USHAO
E-Mail Edition
November-December 2003, Mah
Adar, Fasal Sal 1372
May you find time in each day to see beauty and love around you.
May you realize that what you feel you lack in one regard, you may be compensated for in another.
May you learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.
May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself.
May what you feel you lack in the present become one of your strengths in the future
[Author
unknown]
“A ray of light, which never grows dim, but becomes brighter and brighter the more one keeps one’s eye on it. A ray which one day thousands of years ago flashed like lightning on our heroic fathers; --a ray which still even through the murky atmosphere of our scientific age flashes as ever grand old message of Iran----that message of messages ---THE MESSAGE OF ZOROASTER”
[Professor Ardaser S.N.
Wadia]
IN THIS
ISSUE
2 MITHRAISM: Dr. Irach J.S.
Taraporewala
8 COSMOS AND
ZARATHUSHTRA: Ali A.
Jafarey
9 SPENTA MAINYU IN THE GĀTHĀS
Dastur Maneckji Nusservanji
Dhalla
10 TWO BANKS –GANGE-E-DADAR & GANJE-E-MANTHRAN
Dastur Khurshed S.
Dabu
11 UNLOCK THE
SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE: Tunisha Mehrothra
12 THE LAW OF SPENTA: Meher
Maneck
Pithawalla
MITHRAISM: by Dr.
Irach J. S.
Taraporewala
I
N considering the history
of any religion we get, first of all, either authenticated Scriptures complied
by the followers of that Faith or else descriptions left by contemporary
outsiders narrating how these doctrines and beliefs affected them. In the
second place, there is a certain amount of what might be called “floating
tradition” and folklore embodied in the varied rites and ceremonies practiced by
the believers in that Faith. And thirdly, there is a certain amount
of “sacred” or “mystic” tradition and teaching known to only a few, and
which was jealously guarded from the “profane” that were likely to scoff at it.
This “sacred”, and therefore secret, lore was known only to a few initiates, but
in order that the memory of these may not be completely lost most of this secret
teaching was embodied in some sort of symbolic ritual, which could be performed
openly before the public. This open ceremonial exhibited symbolically some
fundamental truths of human life, such as the progress of the soul toward God,
the ultimate defeat of evil and untruth, etc. Long after the religion to
which these ceremonies belonged had passed away these mysteries persisted in
surviving and even attached them selves to some newer Faith that had replaced
the older one.
The history of the religion of Mithra illustrates
these points. Here we find a very ancient “mystic” tradition attaching
itself successively to various Faiths in various lands and adapting itself to
the needs of the people who had made it their own.
Mithra was an ancient Aryan Deity, closely
associated with the Supreme Being --- Asura Varuna. Varuna implied the
all-embracing Heavens and Mithra was the Heavenly Light, and so Mithra was
invoked together with the all-embracing Father of All, Varuna. Both in the
Zoroastrian Avesta and in the Hindu Vedic Hymns Mithra* is invoked as the Lord
of Heavenly Light. He is the Light, not the Sun; the Sun is his
physical vehicle. In Zoroastrian ritual the Litany to Mithra is always
recited after the Litany addressed to Khurshed (who is the physical Sun).
Mithra is ever awake and on the watch. He has a thousand ears and ten
thousand eyes. With these he watches over all creatures, hearing all,
seeing all. None can deceive him. Hence he is Lord of truth and
loyalty. And he is invoked whenever oaths are taken. He guarantees
all contracts and promises and punishes all who violate their bond or break
their plighted word. In Iran such offenders were called Mithro-Druj
(sinners against Mithra), and they were regarded as among the worst
sinners. Being light he also represents heat and life, and so he is called
“the Lord of wide pastures” and he is “the Lord of Fecundity”. He giveth
increase, he giveth abundance, he giveth herds, he giveth progeny and
life. He poureth forth the waters and causeth plants to grow. He bestoweth
upon his worshippers health of body, wealth and well-dowered offspring.
And besides these material comforts he also bestows peace, wisdom and
glory. As Lord of Light he is the foe of darkness and of vice and
impurity. He leads the hosts of Heaven against the hordes of the
Abyss. In a sense Mithra is the prototype of the Archangel
Michael.
In India, Mitra is always associated with
Varuna. These are the Great Twin Brothers, and here too these two are
clearly regarded as two aspects of the ETERNAL LIGHT, and all through the Vedic
Hymns while Varuna is worshipped as the Supreme Head of the Aryan
pantheon. Mitra has retained his position beside him as his Twin Brother.
