Zoroastrians in the 21st Century: The Way Forward

Ervad Zal Sethna.
LONDON.

With the Blessings of AHURAMAZDA we have survived for over 8000 years. We represent the most ancient Aryan Faith and The most ancient Aryan Race. Now we have to prepare for the next millennium and make sure that our in built survival kit is in order. We are the PARSA people followers
of THE ZARTHUSHTI MAZDAYASNI DIN. Once rulers of one of the largest Empire, extending from the Danube to the Ganges, and ruled by great Zoroastrian kings like Cyrus, Darius, and Shahpur from 559B.C. to 652A.D.

For most of us to day, our history begins with the final exodus to India around 936 A.D. from Iran, some 1370 years ago. There again the record speaks for itself. Smallest in numbers yet largest contribution ever made in shaping the destiny of the land which gave us sanctuary. Parsis
lead in trade, commerce, profession, and governments. First to fight for the freedom of the Indian Nation. In honesty charity loyalty and integrity equal to none.

Now the challenge is to build on the spirit of our forefathers and reinstall the qualities in the next generation.

A brief reflection on our past History will help us with the way
forward. The paramount reason to make India our permanent home was to preserve our Faith and Racial identity. After the conquest of Iran in 652 A. D. by the Arabs, forced conversion to Islam and persecution had made life intolerable. With serious consideration, for the survival of our Faith, we had to leave our Fatherland Iran.

Iran and India were very close for centuries and shared common cultural and religious beliefs. Many Iranian kings had ruled parts of India, and trade and commerce existed between the two Nations from the dawn of civilization. Thus India was the obvious choice of our forefathers. After the fall of the Persian Empire due to the persecution of Zoroastrians in Iran, continuous emigrations over many years to the western Nations, as well as to India were recorded, but only in India did the Parsa people survive. This was singularly due to our principal of segregation as far as our Religion and Race were concerned. On other matters our record of integration with the native population was par
excellence. All through out the Hindu, Mogul, and British Raj in India, we were respected for the fairness, loyalty, and sense of duty with which we merged with the changing destiny of India. Even today we stand as an example to many countries including India for our skill of integration with native cultures.

A great change in our thinking and our way of life came with our association with the British. The change brought great financial benefits but damaged our Zoroastrian way of life for ever. If I may quote Professor Madam Mary Boise's book, entitled Zoroastrians, "It was the abrupt impact of Western culture which shattered the confidence of many Parses in this, making them, like juddins," "Western attacks on this tradition were damaging not only to doctrinal unity but also to
communal pride;" "So working priests, simply by remaining faithful to the ways of their forefathers, came to appear backward, ignorant and poor, while the laity rushed ahead to embrace progress, science and material prosperity." "New opportunities, and the climate of the 20th century, in undermining theses traditions, have done what over a thousand years of persecution and disaster failed to bring about." "The reformats have thus had to abandon a great heritage."

With wealth and prosperity the community chose the urban life. We gradually started to abandon farming and took the challenge to industrialize India. English education especially in Bombay where the new generation of Parses chose to live became popular. These schools were managed and run by Christian Nuns and Padres who did their utmost to convert or put across the doctrines of Christianity to our children. Western scholars of Philology started translating The Avesta language with great interest as they had never witnessed such profound Religious thoughts and philosophy on God and His creation. They could not believe that the Bible had embraced many important and fundamental principals from our ancient Faith. The distorted translations of the Avesta and Christian missionary zeal, began the manipulation of the minds of the westernized Parses.

This shook the central core of our Zoroastrian belief and our way of life. Everything that was sacred and sublime to us, was ridiculed. We were told that our prayers were mubo jumbo, our mobeds were ignorant, our doctrines wrong, our rituals superfluous and our religion was no more than a cult of ancient pagans. With our blind obsession towards the westerners, we started to doubt the principals of our ancient culture and ethics, for which our forefathers had given their lives.

Major changes came to the community due to the urbanization of the community and shift from agriculture to profession and industry. Mobeds who depended on the farm produce donated by the anjuman for their daily sustenance had to now rely upon the meagre ashodad and little fees they received for their work. Unimaginable poverty in the mobed community was the result. With poverty came the loss of mobeds self-respect and dignity, and with the downfall of the mobeds came the transformation of the whole community. This is the saga of the past . What is in the present!

