Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Fwd: TheParseeVoice Iranshah Udvada Utsav - Misplaced priorities


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Parsee Voice
Date: Sun, Dec 20, 2015 at 7:18 PM
Subject: TheParseeVoice Iranshah Udvada Utsav - Misplaced priorities
To: the-parsee-voice@googlegroups.com


Wide publicity is being given to the Iranshah Udvada Utsav scheduled from December 25 to 27, with community members looking forward to participating with great zeal in the various programmes. The much publicized presence of the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi has however turned out to be a damp squib with him opting out, sending his deputy instead.

 

An 'utsav' means a festival, a celebration. So what is this 'celebration' for? Even if, for argument's sake, it is granted that this exercise is undertaken for showcasing Parsee glory, could a more sensible venue not be selected other than Udvada, where hardly 50 Parsees still reside. The majority reside in Mumbai, so what better venue than Mumbai!

 

Udvada, which is home to Iranshah, the spiritual king of the community, is a small idyllic village, known for its serene surroundings; a perfect place for a Holy Fire to perform His appointed functions in Nature. Holy Iranshah is a living, throbbing, vibrant entity having an aura and magnetic circuits (Kash). He receives the divine blessings of the Ameshaspands and the Yazads and passes them on to His devotees. He also transmits the divine vibrations of the Manthravani recited by devotees to the spiritual realms. He radiates divine energy over long distances. He is a Ratheshtar (a warrior) of Dadaar Ahura Mazda in the fight against evil forces which attempt to overpower all creation. He is the Lord of our destiny, who has guided the destiny of this community for over 1300 years. His blessings have seen the community safely throughout its existence in India. Parsees have prospered solely because of His spiritual prowess. Hence, we owe a great debt of gratitude to this Holy Padshah Saheb.

 

But that idyllic place is about to be swarmed by over 2500 people in a span of three days! To add to this melee, we have government dignitaries and their entourage comprising security personnel also descending on this place! And how will this tiny village deal with this sudden influx of people? What about the availability of basic amenities like water, sanitation facilities, power supply? The VIPs and who's-who of the community will be well taken care of but what about the hoi polloi? Has any thought been given to whether the locals will appreciate invasion of their space and facilities? And what about the aftermath- who's going to clean up the place post this 'circus'?

 

More importantly, has anyone bothered about the tremendous spiritual load that will be unleashed on the holy entity, Pak Iranshah? There will be serpentine queues to pay respects to Him? Will all be appropriately attired and physically cleansed? Will people even get a chance to perform the fundamental Padiyab-Kushti ritual out of fear of losing their place in a queue? Will it not give an opportunity to non-Parsees to sneak in unnoticed? What about the tremendous efforts that Iranshah's mobed sahebs take to keep their Bareshnoom (Nahn) intact? Will it not be a further stress on them? After all not all lady guests are going to be in a ritually pure state and while they may not venture into the Atashbehram precincts, they are definitely going to intermingle with the others who will in turn carry the spiritual pollution into the Atashbehram. Is it justified to defile His status and cause desecration of the sanctity of a peaceful village where He rests, quietly going about his work, all in the name of 'Utsav', which is nothing but a way to achieve the dream of a misguided few of turning Udvada into a Heritage cum Tourist attraction.

 

Vide their letter dated 19th September 2004, six High Priests (barring Dastur Khurshed Dastoor) had despatched a letter of protest signed jointly and addressed to Mr. P. K. Lehri, Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat, calling for an immediate halt to the cultural-heritage-tourism agenda proposed for Udvada and seeking co-operation in allowing Udvada to remain a quiet, serene and holy place of pilgrimage for our community. The following extract from that letter is pertinent to note:

 

"As you may be aware, Udvada is the sacred, spiritual citadel of the Parsee community because therein is enthroned the Holy Fire, "Iranshah Atashbehram", the fountainhead of the community's spiritual strength, survival and progress in India through the centuries. Thus it is the sacred duty of all Parsees to ensure that no harm befalls the Holy Fire or its immediate environs, which have to be maintained with sanctity and care. Promoting Udvada as a cultural-heritage-tourist centre, will result in the very opposite."

 

Sadly, these words of wisdom have been conveniently ignored.