In Iran, however, Zoroaster emphasized
particularly the complete supremacy of the Aryan Asura-Varuna under the name of
Ahura. So naturally his Twin Brother Mithra could not be regarded as his
co-equal. In fact Mithra is not mentioned even once in the Gāthās of
Zoroaster, because his Twin Brother, Ahura, has concentrated within himself all
the attributes of both. But in later Avesta Literature Mithra is again
associated with Ahura, the two being invoked together as two Lords,
imperishable, exalted and holy. Still on the whole in later Zoroastrian
theology, Khurshed (the Sun) is the closest associate of Mithra. An
important function of Mithra in later Zoroastrian theology is as a Judge of the
departed souls in which office he is associated with Rashnu (Justice). And
as “Lord of wide pastures” he is associated with Aredvisura Anahita, the Deity
who presides over Waters.
From a very early period the Iranian people came
into intimate contact with both the Babylonians and the Egyptians. So
Naturally there came into the Aryan Religion of Iran “foreign influences” from
both these nations. Both these countries-- Babylon and Egypt – depended
for their prosperity and their well being upon the great rivers,
Euphrates-Tigris and the Nile. The annual floods of these rivers at the
beginning of each spring would naturally give rise to the spring-festival, which
would be closely associated with the worship of the Waters and of the Deity of
Fecundity. In Babylon we thus see the Ishtar-cult established and in Egypt
the Isis-cult. In Babylon the Ishtar-cult was early united with astrology
and magic, while in Egypt the Isis-cult got amalgamated with the mysteries of
the “Perfect Man”, Osiris. We thus find in Achaemenian Iran the cult of
the Lord of Fecundity amalgamating with the worship of Anahita the Deity of the
Waters. The former also represents the Father-aspect of Nature while
Anahita represents the Mother-aspect of Nature, which was regarded as purifying
the seeds of all males and the wombs of all females so as to ensure a strong
progeny.
The Hittites, who too had close contact with
Babylon and Egypt, also worshipped Mitra together with Aryan Deities.
There is reason to believe that the Hittites served as a connecting link in the
development of the Mithra-cult in Achaemenian Iran.
There was also a cross current flowing from
Greece, where we find a closely similar spring-cult of Dionysios and
Demeter. The cult seems to have been actually practiced in prehistoric
Crete also. In Greece this cult of Dionysios-Demeter also got connected with the
spring festivities, which were celebrated every year with great rejoicing and
were often accompanied by a considerable amount of lewdness, loose talk and
sexual orgies.
India too had the festival of Love – the
Madanotsava, which is the spring-festival described in Classical Sanskrit
works. It was closely associated with the worship of the Lord of Love and
Fecundity - Madana and his spouse, the Spirit of Fertility –
Rati. In later times this cult united with the cult of the Divine
Cowherd, Krishna, and his milkmaids, particularly Radha. This last has
continued down to the present day and is celebrated each year all over India as
the Holi festival, on the first full-moon day in spring. The lewd songs
and coarse gestures and the foul language used on these occasions are all relics
of the ancient festival of the Lord of Fecundity and Love.
So in Iran in the later Achaemenian days we find
the worship of Mithra steadily growing up. In the early Achaemenian
inscriptions only Ahura Mazda is invoked as the “greatest of the Deities”, but
the later inscriptions the names of Mithra and Anahita are also invoked in
addition to Ahura Mazda. All three are invoked that they may bless the
imperial family and the realm. Herodotus and other historians tell us that
there was a magnificent temple of Anahita in Iran, where her image had been
installed. In one of the later Avesta texts (Yasht V. Aban) we find a detailed
description of the personal appearance of Anahita, and of her superb dress and
ornaments, all of which go to support the statement of the
historians.
At the end of the Achaemenian period in Iran the
religion of the imperial family as well as that of the masses was certainly
Zoroastriaism. There was, however, a considerable admixture of Babylonian magic
and star-cult and also of the various cults of Greece and Egypt. And the
Mithra-Anahita cult was a very strong influence among the masses. During
the days of Achaemenian supremacy Iranian Zoroastrians had settled in every
corner of the vast empire and even beyond its limits. And wherever they
went their beliefs and their customs were carried with them. The conquest
of Alexander strengthened still further the Greek influences, which had come
over Iranian culture. And we find among the Greek writers of that period a
clear tendency to see the close resemblance between their own Deities and those
of Iran. In fact the Greeks give to the Iranian Deities the corresponding
Greek names.