Over 25000 Parsi and Iranian Zoroastrians today have made their homes in the west. Almost with vengeance we have taken the challenge of survival with the very culture that threatened our existence only 100 years ago. We are doing admirably well. I believe that the Parses in the west stands a better chance of survival than in India, if they are prepared to follow in their fathers footsteps in preserving what they can, and make changes where ever necessary without jeopardizing the Zoroastrian Identity and Racial Integrity.

It appears that the Parses in India are gradually being sucked into the main stream of the sociological structure of the Nation, obviously due to the influence of the environmental and cultural life of the country for over 1300 years. A grate majority of the community has started believing in bavas and other outside agencies to give them material benefits and spiritual comfort. Day by day they have accepted the attire, the habits, the food and the life style of the people around them. It seems that the shield that protected our identity has suddenly vanished and the day our forefathers feared is being brought closer, where the end remains uncertain. It has become difficult to recognize many of us as parses from our appearances attitudes and behavior, demonstrating the loss of ones Racial Identity.

Both in India and abroad remarkable efforts are being made by well wishing and good spirited Zoroastrians. Youth congress, religious education, monetary help to mobeds and housing are all positive steps towards the fight for survival and will continue by the grace of Ahuramazda, but more needs to be done.

Global Zoroastrian Body

I have always shared the dream of an authentic Global Zoroastrian body which can represent Zoroastrians world wide to the other Institutions of the world, a lot of work over the years has been done towards achieving this goal. What is clear to all is that the present W. Z. O. Is not fulfilling the role. In America by very narrow margin they decided that formation of a new Global body is not necessary. One possible solution was to convert the present individual membership of W Z O members to Associate membership without voting rights. Then introduce the constitution for the World Zoroastrian Council which has already been prepared, thus over coming one major obstacle which was blocking the progress, but this was not expectable to W. Z. O. A world body bringing all the Apex Zoroastrian bodies of the world under one banner with proportional representation is the only way forward. The W. Z. O. Consists of local charities both in England as well as in India with managing Trustees and individual membership. They are purporting to be a world body without the representation or recognition from the Apex Zoroastrian bodies. Time has come for all the Zoroastrian Apex bodies to come together and form a legitimate Global Body for the Zoroastrians.

The Mobeds

No Mobeds - no Zoroastrian, is not a saying but a fact. Here our community deserves to be proud in the way they have started to improve the conditions of mobeds in India. Abroad most of our mobeds give honorary service or are compensated appropriately. Due to the acute shortage of mobeds in India, they are in the driving seat especially some panthakys of Augyaries and Atash Behrams. This in some cases, has resulted in extortion, poor service, and sub-standard work from mobeds. The discipline of a mobed require him to lead a clean, simple, and contented life in the service of Ahuramazda. If the mobeds start behaving in a ruthless and materialistic manner, then they will once again loose the respect and support of the community and may have to face poverty as before. The way forward is to strike a balance where the charges for the services are reasonable and affordable by the anjuman, and where necessary the mobeds are subsidized from mobed funds. The Present Panthaky system needs to be reviewed.

The whole system could be based on a Co-operative Society bases where the Panthaky or the manager is rewarded with a good salary, and the balance of income fairly distributed amongst the mobeds performing the ceremonies. It is very encouraging to see gradual increase in the numbers of boys in both the mahdresas at Andheri and Dadar, which may produce full time mobeds to serve the needs of the community. But we will face a crisis if something is not done urgently to train mobeds to perform Pavmahal rituals like Igeshnah, Vandidad and Nirang din. Yojdathrager mobeds who are well versed in the Pavmahal cria can be counted on fingers and are well advanced in age, the time is running out. We need at least 16 pairs well trained to keep this most ancient and sacred of Zoroastrian rituals on track, other wise ordination of mobeds, Bershnoom, Navjote ceremonies, wedding ceremonies, suchkar and other rituals where Nirang is required will be a thing of the past. Intense efforts and resources must be diverted to this cause.