 

For more than a year, homes of Parsees are being burgled. They continue to be targeted week after week yet not a single crime has been solved, not a single criminal brought to book! Word has it that the purported criminals were nabbed but are out again and moving around with impunity; cocking a snook at the powers-that-be! Yet we find cause to celebrate? Why are our priorities so badly misplaced? How can any right-thinking Parsee join in such a programme which is a cruel mockery of the prevailing tragic situation? Seems more like an Utsav of misplaced priorities!

 

The programme even boasts of 2 DJ nights. Imagine, loud music (noise?) playing to the gallery, late into the night with the youngsters frenziedly performing what may charitably be called 'dance'. If the sacred talismanic kashes (circuits) and the serene minoi vibrations encircling Pak Iranshah less than a kilometre away are disturbed or damaged by high decible loudspeakers, blaring away in the silence of the night, so much the worse for Him. But who cares? After all, we are regaling the community for a good cause!

 

Dear humdeens, our Holy Iranshah has been in existence for over 1300 years thanks to the tremendous efforts and sacrifices of our forefathers. Let us not wipe out their hard work by sheer callousness. Iranshah is a spiritual heritage we MUST pass on to future generations of Parsees. It would be a grave sin if we failed in this duty and Nature would never forgive us for the same.

 

So, dear humdeems, please look inwards and ask yourself honestly whether you are contributing to a noble cause by such participation lest you wake up too late to mourn what you thought was a grand celebration!. After all, writing off a thousand rupees is a small price to pay for preserving the only Pav Mahal built on Pak Iranshah.

 

H. M. Mistry



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Friday, October 30, 2015

Fwd: Frashogard


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Frashogard
Date: Thu, Oct 29, 2015 at 10:56 PM
Subject: Frashogard


Frashogard


The passing away of Bhaskar Save is a wake up call for Parsis

Posted: 28 Oct 2015 09:11 AM PDT

Roj Mohor Mah Khordad, 1385 Yz. Few Indians, and almost no Parsis seem to have noticed the passing away of one of India's greatest sons, Bhaskar Save, at the age of 93 on 24th October 2015. Bhaskar Save was a giant amongst men, a man who had the audacity and bravery to stand up against the fads of the day, who resolutely believed in the ancient systems and practices of India and who fought against corporate cronyism and the machinations ...

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Thursday, October 22, 2015

MAZDAYASNI CONNECTION dedicated to Adi F Doctor.


Since some Khshnoom fidaais have asked for the last Mazdayasnie Connection issue, please see the link below:


This issue is dedicated to Adi Doctor on the occasion of his first death anniversary (see pg. 3)

Thanks,
Malcolm
For articles on Khshnoom visit 1)Blog site By Firdosh K. Sukhia:- http://ilme-khshnoom.blogspot.com/
2)The definative Blog on Zarathustrian Mysticism - Ilme- Khshnoom By Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram:- http://www.frashogard.com/
3)Traditional Zoroastrianism-Tenets of the Religion:-
http://tenets.zoroastrianism.com/

Sunday, October 4, 2015

TheParseeVoice Fwd: Report on Adi Doctor's 1st Death anniversary function


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Parsee Voice
Date: Sun, Oct 4, 2015 at 10:24 AM
Subject: TheParseeVoice Fwd: Report on Adi Doctor's 1st Death anniversary function
To: the-parsee-voice@googlegroups.com



​Dear Readers,​

I forward herewith the report on the proceedings of the function held on 26th September 2015 to pay tribute to
​ our editor,
 late Adi Doctor on his first death anniversary
​.​

​The same has also been published in today's Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly.

-- 
Regards
H. M. Mistry

--
-- 
1st death anniversary function of Adi F. Doctor  - 

Report by Hanoz M. Mistry

On 27th September 2014, Adi Furrokh Doctor, a strong proponent of the divine 

religious science of Ilm-e-Khshnoom, passed away. The void left by his departure 

can never be filled in the hearts of those who considered him their 'Ustad' (guru). His 

life, which was dedicated to championing the spread of religious knowledge and to 

safeguarding Zoroastrian religious tenets and its divine institutions, stands out as a 

shining example of how a Parsee can balance the material with the spiritual aspects 

of life and come out a winner. He always advocated the practice of religion (Tarikats) 

in daily life as best possible and was not just content to preach the same. As all great 

men, he has left his footprints on the sands of time for those who believed in him to 

As is customary, to honour the memory of this stalwart, the Ilm-e-Khshnoom 

Anjuman held a Jashan at Cama Baug Agiary on Saturday, 26th September 2015 

from 5 p.m. onwards. The Jashan ceremony was performed with great fervour by 

Ervad Keki Ravji and his son and was attended in large numbers. This was followed 

by a talk on the small otla by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram on "Will the new prayer hall 

at Wori prove beneficial to Zoroastrian Ruvans?" which was attended by over 100 

community members. 