The memories of Achaemenian greatness continued
undimmed for many years. The various dynasties that arose in Pontus and
elsewhere after the break up of Alexander’s Empire all claimed their decent from
the ancient line of Cyrus and Darius and tried to keep alive the ancient
Achaemenian beliefs and customs. The Mithra-cult was thus kept up in all
the kingdoms that were then founded in Asia Minor. As a proof of this we
may mention the fact that a large number of the rulers of these new kingdoms, as
also of the Arsacid dynasty that followed, bore the name of Mithradates
(Mihrdad). At one period (about 130 B.C.) all the rulers in Iran bore this
one name.
Rome now comes upon the world-stage as a great
power in the West. And at one period she and Iran shared the whole of the
known world between them. An ambassador of Iran at the court of Galerius
was quite correct when he declared that these two Empires were as the two
eyes of the human race. As the Roman power began to extend eastward
the influence of the West upon Iran became more and more pronounced, and
similarly the influence of Iran upon Rome began to be felt in greater
measure. At first Rome came into touch with merely the fringe of Iranian
culture, through the Iranians who had settled down in Asia Minor, but the first
century of the Christian era the contact between the two had become very close
and intimate. The petty Iranian dynasties in Anatolia and Commogene
disappeared before the advancing Romans. And wherever the Romans
penetrated they constructed a network of roads joining the remoter towns with
the headquarters. So we find that by the time of Trajan (98-117 A.D.) Rome and
Parthia were facing each other across the Euphrates and Roman legions were
scattered from the Euphrates to Armenia and the whole of Pontus and Cappadocia
had come into intimate contact with the Latin world. In their turn the
Roman legions were influenced by Iranian ideas and culture and when they were
transferred from Asia Minor to other provinces of the Roman Empire these
legionnaires carried Iranian ideas with them to every corner of
Europe.
The spread of Mithraism through the Roman Empire
began definitely with the conquest of Cilicia by Pompey in 67 B.C.
Plutrach has recorded that Pompey “performed strange sacrifices on Olympus, a
volcano of Lycia, and practiced occult rites among others those of
Mithra”. The lands conquered by Pompey resembled the original homeland of
the Persians – the land of Pars or Persis – both in its climate and its
soil. Hence the majority of both the peasants as well as of the nobility
of that region (Celicia) were almost pure Persians by blood as well as by
culture. Among these Persians the cult of Mithra, the invincible Lord
of Battles was definitely practiced. The religion of these Persians
was that of Mazda-worship as taught by Zoroaster, but it had been modified a
good deal in course of time and had come nearer to the pre-Zoroastrian religion
of Nature worship. The written language of that region was a
variety of the Semitic Aramaic. In the Greek inscriptions of that period
the priesthood of these Persians has been named the Magousaioi, which is
clearly a transcription of the original name of these priests. This
religion practiced by the Iranians of Cilicia was a sort of amalgamation of
Mazda-worship and Babylonian beliefs. Ahura Mazda was assimilated to Bel
(Merodach), Anahita to Ishtar, and Mithra to Shamash (the Sun). And
doubtless owing to this, Mithra was always known among the Romans as SOL
INVICTUS.
In Anatolia, near the small town of Doliche, a
Deity was worshiped whose name was recorded by later Roman writers as Jupiter
Dolichenus. His special weapon was a double-edged axe, an ancient
symbol venerated in both Crete and in Egypt. This Deity was later
syncretized (assimilated) with the Semetic Baal-Shamin and became completely
Semitic in character. But when Cyrus conquered this region this ancient
Deity was assimilated to Ahura Mazda, for Herodotus tells us that this Deity
represented “the full circle of heaven and was worshipped on tops of
mountains”. In post-Achaemenian days this region was ruled over by a petty
local dynasty ---half Iranian, half Greek—and under them this ancient Deity of
Doliche was named Zeus Oromasdes and this Deity was reputed to reside in
sublime ethereal regions. This same Deity was the Jupiter Caelus of
the Romans. The Romans also recognized this particular Jupiter as the Head
of the pantheon of Mazda-worshippers. And later on this same Zesus
Oromasdes was closely associated with the cult of
Mithra.