Charitable Institutions

Zoroastrian Institutions abroad, such as Europe, Honkong, North America, Iran, and Australia are aptly serving the needs of the community with their resources. The focus has to be on the Parsi Zoroastrian charity Trusts in India, including the Parsi Panchayat. To-day our Trustees are being accused of malpractice and misuse of the Trust funds. The present threat to Dukhmas and surrounding lands in Bombay, Pune, and Surat, is giving grave concern to the community where the trustees have failed to protect the lands from encroachment . It is the communities responsibility and duty to ensure as the beneficiaries, that the funds and properties left for their benefit are properly managed.

It may help for the Trustees of all the Zoroastrian charity Funds in India to have an Annual conference to exchange notes and where the objectives are similar work out an agenda to avoid duplications. It would be helpful to know the total funds available for the relief of poverty, education and housing from all the charities which can then be distributed effectively, perhaps centrally, to the various causes.

Properties in disuse like some Agyaries and Dharamsalas could be sold or developed for needed projects by the community. A management team of experts may be formed, to advise maximum use of the resources with all the Zoroastrian charity funds and to help the Trustees optimize the benefit to the community.

Religious Education

Very great importance is placed on giving religious education to our youth, and rightly so. In fact we as a community can do with proper truthful guidance on the precepts of our glorious faith. Great efforts are being made by well wishing Zoroastrians to teach the principles on doctrines and the theology of the faith to our children, but
unfortunately today they are exposed to conflicting and inconsistent views from various scholars, some with no religious background or knowledge of our Faith.

The philological principles on which the former great linguists worked and translated the ancient languages like Avasta and Pahalvi are set aside, and all sorts of translations of our holy Avasta, some even obscene are published with pathetic ignorance by these scholars to corrupt the minds and hearts of the Zoroastrian people. No one can deny that Avasta Phalvi and Zend languages can be translated without great difficulty, but that does not mean that ones own interpretations and imagination should be used indiscreetly.

To stop this abuse we must follow the Avesta dictionary carefully prepared by Dastur Kavasji Kanga with a close association with the other scholars of Avasta and Phalvi. The command of these ancient languages, the insight in to the Zoroastrian faith being a full time mobed, and above all the unquestionable integrity and honesty applied throughout the translations of our scriptures by this piece Dastur, leaves no doubt in my mind that his translations alone be used for translations and reference purposes. This will not only bring much desired authority and consistency in the study of our scriptures, but will stop people who manipulate and twist the meanings of our holy scriptures to serve their own means.

I believe, education for a Zoroastrian child begins at the age of one, to learn to do Homage to Atash and our holy prophet Zaratushtra. Then comes the prayers of Ashame and Yatha as soon as the speech is blessed. The meaning of Sudrha, kusti, Navjote and importance of truth is taught before the age of seven. The seed of religion and worship is sown in the fresh and pure minds of our children at an early age to bless them with unquestionable faith in Ahuramazda and unflinching loyalty to their faith and their prophet Asho Zarathushtra. Thus a mould is cast for the continuity of the Zarathushti Mazdayasni Din. Wearing of sudrha and kusti, Diva in our homes, and daily prayers are part and parcel of the Zoroastrian way of life without which the Zoroastrian Identity can never be maintained.

The Controversies

Conversions

Zoroastrian faith does not promote conversion. No where in our history, going back thousands of years do we find that our priests have postulated. Few and far are the references made by Greek and Roman historians accusing Zoroastrian kings of forceful conversions and they are groundless and without firm evidence.

Ever since our final migration to India some 1300 years ago the principal of segregation has been strictly observed. Which has ensured our survival as a race.

Christ told Paul to spread his net on the seven seas and catch as many fishes as he can. That clearly did not include the fishes already caught or in other words people already following one of the Universal faiths that came before Christianity. In the Religious terms there can be only one conversion, that of a non-believer in to a believer. Hence people who are believers in the Religion brought by their prophets cannot be converted.

The basic principals of theology in all the five Universal faiths are the same, namely:

Belief in one Supreme Creator.
Immortality of the Human Soul.
Life after death.
The concept of Heaven and Hell.
The day of Judgment.
And the Resurrection.

Hence no conversion truly takes place, if a laity denounces his or her faith for another. All that happens is a change of a make belief religious identity with a false notion of change. It only amounts to a change of a badge with a different name.

