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The Teachings of Zoroaster, and the Philosophy

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The Teachings of Zoroaster, and the Philosophy Ebe 111111800 111 Of the E ast S eries ED ITED BY A N ME R -BY N G L . C R ‘A K APA A D r . s . D I T H E TEAC H ING S O F ZO ROAST E R A ND T H E PH I LO S O PH Y O F T H E PARS I R E LI G I O N FIRST EDITION WI SDO M O F TH E EAST T EA C H I N G S O F O A S T E R A N D PH ILO S O PH Y O F PA R S I R ELIG IO N B A A A . LR S . KA CP. Y P DI , MD BA R R IS TE R °AT~ LAW I E T P E E T ER AT T , NN R EM L ; L C UR HE LON DON UN IV ERSITY COLLE G E ; LATE LECTURER ON MATERIA ME D ICA AND P HARMACOLOG Y AT THE ZENANA DIC C G E L D R RI TAL ME AL OLLE , ON ON ; HONO ARY O EN S C T o r T RT B K socTY LO DO E RE ARY HE NO H ROO , N N ; ETC TC TC " E " E . LONDON H RR A ALBE AR LE R EE w O . J N MU Y , M ST T , 19 1 3 C O N TE N T S A E — P G Zoroaster preaching Mazdeism The Gospel of Sublime Truth — King Tahmurs Origin of Idol- worship 1n ll l S R eign King J amsh1d the Founder of Persipolis- Intro duction of Caste- system in hi s R eign — — - Wine Its Discovery and its Romance Zahr e Khoosh (the Pleasant Poison) ’ n J amshl d Va and D ow a Ki g nity nf ll . — Birth of Zoroaster His Great Message for H u m anity — The TWO Great Heroes Asph andiar and Rustim ’ Zoroaster s Crusade against Idol worshipp ers o Mazda a ni ns o e s s M notheists ( y s a ) v . P lyth i t — (D aév ayasnians Migr ation of D aév ayasnians and Hindooism do a r u er eded I l t y s p s . The Fall of the Pe1 sian Empire a nd Migration of the D ou o oas a o i ev t Z r tri ns t Ind a . Influence of Zoroastrianism ’ Zoroaster s Meditation 1n the Wilderness for Thirty Years and his Zend Avesta Teachings — ‘ ’ HygienicL aws Health- giving Influence of Sun s R ays and Light D efinition of Ahura- Mazda (God) The Soul of Nature Zoroastrian Litur gy Zoroastrian Ideal 6 CONTENTS M eaning of the Word D aeva in the Avesta L anguage — Creation Cr eativ e and D estructive Spirits The Final Superiority of The Good over The Evil Spirit D octrine of D ualism refuted — Invocation of Sp enta M ainyus Of th e Life 0 11 the — E arth The Creation of Sixteen R egions — ’ Yima God s Chosen Overseer m a J amshl d the u e of Air ana- Va e a Yi ( ) , R l r y j ’ G od s War ning t o Yim a o f th e Disaster to his Kingdom (Noah and his Ark) ’ Zoroaster s Mor al Philosophy — HygienicRules laid down by Zoroaster Preserva — tion of B odily Health Principles of Sani t ation — Precepts of Purity Towers of Silence for disp osal of — D ead B odies Safeguar d against P estilence and Disease (D rukhs Nacus) G ood T ou s H umata Good ord H ukhta h ght ( ) , W s ( ) , and Good D eeds (H v arsht a) defined Zoroastrian Ethics and Moral Teachings The Parsis and their Universal Charities to all other Creeds and Nations Sanctity of M arriage Teaching of Tolerance towards other R eligious and B eli efs An Av esta Incident of Mercy andCharity towards the F allen God and HisHierarchy of Archangels (Ameshaspends) Cr ue to A m a s a Sin— A ar a e lty ni l , P bl A ~ Pray er of R ep eritance f or Ill- Tr eatment or Un kindness to D omestic Animals CONTENTS Kindness to D umb Animals Prohibition of Fasting fr om Food OF TH E LIFE H EREAFTE R — Immortality of the Soul The B ody and th e Soul — Sev erance of their Tie of Friendship The Glorious — ’ — Sunset of Life The Soul s D ep artur e Its — Arriv al at Chinv at B ridge The R ecor der Mehr D avar at the G ate of Heaven D octrine of R ewar d a nd P unishment D uties of a Zor oastrian Youth after his Confirm a — tion The Way t o Gar othman B ehest (Heav en) — The R esult of th e Zoroastrian Philosophy re the S m o of ur Fi , y b l P ity Incidents of Life where R eli gIOus Teachings are w anting An us ra o r om L e r om o a e to Cr me Ill t ti n f if (f Ign r nc i , from Crime to th e Gallows) Practical Mor al Teachings