The Mithra-cult with which the Romans came into
contact was a combination of Persian beliefs with Semitic theology,
incidentally including certain elements from the native cults of Asia
Minor. There seems to have been some influences from the religion of
the Hittites. Just before the Roman conquest of this region the Greeks had
been the supreme power there, and they had consequently looked upon this cult in
their own way and had imposed upon it some of the ritual from their own
mysteries. In spite of all these foreign influences Mithraism
remains in its essence Zoroastrian Mazdaism with a blend of certain amount of
Chaldean (Babylonian) theology.
It seems strange that the Greeks never took to
Mithra-worship. The reasons for this may only be guessed.
Some of these might have been (i) the hereditary dislike of the Greeks for
anything Iranian, (ii) their own racial pride and consequent narrow outlook and
probably also (iii) their spiritual inability to respond to the mystic symbolism
and (iv) their inability to submit to the discipline inculcated by the
Mithra-cult. Nevertheless the Macedonian conquest of Iran led to the final
and definite formulation of Mithraism. It is certainly during the
period of moral and religious fermentation prompted by the Macedonian conquest
that Mithraism received its more or less definitive form.
Once accepted by the Romans the cult spread with
great rapidity. We can trace it along the banks of the Danube and the
Rhine. We find its traces along the Roman walls in Britain, on the borders
of the Sahara and also in the valleys of the Asturias in Spain. The Roman
Empire and the commerce of the Mediterranean (which was mainly in the hands of
Asiatic merchants from the Levant) helped considerably in the spread of this
cult. A very large proportion of the missionaries of Mithraism were the
slaves and menial workers in the families of the Roman aristocracy. The
cult spread so fast that in 307 A.D. a sanctuary to Mithra was solemnly
dedicated on the Danube as to the Protector of their Empire --fautori imperii
sui.
Besides this stream of Mithraism flowing from
Iran, there was yet another stream of Iranian culture which spread southward and
eastward from Iran. This appealed especially to three classes of men (i)
those that were attracted by ceremonial, (ii) those that had ascetic and mystic
tendencies and (iii) those that were intellectually minded. The great
library at Alexandria had its share in the spread of this aspect of Iranian
culture. The cult of Mithra, however, impressed especially the Roman
warriors for it appealed particularly to their sense of discipline and to their
valor. By the third century of Christ both these streams of Iranian
culture seem to have united. We find, for example, Porphyry deeply versed
in the mysteries of Mithra as well as in the “Chaldean lore” of Zoroaster.
From that time all the later Platonists were both initiates in the mysteries of
Mithra as well as deep students of the Oracles of Zoroaster
In spite of its wide spread influences all over
the Roman Empire, Mithraism was not destined to be the Faith of the West.
It almost succeeded in becoming the Religion of the Roman Empire, and in
achieving this it prepared, in a manner of speaking, the way for the ultimate
triumph of Christianity over Roman paganism. In fact just before the
accession of Constantine, Mithraism had all but triumphed. This religion
was finally defeated because Christianity ascended the throne of the Caesars
and Christianity became Caesarised. The transition from Mithraism to
Christianity, however, was not altogether abrupt, because the Christ-mystery,
which replaced the Mithra-mystery, also dealt with the same theme, viz the
Perfecting of Man.
There was one last attempt made by Julian the
Apostate (360-368 A.D.) to reinstate Mithraism, but it was unsuccessful; and
after the death of Julian this religion gradually faded out in the West.
In Iran, the land of its birth, the worship of Mithra, the Invincible Lord
was replaced by the Lord of Battles and Victory, the Aryan Verethraghna,
the Sassanian Behram, and thus the ancient cult of Mithra faded out in the
East as well. But before it disappeared finally it had another
recrudescence, veiled as the eclectic cult of Mani, which was the ancient
Mazda-worship blended with the best elements of Christianity and Buddhism.
Mani’s religion also laid great stress on absolute purity of life, on discipline
and on the perfectibility of man. The final disappearance of Mithraism
from Iran was certainly due to the Islamic conquest, and to the blending of the
ancient mystic lore of Mazda worship with Islamic doctrines. No doubt the
image worship in Mithraism was utterly repugnant to Islamic ideas and this must
have hastened the final departure of Mithraism from Iran. Still, the
ancient mysteries of the merging of man into the Divine have continued in
another garb in the wonderful Sufi poetry about the blending of the Lover and
the Beloved.