A human soul is given birth in a particular faith in accordance with his or her spiritual constitution. This is determined by the laws of nature and as we cannot alter the genetic lineage of our parents, so also we are enable to change the predestined faith in which our soul is born. Thus the religion in which a soul is borne, is the most beneficial for its salivation.

Hindus, and Jews, also do not believe in conversion. And the bible also says, ' to each its own kind.' Islam also believes in turning a non -believer into a believer with friendly persuasion. So the Universal Faiths embraces this path of wisdom.

Inter Marriages

The most difficult issue facing many Zoroastrian families is how to deal with the issue of inter- marriages. Those who wish to encourage inter marriages to introduce fresh new blood, or increase the numbers of Zoroastrians by conversions, are termed as Reformers or modern. On the other hand those who want to discourage them on grounds of preserving the Kayni blood and for the preservation of Race and Religion are called orthodox or traditionalist. The real concern is not the Inter marriages itself, where one has no control once Cupid has shot the arrow, but the offspring. With any Intermarriage the Religious and the Racial Identity of the child is undermined and even though their Navjotes are performed they are of no practical significance. In most cases the child is driven by the culture of the parent which is predominant where the child is born and brought up. In almost all cases children from Inter-marriages marry non-Zoroastrians, and at that stage, what appeared to be a problem finds its own solution, because the need and the will to convert their children in to the Zoroastrian faith is no more there. There is no justification for changes to be made to the constitutions of our Zoroastrian Institutions to accommodate non-Zoroastrian spouses and their children, where the very purpose is defeated at the end of the day.

Our children today, are in a much better position, especially in the west to take full advantage of the technology and the freedom to travel, and make positive efforts to communicate with other Zoroastrian youth around the world. Once they have pride in their Zoroastrian Identity and Faith in their Religion, the youth will give priority to their Zoroastrian lineage and progeny by the grace of Ahuramazda.

Follow the Gathas

Follow the Gathas, one wonders where!! The so called Gatha lobby wants prayers rituals and ceremonies to be put on one side, even wearing of sudrha kusti is not essential, all one does is to follow the Gathas. This is hard to understand.

The Holy Gathas of our prophet are the most profound and sublime revelation of the secret of creation. The Gathas reveals the existence of the law of duality with the birth of two spirits Sepentamainyu and Angramainyu. Both the spirits are opposite in nature, one creates the other destroys, yet both are part and parcel of the master plan required for the existence of our finite universe. The Gathas explains the inner nature of both the spirits and their strength and weaknesses, followed by the ways in which they need to be tackled. The laws of retribution are spelled out and the laws of compensation in nature are explained. That there is only one creator of the Universe Ahuramazda (Divine light and Divine wisdom) and all things in the creation are in accordance with His will. Through Nature to Nature's God is the golden mean of the Zoroastrians.

Thus the Gathas are the blueprint of the plan of creation, a key to open the secrets of nature. There is nothing to follow, but as Zarathshtra says in the Ahunavad Gatha, to listen with the inner year the voice of conscience, and understand with the inner mind the manifestation of duality in our creation, which the prophet is about to unfold. Asho Zarathusht begs from Ahuramazda, help of Farshoshtra, Madhioma and Jamesp to help him in spreading his Dena. In the 5th and the last Gatha-Vahishtoish, Zarathushtra says to Madhioma, that now that you have understood the laws governing this creation of Ahuramazda, I will reveal to you the Dena. Hence the knowledge of the Zarathushti Mazdiyasni Din is not covered by the Gathas. To misguide people not to wear sudraha and kusti and not to believe in prayers and rituals because it is not in the Gathas is wrong.

Zarathushtra was an Athravan. Sudrah and kusti existed from the time of Jamsheed. It is recorded that Zarathushtra had performed an Igesnah ceremony to thank Ahuramazda with his disciple Farshoshtra. This proves that Mazdiyasni rituals and mathravani prayers did exist in the time of Zarathushtra.

