merit if a ritual is performed properly, within the parameters prescribed by the religion. It is not enough merely to think right thoughts, to speak good words , and to perform good humanitarian acts, one thoughts, words and actions must be guided by the practise of the faith, which in turn gives one the true experience of the religion. I come from a conservative middle-class Parsi family, and I was born and brought up in Bombay. Both my parents are religious minded. My mother specially has a deep interest in the religion and has committed her life in the service of the religion and the community. This has given me an exposure to the beauty and intricacies of our faith. Whenever, in doubt (and I have a very questioning mind) answers have been provided which are logical and intellectually satisfying. I have also had the privilege to attend classes and seminars run by organisations like the Zoroastrian Studies and have participated in several programmes involving Zoroastrian youth. This has broadened my data base about the religion. I do not think I would have been able to write an essay of this nature without the primary knowledge about what the religion is all about. So that, while my parents inculcated in me a natural pride of being born a Parsi, the dinner table discussions at home on issues involving the community, and participation in community youth programmes has made me aware of the whys and the wherefores of the religion. And to-day, therefore, I can say without hesitation that I am proud to call myself a Parsi Zoroastrian, I am proud of my upbringing , proud of my heritage. The reason I am stating this is because, an early and deep rooted awareness of one’s roots, and pride in one’s ancestry, gives one the strength to face the challenges of life and any blue print that we any wish to draw for our future has to take this into consideration. I am not for a moment suggesting that we should therefore live only in the past. But, the line that I draw on my blue-print will take off into the future with its dial pad stationed in the past, for we must not forget that what we are to-day is because of our past. Just as an individual cannot deny who he or she is, a community cannot deny its nature. I call out to all my fellow Zarathushtis around the world, I call out to the young and old members of my community to recognise the fact, that in spite of being microscopic in numbers, we can trace our historical continuity all the way back to thousands of years, to prophet Zarathushtra himself. This is like belonging to an exclusive club or wearing a designer label. Every club has its own rules framed to govern and protect its own interests as well as the interests of its members. There is no charm in wearing an exclusive label if one does not understand and appreciate its worth. So the viability of the blue print we wish to draw for our future, nay for our very survival into the 21st century, and beyond, will depend on whether we wish to maintain this continuity, and whether we wish to enjoy this exclusivity . ‘listen with your ears to the best things, reflect with a clear mind, man by man for himself…’ said the prophet in his Gathas (y.30.2)Are we therefore going to listen to the lessons of Time…? Is the line on our blue-print going to be pure white in colour, shining and distinct or is it going to be of some undefinable hue, blurred and wavering? Do we wish to strengthen the precepts and practises of the religion which have stood the test of time and have never let us down or do we so change things that my generation, and the future generations will be offered a watered down diluted version of Zoroastrianism? I am aware of the fact that the times in which our forefathers lived and the times in which we live to-day are vastly different. These changes have also affected the fabric of our community which has now spread to different parts of the world. The world is a global village to-day, and the challenges that this new world order throws up for us are immense. The difference is that none of these challenges or changes pose a threat to life and limb that our forefathers had to face. Ironically, by and large, we are allowed to practise our faith wherever we are in the world without any serious personal danger , but the tables seems to have turned. Because now there is no threat to us form an invader, but is we who have become a threat to ourselves. Nothing has changed so, to reduce in any measure the profundity and depth of Zarathushtra’s message. His message continues to inspire students and scholars of religion all over the world, because it is as relevant to-day as it was three and a half thousand years ago. The continuous adherence of the past and present generation of Zoroastrians to his message bears ample testimony to the strength and vigour of his teachings. And yet, we argue and fight over , whether we should call ourselves Zarathushtis or Zoroastrians -are not all of us his followers; then why make these distinctions and further fragment a community over non-issues, instead of focusing on things of greater relevance. Let us therefore bury our petty conflicts and encourage healthy dialogue based on inner conviction that no blueprint , however cleverly drawn can help to sustain the precious edifice of our faith ,if its foundation is not based upon the lessons that history has taught us. The following quote by Will Durant , the great historian and philosopher in his volume The Lessons of History, provides us with a good guideline ,“ No one man, however brilliant or well-informed , can come in one lifetime to such fullness of understanding as to safely judge and dismiss the customs and institutions of his society, for these are the wisdoms of generations after centuries of experiment in the laboratory of history.” My blue print to re-establish a true and meaningful Zoroastrian identity, therefore will have the following outlines:- Formal religious education has to receive maximum attention. To-day, if I want to take up the study of Zoroastrianism at University level, there are very few Universities in the world where I can do so. The ones which do offer courses are beyond my reach for the costs are prohibitive. It is a sad indictment on the community that in spite of the economic resources at our disposal, we do not have a single chair endowed in Zoroastrianism anywhere in the world ! Funds should be made freely available for this purpose. There are many Trusts in India, and perhaps abroad, who give loans and grants for advanced studies in other secular fields. None of these sadly, have any funds allocated to religious studies. So, on my blue-print I have designed a Trust which will provide funds freely to those who which to take up the study of any aspect of the religion that they would wish to, whether it is theology, a study of our ancient languages or our culture and traditions. We also need trained and dedicated teachers who can teach religion in a professional manner. We do have a sprinkling of them within the community, but many of our young educationists do not want to take up teaching religion on a full time basis, because it is non-remunerative. There is a malaise within a community, whereby anyone who wishes to give religious or communal service is meant to give it free. We have to recognise that trained teachers in the field of Zoroastrian theology are not many, and if we wish to increase their tribe, we must learn to recognise them as professionals and pay them accordingly. Some of my Zoroastrian friends do not wear their sudreh and kusti simply because they do not know or understand their meaning and worth. If we have top