We may now consider why Mithraism had such wide
spread influence. We have seen that the cult began to crystallize in the
days of the mental and moral ferment, which followed the break up of the
greatest empire of antiquity. The Roman mind, which loved law and order
and discipline – especially the warrior mind of Rome – was particularly struck
by the importance, which the Persians attached to their peculiar religious
discipline and the rigor with which they enforced it. These Persians had
themselves been world conquerors and as such they had realized the value of
self-control and discipline, and the practical Roman mind clearly recognized the
value of this virtue for the administration and control of their vast
empire. Roman religion had been so far orderly and decorous and dignified;
their ritual was such as would befit the elderly self-important patricians of
Rome. But just for this reason the pagan religion of Rome failed to
impress the masses. These latter were at first carried away by the
primitive and more emotional cults imported from Syria; but when they were
brought into direct contact with Mithra worship they at once realized that it
was something they had been thirsting for and groping after for years.
Here was the cult of a nation as imperial in its outlook as they themselves, and
it inculcated order and discipline so dear to the Roman heart. Above
all it satisfied the desire for a practical religion that would subject
the individual to a rule of conduct and contribute to the welfare of the
state. Mithraism infused life into Roman religion by introducing in it
the imperative ethics of Persia – a thing deeply appreciated by a military
nation.
Mithra being the Lord of Light and the God of
Truth and Justice was ever opposed to the Evil One. Hence he was the
Guarantor of faith and Maintainer of the plighted word. Thus Mithraism
exacted loyalty and fidelity from its followers and imposed upon its adherents a
code of virtue similar to what is now understood by the word honor.
In addition to this, there was engendered an esprit de corps and true
brotherhood, which was a real binding force in such an extensive and
heterogeneous empire like the Roman.
Then there was the ideal of Purity. Mithra
as the enemy of every kind of impurity stood forth as an ideal and perfect man.
The ceremonies and the various degrees imparted to the initiates all intended to
emphasize grade by grade the ideal of purity. One trait pre-eminently
distinguishes the ideal of Mithra as accepted in the Roman Empire, and that is
his absolute Purity. Osiris had his Isis. Bel-Merodach also had his spouse
but Mithra, was ever single, a celibate. Anahita, his companion from the
later Achaemenian days, had dropped out completely. The excesses of cult of
Fecundity imported from foreign lands seemed to have caused a natural revulsion
in favor of complete chastity. Hence Mithra is Sanctus in the true
sense of the term. Instead of the orgies of the spring festival we now had
reverence for chastity in the Mithraism, which Rome had
accepted.
The Zoroastrian teaching of Twin Spirits made each
individual a soldier, in the battle of life and hence Mithraism was
peculiarly favorable for the development of individual effort and human
energy. This it was that appealed in Rome to all, slave and master
alike. Resistance to temptations and to the promptings of flesh were
looked upon as great exploits in the eternal war of Good and Evil, and everyone
felt proud to be a soldier in the army of the Invincible Mithra
Above all, Mithraism taught the secret of regeneration, of being born anew in the Spirit. It showed the path of attaining the full stature of Man’s Divinity and the whole of its ritual was deliberately planned to explain this goal and to indicate the steps by which the individual finally became one with his Father.■
*It may be noted that the name is spelled Mitra in the Vedas, but Mithra in the Avesta.
[Source: “The Religion of Zarathushtra” by the
author]
INVOKING MITHRA
Surunuyāo no Mithra yasnahe khshnuyāo Listen, O Mithra to our prayers, be pleased
no Mithra yasnahe upa-no yasnem āhisha, O Mithra with our prayers, sit near us
paiti-no zaothrāo visanguha, paiti-hish (when we) pray, accept our call for
yashtāo visanguha, hānm hish chinmāne assistance, accept these prayers, gather them
baranguha ni-hish dasva
garo-nmāne. together, with love and put them down in the
House of Song.
[Meher Yasht: Karda VIII,
Para 32: Translation by Tehmurasp R. Sethna]
THE COSMOS AND
ZARATHUSHTRA: by
Ali A. Jafarey
W
E have the Semitic
founders/reformers of religions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Baha’ism.
These are persons, chosen by God and are given, through revelation, the
prescriptions and proscriptions to obey. For them, the chaos – floods,
storms, earthquakes, epidemic and many more calamities in the world is either
the divine punishments for disobedience or the works of a rebel archangel who is
running free to run down his creator’s world.
On the other hand, we have Zoroastrianism,
Buddhism and Jainism, which have their founders as researchers who have found
the path to eternity. While Buddhism and Jainism know only about the
causes of “misery” in the human society and see the solution in forsaking social
activities, Zoroastrianism wants a “mentally and physically” free, democratic,
productive, beneficial, progressive, refreshing and happy society in a healthy
natural environment.