Mr. Aspi Tavadia informed those present that late Adi had penned a column in the 

magazine 'Dini Avaz', wherein he fielded with sagacity and humour various religious 

queries and doubts of community members. This went on for 25 years. A collection 

of all those Q&As had been compiled in book form and was now being released in 

A lovely poem in memory of late Adi, penned by Jimmy Tavadia, was recited by 

Paying tribute to late Adi, Ervad Hathiram mentioned that time waited for no one and 

people came and went but there were some people who left a lasting impression and 

who were etched in people's memories for times to come. Adi was one such person. 

Though simple in appearance, he was always truthful and fearless, with no hidden 

agendas, no material gains for himself. His main aim in life was preservation of the 

Zoroastrian religion and he would go to great lengths to achieve this objective. His 

frequently lamented was that while people were eager for religious knowledge, few 

were enthusiastic about practicing the prescribed tenets in their daily life. Ervad 

Hathiram exhorted those present that if they really wished to pay tribute to Adi, they 

should take a private vow to practice atleast some of the Tarikats in their daily lives.

Prayer Hall facility at Worli

One issue really close to Adi's heart was the practice of Dokhmenashini and 

preservation of Doongerwadi. Er. Hathiram informed that Doongerwadi now had a 

'competitor' in the form of Vaikunth Dham, a funerary facility at Worli for those who 

opted to use alternate modes of disposal of the dead. While some had expressed 

relief that the crematorium brigade would now lay off Doongerwadi premises and 

also, the load on Doongerwadi would be reduced, Er. Hathiram castigated such 

thinking as completely selfish. He strongly pitched for the fact that the soul of each 

Zarthoshti brethren was important and had to be taken care of. It should be our 

mission to ensure that not a single Zarthoshti Ruvan suffered by using that so-called 

facility, he said. He was confident that if correct information was put before the 

community members, no one would dream of using alternate means. The need was 

to stop the spread of misinformation and wrong propaganda. He lamented the fact 

that no High Priest or BPP trustee or Panthaki of any Agiary or religious scholars and 

other community seniors had spoken out against this so-called facility. His target was 

that portion of the community which was sitting on the fence; being influenced by 

falsehoods spread in the name of progress and religion. The purpose of his talk was 

only to spread correct information and not to hurt anyone's sentiments.

Modus operandi at prayer hall

He gave details of the plot at Worli and the supposed facilities being offered there to 

take care of a Zoroastrian corpse. It was a cosmopolitan facility, open to all 

communities, with preference at certain times during the day to Parsees. Based on 

information obtained from a priest officiating there, it was known that the Sachkar of 

the deceased had to be done by family members and the Geh Sarna would be done 

by certain priests. There was no Sagdid and no Taro application on the body. All 

activities normally performed by the Nasessalars at Doongerwadi, would have to be 

done, if at all done, by the family members, presumably under the guidance of the 

officiating priests. The body would then have to be placed by the family members on 

a stone slab, whereafter the Geh Sarna would be performed by the priests. After 

that, the body had to be lifted by the family members and placed on a bamboo bier 

(a modern substitute for the iron Gehaan), which would then be placed on a roller for 

onward delivery into the electric furnace. There was no scope for placing the karasyo 

and fuliu with flowers near the head of the corpse, which would house the astral 

body (Kehrp) and soul (Ruvan) till Chaharum. 

Ervad Hathiram regretted that while the newspaper advertisements tomtomed this 

supposed alternate facility, they were conspicuously silent on the woeful lack of 

required facilities thereat as compared to Doongerwadi; facilities which were 

absolutely essential while dealing with a Zarthoshti corpse.

Explanation on human composition-

He explained to the audience that while the human body had nine parts, some were 

obsessed only with the three physical parts viz. Azda, Gaetha and Tanu, with 

absolutely no thought on how to deal with and settle the remaining six parts. 