class religious teachers who can explain to youngsters in an interesting manner appealing to their intellect, giving them cogent explanations for the ifs and buts of the religion, I believe, that a lot of ills we are facing to-day will be removed. I have also provided a corner for top class school which will train and educate our priests through modern methods, not only in the theology and practise of their faith, but also give them training in the fields of sociology and psychology, so that they can in turn provide and guide the laity in a meaningful way. The priests of yesteryears were not only good in their profession , but they were scholars in their own right. Tremendous amount of literary activity took place within the community, in the 19th century and scholar priests were in the forefront. Their deep knowledge of theology was backed by their scholarship in the linguistic field, for most of them were proficient in the Avesta and Pahlavi languages, in which many of our scriptures are written. Sadly, to-day the number of priests who can be called scholar priests in the true sense of the term, and who have a strong base in these ancient languages, are very few. Priestly education therefore, has to be restructured at all levels, and to ensure a continuous flow of qualified and trained priests , the community has to give them sufficient economic impetus. For too long we have ignored our clergy , for which we are paying a price to-day. The economic and social upliftment of our priests is a must in any viable blue -print for our future. Youth awareness and participation in community affairs is a very important segment on my viable blue-print. I appeal to my young friends to come forward and take up the challenges that the community is facing to-day. We, youngsters of to-day are a questioning , inquiring lot, full of vitality and on the move. If our energies are channelled in the right direction, we can do a lot of constructive work within the community. But we need a proper platform and a forum through which we can function. We youngsters have a responsibility to keep the torch passed onto us by our ancestors, burning ever bright. A world body of young Zoroastrians is what I advocate, where each member is ready to take up the challenge and responsibility of being a worthy Zarathushti. The adults need to empower the youth and have confidence in their abilities to steer the ship of the community through the rough and smooth in the course of its voyage. Guidance from the senior members of the community is important and necessary, but now is the time when the youngsters should be given greater responsibilities to shoulder, so that they are motivated to give their best. At the annual Holiday Youth Programme held by the Parsi Punchayet in Bombay, hundreds of young Zarathushtis from all over India come together and learn about their religion as well as receive vocational guidance and an insight into, other contemporary issues . For over a month they meet under the same roof in an informal atmosphere and many lasting relationships are formed at these meets. The problem of inter- marriage that is eating into the very fabric of our community and which is a very real problem to-day , can somewhat be reduced when our youth are given a chance to interact with each other more frequently. These sort of programmes can be undertaken by Zarathushti Anjumans and Associations all over the world. I also appeal to my young friends to come forward and help in maintaining some of our religious institutions. Cleaning our agiaries, (fire temples), looking after our dharamsalas (rest houses), adopting an inmate from an institution for the aged, looking after a varsayaji in our places of worship; these are just some of the practical ways in which I think, we youngsters can contribute to the community. I have also created an archive on my blue-print to preserve our traditions and our culture which forms the existential core of the religion. There are many aspects of the tradition which we learn through observance and osmosis. We have a rich heritage of oral tradition wich we need to preserve carefully. E.g. having seen my mother perform say the sagan (a celebration done on birthdays and other Parsi festivals), several times, I know how it is to be done. I know what goes into the ses (the silver tray) and why. The loban ,(the act of taking the incense burner around the house with sandalwood and frankincense upon it), the divo, (the oil lamp which is supposed to burn in every Parsi home), the correct manner of celebrating the birthday of the fires and waters on Adar mah , Adar roj, and Ava mah, Ava roj respectively, are some of the rituals which need to be chronicled for future generations of Zoroastrians. The art of making the famous Parsi pheta and pagdi (typical Parsi head gear), or even the sapats(particular type of foot wear) is dying out. At the rate at which we are going, a day might come when we will have no one to weave our kustis and make our sudrehs. As an enlightened community can we allow this to happen? Not only do these arts and traditions need to be preserved, but in the religious schools that I have outlined in my blue-print earlier, there can be separate departments where practical are held to teach these arts and crafts to the students in the same manner as the principles of physics and chemistry would be taught in a practical science class. I have drawn a double white line on my blue -print for an effective leadership structure within the community. Sadly, some of our so called community elders do nothing to inspire or motivate the youth. Their thoughts, are not in accord with their words and their words always contradict their actions. Lack of effective leadership is an area which needs to be worked upon . We need fresh new blood in many of our organisations and institutions. In Bombay alone one can site numerous examples of trustees who sit on several Trusts, where they are trustees merely in name. Due to their pre- occupation with their secular professions, cannot give their best to the trusts. We need leaders who can give quality time to the religion and community, not part-time professionals who may be very good lawyers or accountants or whatever else they are but make uninspiring and ineffective leaders. In volume VI, of the Denkard, a ninth century Pahlavi text, the nature of innate wisdom and acquired wisdom are outlined. It states that, “a man who can discern through innate wisdom can comprehend well, anything which is manifest from the Avesta and Zand. …however, he who discerns through innate and acquired wisdom , will comprehend all that has been and all that will be..” furthermore.. “the good nature of him who has no wisdom in him, is like unto a house which (is ) full of light and without defects, but remains closed and is never used. And the good nature that is coupled with wisdom . (is) like unto a house which is full of light and without defects, wherein lies a diligent man..” Let us use our innate and acquired wisdom and collectively and apply our minds to the various blue-prints that will emerge from this very essay competition. If we principally agree that what we want to do here is to save and preserve our religion which has enriched the lives of countless Zarathushtis for ions of time, then like the house of the wise man in the Denkard, the future of this Zarathushti house, where Parsi and Irani Zarathushtis dwell, will be full of light and without any defects for it will reflect the light that comes from the abode of Mazda, from His kingdom of Endless Light . Yatha zamyat yatha afrinami. May it be so, may it always be so.