Of all these founders, Zarathushtra is the only
person who asks ninety-three questions in his songs of a total of only two
hundred forty one stanzas about COSMOS, an orderly harmonious systematic
universe and the human society. His very questions provide the
thought-provoking answers. He observes the sky, sun, moon, stars, and the
earth (with its air, water, vegetation and animals) to form a part of the
COSMOS. He does not see any unnatural occurrences. And he clearly
observes Mazda Ahura, the Supper-Intellect Essence as the creator,
maintainer and promoter of the COSMOS.
He discovers wrong only in the human
society. It is the humans who kill, harm, hurt and rob humans and the
animals. It is they who destroy and ruin the natural environment. He
has his Sublime Songs to guide humanity to “entirety and eternity” by reforming
and refreshing the society to its beneficially progressive status. With no
prescriptions and proscriptions, which outdate themselves, Zarathushtra’s Songs are the
Divine Guide to Entirety and Eternity in the COSMOS we live. ■
Seeking Principles of
Life
tat thwâ peresâ eres-môi vaochâ, ahurâ!
mėñdaidyâi yâ-tôi, mazdâ âdistis,
yâ -châ vohû ukhdâ frashi manańhâ,
yâ –châ ashâ ańhêus arêm vaêidyâi,
kâ –mê urvâ vohû urvâshat
âgemat tâ.
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord
In order to bear Your directives in mind Wise One,
the words I ask through good mind
and the facts about life to be correctly
understood through righteousness are;
What shall my soul ultimately attain.
[Source: “Gāthās Our Guide”:
Ali A. Jafarey – Song 9.8, Ys. 44.8]
SPENTA MAINYU IN THE
GĀTHĀS: by Dastur Dr. Maneckji N.
Dhalla
S
PENTA MAINYU is the
self-revealing activity of Ahura Mazda. Zarathushtra solves the
problem of reconciling the unchangeable nature of Ahura Mazda with the world of
change by postulating a principle that intervenes between the unmoved mover and
the moved. This working medium of Ahura Mazda spans the chasm between the
super-sensuous and the sensuous. He brings the transcendence and immanence
of Ahura Mazda into a synthesis. Ahura Mazda is neither completely
separated nor completely merged in the world. He is the primordial,
self-existing being. In his infinite goodness he wills the creation of the
universe. Both heavenly and earthly existence lived with him and in him as
idealized contents of his being. The projection or manifestation of his
creative will and thought is his active working principle Spenta Mainyu, the
Holy Spirit. Spenta Mainyu is as old as Ahura Mazda, for he ever was in
Ahura Mazda and with Ahura Mazda. Though he is thus partly Ahura Mazda in his
manifestation as the working self of Ahura Mazda, he is different from Ahura
Mazda. Still he is not an entity or personality. Ahura Mazda is the
greatest spiritual personality. Spenta Mainyu is his image, his
replica. He represents the creative attribute of Ahura Mazda in his
relation to the created world.
Spenta Mainyu symbolizes the ideal or perfect
existence as conceived in thought of Ahura Mazda. The materialization of
the divine thought in creation spells imperfection and Spenta Mainyu is shadowed
by his inseparable opposite. These two primeval spirits that are spoken of as
twins, emerged from divine bosom and by their innate choice appeared as the
better and the bad in thought, word, and deed (Ys.30.3). He, the most Holy
Spirit, chose righteousness and he who is called the Evil Spirit wooed the worst
as his sphere of action (Ys.30.5). The better one of the two spirits told
the evil one that they were by nature opposed to each other in their thoughts
and teachings, understandings and beliefs, words and deeds, selves and souls,
and in nothing could they ever meet (Ys.45.2). When the two first came together
in the world, they created life and non-life and established the law of reward
and retribution for mankind, that the righteous will reap, at the end of
existence the weal of Best Thought and the wicked the woe of the Worst Existence
(Ys.30.4).