Dokhmenashini was the only method which effectively dealt with all the nine parts 

and assisted a Zarthoshti soul in its onward progress in the spiritual world. 

Dokhmenashini had two agents viz. the parallel rays of the Sun (Khurshed 

Nagireshni) and the vultures. The vultures were secondary. Dokhmenashini was 

possible even without a single vulture. The main problem was overcrowding of 

certain Dakhmas. The need of the hour was to use all available pavis and Dakhmas. 

He regretted that though late Adi has made numerous requests to the BPP trustees 

in this regard, the same had gone unheeded.

Ervad Hathiram explained at length the whole gamut of funerary rituals and their 

effects, which comprised the four essential pillars of Sachkar and Sagdid, Geh 

Sarna, Dokhmenashini and Sraosh ni kriyas, without which no Zarthoshti Ruvan 

could reach the threshold of Chinvat. He gave a detailed explanation of the role 

played by various agencies in Nature like Daham Yazad, the Dakhmas themselves, 

the various energies within the human body etc. in controlling the Druj-e-Nasu 

emanating from a corpse. He read out a para from the book on 'Geh Sarna' by Dr. 

Framroze Chiniwalla, which dwelt on the passage of time taken by a Zarthoshti 

Ruvaan to reach Chinvat in the absence of any of the above four pillars comprising 

He cautioned that it was the family's responsibility towards the departed to ensure 

that each of these pillars was taken care of. It was a big sin to mislead somebody in 

this regard by false propaganda and also a big virtue to correctly guide someone 

who had gone astray, which was the raison d'etre behind this talk.

In conclusion, he mentioned that since Adi had always stressed on spiritual practices 

all his life, in his death, Nature had rewarded him in the form of a wealth of prayers 

conducted for him by his well-wishers during the year in various Atash Behrams and 

Agiaries. The meeting concluded with Jashan Chasni and a prayer for the onward 

progress of Adi Doctor's Ruvan.

Fwd: TheParseeVoice Fwd: [New post] Celebrating the Salgreh of our Padshah Sahebs


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Parsee Voice
Date: Sat, Oct 3, 2015 at 9:27 PM
Subject: TheParseeVoice Fwd: [New post] Celebrating the Salgreh of our Padshah Sahebs
To: the-parsee-voice@googlegroups.com


Dear Readers,

Attached for your reading pleasure is the link to a wonderful article by Ervad Marzban Hathiram on the stature of our divine Padshah Sahebs and their spiritual prowess. 

-- 
Regards
H. M. Mistry


Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram posted: ""

New post on Frashogard

Celebrating the Salgreh of our Padshah Sahebs

by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roh Sarosh Mah Ardibehsht, 1385 Yz. Today the Navsari Bhagarsath Anjuman Atash Behram completes 250 years of glorious existence. Any birthday is a cause for celebration and 250 years of the existence of a spiritual institution in these days of rampant materialism is cause for even more celebration. Since early morning, emails and Whatsapp messages […]

Read more of this post

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram | October 3, 2015 at 3:55 pm | Categories: Religion | URL: http://wp.me/p7egQ-FO

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Friday, September 25, 2015

Fwd: TheParseeVoice Baaj of late Adi F Doctor (Disi)


From: The Parsee Voice
Date: Fri, Sep 25, 2015 at 11:50 AM
Subject: TheParseeVoice Baaj of late Adi F Doctor (Disi)
To: the-parsee-voice@googlegroups.com


Dear Readers

One year has gone by since the passing away of our editor Adi Furrokh Doctor. In memory of the departed soul, a Jashan ceremony has been organised at Cama Baug Agiary on Saturday, 26th September 2015 (Avan Roj Ardibehest Mahino) from 5.00 p.m. onwards. This will be followed by a talk on the Cama Baug small otla by Ervad Marzban Hathiram on the following topic "Will the new prayer hall at Worli be beneficial to Zoroastrian Ruvans?"