of Zoroaster R ESURRE CTION or TH E BOD Y The Great Pen ance and Purification — ’ The Memory of the D ea d All Souls D ay — House of Hym ns Garodem ana Th e Highest Heaven END OF INTROD U CTION E! TRACTS Purity Pray er of Ashem -Vohu The Law of Ahur a Maz da C omma dme s for the o and the So n nt B dy ul . ’ The Soul s D estination 8 CONTENTS ’ The Soul s R endering of Account G atha Hymn Confession of Faith The Creed Prayer of Ke m Na M azda Prayer of Ke Verethrem G a Prayer of Ormuzd Yast (in Pra1se of God) G od a s the the e the ewa er King , Lif , R rd Th e Creation of the World by Ahura -M azda corr espondi ng Evils by Angr o Mainyus ’ G od s Warning to Yima of Winter and D eluge Blessings of cultivating the Soil Happiness of th e E arth Grief of the E arth C ultiv ation of L and wher e a Corpse 18 found P urification of Water defiled by a C orpse R eligious Education R eward f or the Pious F orgiv eness of Sin The Temptation B anishment of Angro Mainyus On L oan On Wa ste Temp erance ’ Souls Visit to th e E arth The M az day asni an Confe ssmn P atet Erani (A Prayer f or R epentance) M arriage Service The Vision of Arda-Viraf Sanctity Prayer for Safety NOTES PREFACE TO THE SECOND ED I TION ZOR OASTR IAN ISM is a religion much commented upon by a few enthusiastic Oriental scholars , ut and less understood by the general public . O of the millions of believers of thi s faith in the by a gone ages , there now remains handful of devout followers , known as the Parsis . I have , there fore , ventured to put before my readers a brief sketch of the teachings of this divine prophet . I hope , that the strangers to the faith may find o i in it fo d for philosophic enl ghtenment, and the Zoroastrians themselves a subject for deeper and wider researches in the untold wealth of sublime theology and philosophy, now locked up in the monumental tomes of the ancient Avesta writings . It was with great diffi dence that I ventured ' to place a little v olume on such a subject as Zoro a stri ani sm before the public , but the encourage ment I received in the past emboldens me to produce a second edition , to which I have added a few important considerations . I take this opportunity of acknowledging my debt of gratitude to the p ublic for the m anner 9 1 0 PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION in which they have shown their appreciation of my little book . At the same time I desire to assure them that their sympathy is destined — to help on the fulfilment of a great work the work of brin ging together more closely the East and the West . Such an aim has been ever before me during my long residence in this country , and I shall be well content if this book helps in any degree to stimulate the study of the sublime T one of Philosophy and eachings of Zoroaster, the greatest minds of Asia , leading thence to fur ther investigation and appreciation of the Persia of the past , whose healthy influence extended afar over Arabia and the distant land of China . It would be di fficult to exaggerate the immense power that literature exercises upon mankind : through its influence violence has oftentimes lost s its venom , bitternes and misunderstandings ceased to live , while to those whose object is to stir up strife and foster prejudice it is a potent weapon . Th e apathetic reader finds it an easy matter i to be tolerant , to smile ben gnly upon the beliefs and prejudices of others ; it is to those of strong convictions , whose horizon becomes so narrow , that no point of view other than their own is possible . The horrors of bloodshed and cruelty to of unfolded us in the pages history , in every age , in every country, arising directly from fan ticism a and intolerance, and indirectly from PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITI ON 1 1 e too nl ignorance, t stify only plai y the truth of e this stat ment .
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