The Gāthās variously speak of Spenta Mainyu,
either as the attribute of Ahura Mazda, his vicegerent, his co-worker, or as
identified with him or as distinct from him. It is through Spenta Mainyu
that Ahura Mazda creates cattle and water and plants and all that exist
(Ys.44.7; 47.3; 51.7). Ahura Mazda is asked to give ear to man’s
invocation through Spenta Mainyu (Ys.45.6), and give strength through him
(Ys.33.12). Through him does Aura Mazda give perfection and immortality
unto the pious that lives a righteous and devoted life of best thoughts, words,
and deeds (Ys. 47.1). Ahura Mazda is implored to teach by his own
mouth on behalf of his Spirit how the world fist came into being
(Ys.28.11). It is through his Spirit that Ahura Mazda furthers his blessed
realms (Ys.31.7). He gives the best unto the righteous through Spenta
Mainyu (Ys.47.5). Zarathushtra asks Ahura
Mazda what award will he make unto the believers and the non-believers through
his Spirit (Ys. 31.3: 47.6). Mazda will come at the final disposition with
Spenta Mainyu (Ys.43.6). Through him does one win felicity of paradise
(Ys.43.2). The devout seek to be acquainted with the works of Spenta
Mainyu (Ys.28.1). The Spirit knows the attitude of the false speaker and
the true speaker, the wise and the unwise as they are led by the promptings of
their heart and mind (Ys.31.12). Spenta Minyu is the friend of all and he
protects them through righteousness in both the worlds from transgressions (Ys.
44.2). It is the wicked that are hurt by him (Ys.47.4). Spenta
Mainyu or the Holy Spirit is sometimes spoken of as the Good Spirit (Ys.45.5) or
the Best Spirit (Ys.33.6), or the Most Holy Spirit (47.2). This
superlative title, the most Holy Spirit, is sometimes applied to Ahura Mazda
himself (Ys. 33.12; 43.2; 45.5; 51.7). It is also used for Spenta Mainyu
as apart from Ahura Mazda. For example, Zarathushtra tells Ahura
Mazda that he chooses his Most Holy Spirit for himself (Ys. 43.16). The
Most Holy Spirit, the one who stands in opposition to his evil twin brother,
dons the massive heavens for his garment. (Ys.30.5). ■
[Source: Silver Jubilee Volume (1935) --Young Men’s Zoroastrian Association, Karachi]
TWO BANKS: GANJE-E-DADAR & GANJE-E-MANTHRAN
By Dastur Khurshed S.
Dabu
H
EREIN one finds the most
encouraging and noblest of concepts in Zoroastrianism. When a saintly
person is totally altruistic and disinterested, he performs all meritorious
deeds without expecting any personal gain or benefit.
But the prize is deposited in “God’s Bank ---a
store of goodwill and blessings”. In the Kērfēh Mozd prayer, it is
stated that, “all merits, that are deserved by benevolent devotees, are given
away for the betterment of all continents.” From this reservoir those who
need consolation and cheer, receive their “loan or gift” through angelic
hosts. There is a similar idea in Hinduism of Nirmankaya store of
good deeds from which are distributed blessings to the needy.
A Zoroastrian, having gone through any act of
devotion or charity, prays that his good thoughts and deeds may be deposited in
Ganje-e-Dadar. It is thus sheer selfless service unto
God.
Similarly there is a concept (allied to Plato’s
“archetypal ideas”) that lofty ideals of a saint are received into
Ganje-e-Manthran and ardent seekers of Truth may dive into this “ocean of
wisdom” and pick out some precious thought.
Blessed are those that suffer, for they shall
derive patience and fortitude from “Divine Bank”. Equally blessed are
those who earnestly seek light of wisdom. They shall be inspired during
their search through the “store of Manthra”! ■
[Source: “Handbook of
Information on Zoroastrianism” by the author]
HIGH AND LOW
“Worry and confusions are seldom far away,
If pessimistic notions are allowed to win the day.
It isn’t always easy, but at least its’ worth a try –
Keep aggravation at low and
hopes upon high.”
[J.M. Roberts]
UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE
By Tunisha
Mehrotra
T
HE fourteenth century
Native American Iroquois Constitution opens with a prayer of gratitude. It
offers thanks “to the earth where men dwell; to streams of water, springs and
lakes; to the maize and fruits and medicinal herbs; to the sun and moon, wind
and thunder…and to the great creator, the source of life”. Gratitude is
one of the first principles of spiritual well being. Blessings abound
in the life of each of us, and a keener appreciation of the same unlocks the
secrets of the universe. In opening our hearts wide to render thanks we
automatically create the space in our consciousness for greater grace to flow
in. A thankful heart is an open heart and is thus, open to
receiving. Meister Eckhart the German mystic observed, “If the only
prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would
suffice.”
When we express gratitude a sense of peace and
fulfillment floods our being. New research shows that people who maintain
gratitude generally sleep better, have more good moods and a stronger sense of
connection to others. Our thoughts are the blueprints of reality.