Ahuramazda is not Almighty

Some scholars, Zoroastrians and others, have made claims that Ahuramazda who is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient is not Almighty. The reason, they say is the existence of evil on this earth. They say that God with the help of mankind will defeat evil which according to them God is powerless to do, even though He is Ever present and All knowing. Can this assumption be true? The existence of evil in God's creation is a dilemma which has baffled saints and sinners. To me the answers lie in the Ahunavad Gatha. Zarathushtra reveals that the two twin sprits Spentamainyu and Aangramainyu were there from the beginning of time and will remain till the end of time. Everywhere in our scriptures it is confirmed that Ahuramazda is the sole creator of the Universe and He rules with His absolute will and desire, that He is all powerful, ever present, and all knowing. This basic principle is excepted by the other four Universal Faiths i.e. Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Hence one may say that there is one supreme reality, who is the Creator, the Preserver and the Terminator of the Universe.

Angramainyu represents the force of Destruction or the Negative force which brings forth natural disasters, death, disease, pains, sorrows and decay. Natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, storms and forest fires though destructive rejuvenate the earth, clears dead and decaying vegetation and breaths new life in the rivers and the earth. Where there is mortal life, death is a necessity, can one imagine the population of the animal kingdom and mankind without the cycle of life and death? Disease, pain, and sorrows are mainly due to man's ignorance to abide by Nature's laws. But without sorrow and joy, night and day, good and bad, lies and truth, summer and winter, love and hate, life and death, without these opposites our existence is not possible, hence the Negative forces are their because they are necessary to fulfil the destiny of the corporal world.

Then where is evil in the creation, is it in the sun, the stars, the skies, the earth, the waters, the trees or in the fire? Does it exists in the vegetable or the animal kingdoms? If you look around, you will not find evil in the elements of Nature or any where else in God's creation. I believe that evil only exists in the human mind and no where else. Aheraman the Evil mind is our enemy which we fight and reject with all our might. In every prayer of the Zoroastrian's we pray that we will always keep to good thoughts good words and good deeds and will turn away from bad thoughts bad words and bad deeds, so that evil will have no place and will be denied its existence. Evil is created by man, in his ignorance, arrogance, and greed. Only men are the creators of evil and only they with wisdom and Ahura's grace will correct their actions to eradicate evil. Nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so, says Shakespeare.

Good will always triumph over evil in accordance to the will of Ahuramazda. It is mankind who needs the help of Ahuramazda to tread on the path of ASHA, so that evil is defeated. I see no justification in denouncing the Omnipotent attribute of Ahuramazda, because of our failure to understand His secret. I believe that for one to be Omnipresent and Omniscient one has to be Omnipotent.

The Future

Our youth are showing great qualities of leadership. With their entrepreneur spirit they have started successful businesses. Our girls have performed exceptionally well in all the spheres of life. It is in this area we must focus our energies and devote our time and resources. A global fund to assist our promising youngsters in trade, commerce, profession, sports, music, and other productive activities should be established. Call it an entrepreneur fund if you wish, nothing will pay higher dividends. Make it available to our children who show the required will and courage to succeed. Help them to prosper and bring back the greatness of our forebears.

Age old arguments about Inter-marriages, conversions, rituals, and the debates between the orthodox and the reformats, gives the parses an opportunity to communicate with their tribe with gusto, and they will continue to do so. The only drawback is that to some of us especially our youngsters, it appears as 'maramari' creating disunity within the community. Healthy debates are the life blood of any intelligent and progressive community, but the time has come to move forward to do constructive work, so that our children and children's children can preserve the proud heritage of their glorious Faith and the Identity of the Parsa race in the future.

With our Dastur's lacking the courage of their convictions, mobeds after money, doggy Trustees, a mullah as a mobed performing conversions, World Zoroastrian Organization with non- Zoroastrian members, and an alarming increase in inter marriages, the future could indeed appear bleak. But I see it differently. It will not take long for our future generations to learn from our mistaken ways leading to self-destruction. After all they are Zoroastrians. They will fight for their survival and their Zoroastrian Identity because they will soon realize that without that, they are nothing. They will see the wisdom of marring within the community. With wise leadership they will oppose the malpractice's of some of our mobeds and trustees, they will challenge the bogus teachers of religion, who are distorting our beliefs in the scriptures and in our glorious Faith. They will be proud of their Zoroastrian lineage, and will preserve their faith and fire. They will do so, with VAHUMANA and the blessings of AHURAMAZDA.

This is my prayer, may it happen as I pray.