IS MAZDAYASNI ZARATHUSHTRI RELIGION UNIVERSAL?
Vada Dasturji Kaikhshroo N. Dastur Meherjirana, 2005, Parsi Pukar
DO YOU KNOW WHAT RELIGION IS AND WHY ARE THERE MORE THAN ONE RELIGIONS?
The questions which we have to address are:
1. What is religion? Is it really needed in the life of the humans?
2. Why are there more than one Religions amongst humanity?
3. How come, the holy Founders of all Religions like Jesus Christ, Mohammad, Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Mahavir, Krishna, Zarathushtra, universally proclaim that They have been sent by God, that They are His Messengers, that They have dialogue with Him, that They are specially inspired by Him to teach the humans a way of life, a divine Path, which leads to Him?
4. Is it reasonable to say that only one of these Religions is the True Path and others not? And that only one of them is to be "chosen"?
5. Is Zarathushtra the only Prophet of Truth?
6. How come every Religion has its own formidable list of holy Saints, Sages, Seers, Fakirs, Olias, Sufis, Dervishes, Rabais, Bhikhoos, Sadhus, Rishis, Ashavans, Saheb Delaans, Pir-e-Magans? Were all of them except Zarathushtrians away from Truth?
7. What are the criteria of choice if anyone is to 'choose' a Prophet for himself out of so many?
8. What is the meaning of universality?
9. If all Religions emanate from God and all of them lead to Him, how can just one of them be universal? Are not all Religions equally universal when their beginning and end are the same?
10. Has the intellect of man any capability to "choose” a Prophet from amongst many?
Is it easy to answer these questions? Let us try.
"Why are there more than one Religions?" This was a question asked to the great Hindu saint of 19th century Ramkrishna Paramhans (18-2-1836 - 16-8-1886). His answer was to this effect: A mother has four children. One is an athlete; he has to be given a nonvegetarian diet and proteins. Another has diarrhea; he cannot be given milk and heavy food. The third is a weakling; he is to be given moderately substantial balanced food. The fourth is a gastric; he has to avoid potato and pulses. The mother has the responsibility of maintaining her children's health by serving different food to each. Let us have another analogy. Varied patients are collected in a hospital. One has T.B., other has malaria, another one has pneumonia, fourth has mad-cow disease and the fifth has a sophisticated HIV or HPS. Each patient is treated by a specialist doctor. Some of them meet in a common hall. The T. B. patient starts praising his doctor and tells the malaria patient that he must switch to his doctor. The Malaria patient insists that his doctor is the best for all. It should be realized that each doctor is a specialist in his own field of a particular disease and may not have adequate knowledge or expertise in any other form of disease. This is the reason why Lord Krishna in Gita 3-35 says:"One's own Dharma, though imperfect is better than the dharma of other well performed. Better death in one's own dharma; the dharma of other is full of fear." (...Svadharam nidhn shrae: Pardharmo Bhaivah)
The great saint Ramkrishna Paramhans elaborates on this aspect in his masterly style:
"A professional farmer does not lose courage and continues to cultivate even if there are terrible droughts for twelve long years. But a weaver who takes to tiling for a change of occupation gets disheartened if rain fails for just one season. A true devotee does not deviate from his Path of devotion…."
Look at Lord Krishna's above passage: “Death in other Dharma is full of fear.” Why does He say so? It is like a saying amongst us: “Gujarya pachi ravan rakhdi jashe.” This is not just a colloquial saying. There are scriptural evidences to show that the Ruvan does loiter in certain circumstances.
At about five places the Gatha refers to the word "Daenaao." This is the plural of "Daenaa." Daenaa means Religion - Dharma. Gatha: Yasna Ha 31-11 proclaims that different Religions are according to the Divine Plan of Mazda. They are ordained for different groups of humanity. The undercurrent is common, but the tarikats, tenets, devotions, doctrines are different. But that difference is not meant to discriminate each other. Because Ha 34-13 declares that the Daenaao - Religions are brought by Saoshyants i.e. Prophets and Avatars of Ahura and each Din can by itself lead man to Mukti, Salvation, Nirvaan, Mokhsha, Frashogard. This is proclaimed subject to man following the commands and tarikats of his own Religion. The word used in 34-13 is "Hookeyreyt" which conveys the meaning of sticking to the Din. It also indicates ‘center’ i.e. being at the center of one's own Din.s
Ha 46-6 declares that the Paths of all Dins are against the path of druj i.e. the evil. And Ha 49-9 says every Din is a gift from Ahura leading to the breaking of the bonds of evil.
Religion is not an intellectual and argumentative exercise. Religion is a way of life to be lived on every moment of our existence on earth. It is a way leading us on the Path of God. Each Religion is God-sent and a Path towards Him. Every religion has three main phases: Knowledge, Practice and Devotion.
Knowledge is the quest for truth, an investigative divine science, which is learnt from spiritual experience in the laboratory of life.
Practice is the practical way of dealing with ourselves and our surrounding creations: animals, vegetables, minerals and humans. The banner of this practice is Armaiti: i.e. dissolution of ego; humility, love and service towards all the four creations; renouncing of all hatred; truth on the tongue; sincere attempt to avoid goonah (sins); adoption of Kerfeh ( thoughts,words and deeds as ordained by the Din) and Patet ( repentance for sins).
Devotion means divine attraction towards Daadar, Yazats, Paigamber and the Din itself. And a burning desire to walk on the Path of God and to ultimately be in union with Him.
There are a hundred references in the extant Avesta emphasizing Asho Zarathushtra’s Yazatic stature. One full Haa with 11 passages and 243 words in the Gatha are devoted to Him and depicts who HE is. Farvardin Yasht has two passages of 211 + 38 words narrating how He discharged the Divine Duties assigned to Him by Ahura Mazda and will continue to do so till Frashogard and beyond. All Avesta sings this celestial song.
One of the Duties of Asho Zarathushtra was to prepare for the advent of other great Religions and their Divine Founders. All Religions work in a Divine Brotherhood. We got the living proof of these Truths when Baheramshah Shroff (1858-1927) enlightened the Parsis on IIm-e-Khshnoom, the Divine Science, Practice, Love and Devotion of our Din.
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The reformists are dying of thirst sleeping on the bank of a cool sweet spring. This description of them is given by the great Sufi Poets Rumi and Hafez. It is they who require to be awakened and revived and not the Din.
Hum Mithra at - 7 a.m. every day for Peace.
Recite: 2 Yatha Ahu Vairyo, 1 Ashem Vohu.
"Let no harm come upon the Traditional Zoroastrian flag and its values which are so dear to us. Let the reformist agenda never succeed and their nefarious plans be upturned. Let no harm befall upon Pavmahal of India that is - our Iranshah of Udwada and all Atash Behram, Atash adaran and dagah of India. The things that we value most like Holy consecrated Fire(Pavmahal), Dokhmas, Sudreh Kusti which acts as a weapon to thwart evil, and let us protect our racial traits of Parsi panu through Boonak Pasbani by not marrying outside. That is how we will be able to maintain our true Zarathosti Khandani. Let the advent of Shah Behram Varjawand and his fore runners come soon and protect us from this mess. Let my Kusti Padiav and my Tarikats be helpful to nature to fight for the cause of Righteousness against the evil negative forces of Drujis, and may it protect us all Zarathustis and entire humanity who live by religion and its tenets"
Recite: 1 Yatha Ahu Vairyo, 2 Ashem Vohu.
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