According to Friar Elbertus: “To think rightly is to create. All things
come through desire, and every sincere prayer is answered. We become like
that on which our hearts are fixed.” In adopting the attitude of gratitude
we focus on the plenty that already exits in our lives. This creates a
powerful positive vibration, which in turn, attracts spiritual and material
abundance. In acknowledging our heavenly father’s loving kindness, we
deepen our attunement with Him. There are three stages to the development
of an attitude of unceasing thankfulness.
Firstly, turn immediately to God in gratitude
whenever we have cause to rejoice. Each time the heart is gladdened, let
it rise in a paean of thanks to the true giver of all our
joys.
Secondly, we are cautioned not to take for granted
the good that already exists. We need to cultivate a healthy appreciation
for all those quiet joys that enrich our lives. Melodie Beattie writes:
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into
enough and more…. it can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a
stranger into a friend.”
Lastly, we are required to give thanks even when
in the midst of difficult times. The universe does not make
mistakes. Everything is to a plan. Every pain, heartache and obstacle has
been carefully orchestrated by a higher wisdom and serves our larger good.
What we resist persists. In giving thanks, even for our pain, we dissolve
our resistance to the situation, and thereby hasten our evolutionary
process. Furthermore, in offering gratitude, we focus our thoughts on what
is positive in the situation, and immediately our spirits lift and faith surges
within. This releases healing power and even the worst situation becomes
bearable.
When the heart overflows with gratitude the soul feels nourished, restored and truly conscious of God presence. Sarah Ban Brannock, author of “Simple Abundance” considers gratitude a life-transforming principle. “Begin this day”, she writes, ”to explore and integrate this beautiful principle into your life, and the miracle you have been seeking, will unfold to your wonder and amazement.” ■
[Source: “Times of
India”]
THE LAW OF
SPENTA: by
Meher Maneck Pithawalla
S
PITAMA ZARATHUSHTRA’S best desires
were fully realized, when on account of his piety, Ahura Mazda granted him two
boons: (i) immortal life and (ii) those who were his opponents became desirous
of learning the words and works of his lofty creed. Thus we sing of
Prophet Zarathushtra in
one of the last phases of his glorious career. (Yasna: 53.1).
He suffered; many were the rebuffs and innumerable
his enemies! And yet, his ultimate success was the crowning part of his
life! Age after age the universal law of suffering abides. Man
breaks the laws of mental, moral and physical purity and he suffers; or even if
he strictly observes them, he suffers. But there is a difference in the
final result. He who patiently bears the blows of hatred, jealousy and
revenge, he who meekly bows under the burden of pain, failure and
disappointment, he who stands serene and spotless in spite of temptations,
doubts and fears, he who smilingly welcomes the gloomiest hours of dark despair,
such a one is worthy of all praise,, all devotion, all adoration, all
reverence. Such was our own Prophet Zarathushtra---Zarathushtra the holy, Zarathushtra the great, Zarathushtra the good---the
Hero of all Heroes.
The wicked prosper and we often wonder why the
good suffer? We often see the evildoer rejoice in the fall and defeat of
the virtuous. We often find that the malign one watches triumphantly the pure
one fail and faint. We often hear the victorious laughs of foul vice and the
mournful cries of fair virtue. Angra the evil one, works and
wins. His mind nourishes a thousand malicious thoughts. His tongue is
always on the move for bitter, stinging words. And his hands are never at rest
with impure action or the other. He is never sad, never vanquished and
never despondent But Spenta, or the good one, works and
falters. His words meet sudden rebuffs. His works are disapproved and
mercilessly criticized. His ways are vindictively ridiculed. His spirit
rebels within him; he cries vehemently against the justice of Ahura Mazda and
doubts His omnipotence.
Yet the due reward comes to all in good time. --
Akêm akâi vańhvim ashim vańhaovê “Ill to the evil, pure blessings to
the good.” This is the law of Spenta so splendidly revealed in the
Gāthās. As the Prophet of Iran met with his own reward, so shall all be
greeted, all those who work and suffer for the welfare and elevation of
humanity.
Zarathushtra lives; his name
is engraved in our hearts, never to be eradicated; his world wide fame is not
dim; so shall they also dying live, they who lay their precious lives on the
altar of human service and self sacrifice! ■ [Source:
“RĀHNUMĀ]
Published for Informal Religious Meetings Trust Fund, Karachi
By Virasp Mehta
4235 Saint James Place Wichita K.S.67226
E-Mail: viraspm@yahoo.com