--
Regards
H. M. Mistry

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Thursday, August 27, 2015

Fwd: TheParseeVoice Fwd: [ilmeKhshnoom] DOKHM-E-NASHINI NOT A MERE SYSTEM OF DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD BODY.Part 4 of 7( File No 106)


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Parsee Voice
Date: Thu, Aug 27, 2015 at 12:05 PM
Subject: TheParseeVoice Fwd: [ilmeKhshnoom] DOKHM-E-NASHINI NOT A MERE SYSTEM OF DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD BODY.Part 4 of 7( File No 106)
To: the-parsee-voice@googlegroups.com


Dear Readers

I forward herewith Part 4 of the series titled 'DOKHM-E-NASHINI NOT A MERE SYSTEM OF DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD BODY.Part 4 of 7'.

 
Regards
H. M. Mistry


                               Chapter IV

 

VULTURES AND SUN'S RAYS, VITAL COMPONENTS OF DOKHM-E-NASHINI

 

   THE AMAZING TRAITS AND FACULTIES OF VULTURES, NATURE'S OWN SANITIZING AGENTS.

 

The devouring of the dead corpses of animals by vultures is a part of the life cycle on earth. They are made by nature to carry out their special function of eating away the dead bodies with amazing speed.

Zarathoshti Din points out an astonishing truth of Nature. Every animal on this Mother-Earth is an important part of Nature's Spiritual Cycle. We know there are many life-cycles on earth. For instance, in carbon cycle, the element carbon circulates and is recycled. It is one of the most essential contributors to survival of life on earth. Carbon from carbon dioxide is released in the atmosphere by animals and humans through respiration (i.e. breathing). The plants inhale carbon dioxide and release oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. In this process carbon gets into chemical compounds called carbohydrates, which form the trunks, branches and leaves of the trees and plants. Animals eat the plants and leaves and take in the carbohydrates, which form life-molecules for the animal to survive by breathing. Thus the cycle of plants - animal - plants goes on through carbon. There are other cycles like nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur.

Zarthoshti science teaches that there are animal and human cycles too, which are not merely physical but also spiritual. Each species of animal has a specified function in Nature in the cycle. Thus, when the birds sing in the morning, they bring out subtle vibrations through their music and join in the celestial music of Nature then going on as a part of the spiritual cycle. You can also join in, if you recite Hoshbaam and Khorshed Meher Niyaish's.

Dog has special function in Nature's spiritual working. Vendidand Pargarad 5-29 to 34 narrates a spiritual classification of the dog's species as related to the spread of "Druj-e-nasu" - the forces of physical and spiritual pollutions. There are several other references to dog in the Vendidaad, which are not the rules of primitive pastors. They are the narrations of the spiritual functions of different kinds of dogs. This requires "Taavil" - the esoteric key, which you can find in Framroze Chiniwalla's Vendidaad.

Similarly vulture is a species with certain physical features connected with their function in the physical as well as spiritual cycles of life on earth. They have specially made long bills, suited to pluck out through raw flesh. Their necks are long to enable them to delve deep into the carreas. The necks are bare and have no feathers. This is done by Nature calculatingly. Feathers on the neck would invite bacteria and germs to stick to the deep penetrating neck. Their excreta is highly antiseptic. They sprinkle it on their own legs to kill the germs there. These are facts you can find in any book on Ornithology. Years back 'Time-Life' had published book called "Birds", where you can find these and many other facts, showing that Nature has created Vultures to act as the fastest sanitary agents and inspectors. When they feast on a corpse, their co-operation with each other is amazing. They devour the corpse as if they are anxious to eat away in the shortest possible time. No undue waste of time. Finish it before it decays and pollutes the air with stench and spread of bacteria - this seems to the Nature's military command to them and they comply, earnestly, eagerly and fervently.

But the most astounding feature of vultures is their ability to be aware of the falling of a living body to death. The hunters report that when the animal falls, suddenly in the clearest sky, high up and far away, the vultures appear! The scientists have tried their best to find how they do this. Sight? No. Smell? No. What is it then? Some special psychic quality? A scientist, a biologist of great repute, Dr. Lyall Watson, has written several books to show that Nature is full of several events, incidents and occurrences, which are not explicable by any amount of modern science. He has shown this convincingly in his best-seller "Supernature" (Hodder & Stoughton - 1973), "Beyond Supernatural" (Bantam - 1988), "Gifts of Unknown Things" (Coronet - 1976-1980 - 4 impressions) and others. His "The Romeo Error" (Coronet -1974-76) sub-title "A Matter of Life and Death", is one of the best scientific treatise, unbiased and objective, on death and its relation to life. Describing the various reactions animals have towards death, Watson writes that the Vultures have some non-physical power to catch up a death signal from amazingly long distances. Zarthoshti science has therefore adopted this bird of nature as one of the vital and essential components of Dokhm-e-nashini. Without vultures not only it cannot survive, but it can create obstacles in the Ruvaan's journey in the next world. It is absolutely necessary for the smooth journey that the Anaasar's in the body should be extracted out at the earliest; and the ideal period to reach the Anaasars to the Ruvaan is three days. The body except the bones must be fully disintegrated and the Anaasars trapped within should fly to the Ruvaan in three days. Only the devouring of the body by the vultures can achieve this. The energy strings of the Anaasars go through the powerful heat of the vultures digestive system and thrown out. From this point the sun rays take over and help the Anaasars to sore up. The period of three days to achieve this is the IDEAL period. It may vary; if the circumstances to that effect arise - like, there being not many vultures and/or the winter or cloudy and rainy days. But not having vultures is not the ideal Dokhm-e-nashini. It may take months and even years to disintegrate the body. The sun's rays, whether natural or focused through artificial means like solar panels or that the crows and kites is again not an ideal Dokhma.

The crux of the matter, thus, is that the vultures and sunlight are the two of the most essential components of Dokhm-e-nashini, for the liberation of the Anaasars.

The Zarthoshti Din and for that matter all the Din's declare in emphatic terms that the Ruvaan of each human being is ultimately to reach God. It may pass through cycles and cycles of rebirth, but ultimately the "Druj" attached to it is bound to be fully alchemised to "Gava". At that point of time Ruvaan is free from its earth cycles and reaches the stage of "tan-pasin" - a celestial march in the higher divine regions of creation, towards Ahura.

Therefore it is not that a Zarthoshti Ruvaan not passing through Dokhma but through burial or cremation is lost for ever. What happens is that it takes a very much longer time in its journey and the most important aspect is that the Ruvaan passes through unbearable agony in the next world. This is a chapter in higher Mysticism of Zarthoshti Din, revealed by the holy Ashavan Masters. Its glimpses are scattered in our extant holy Manthra Scriptures and writings; but their encoded message can be disentangled by the special key of taavil. The chapter touches the Ahura's divine plan of different Religions, as tersely, touched in Gatha 31-11. The Hindu sacred kriya of burning the body on fire or the ground burial by other Religions, does not damage the Ruvaan as much as that of a Parsi. Therefore Dokhm-e-nashini is a MUST for a Ruvaan born as a Parsi. It the unavoidable circumstances compel a Parsi Ruvaan to be cremated or buried, it is a matter of its individual Karma, for which the Divine Forces and Energies of our Din do help in mitigating the Ruvaan's agony; and the Kriya kaam of such ill-destined Ruvaan should never be avoided. Remember they need kriyas more than the normal.

When the person concerned wishes during his life time that he or she must be cremated or buried although there may be a Dokhma in his or her town, the plight of the Ruvaan in the next world is more agonising. Because the decision to discard Dokhm-e-nashini was taken by that person's physical consciousness and not by the Ruvaan, which was in slumber during the life on earth. It is that physical body and that physical consciousness which is inclined to evil and drags the physical life towards Goonah. (Chapter II) The Ruvaan has to pass through different stations in the next world to undo the karmic effects of what that person's physical body did on earth. If that body while living wishes to be cremated, it does not know what is it doing. The living person does not know that his decision to discard Dokhma will give his Ruvaan great agony. A stage will arise on Chinvat when that physical consciousness, which took the decision on earth, will be awakened, and will then burn in the extreme heat of his or her own repentance. That physical consciousness will be extremely miserable for his or her causing great agonies to his or her own Ruvaan.

These are the Mysteries of life, death, body, Ruvaan and its journey, of which we are entirely unaware and ignorant.

 

 

                    

                        A MESSAGE TO A SUFFERER OF ACUTE PAIN.

 

Sogyal Rinpoche is a Tibetan sage, the disciple of a highly revered Tibetan Master. He sent the following message to a person who was just twenty-five and suffering from the acute pains of leukemia:

"I know how much pain you are in. Imagine now all the others in the world who are in pain like yours, or even greater. Fill your heart with compassion for them. And pray to whomever you believe in and ask that your suffering should help alleviate theirs. Again and again you dedicate your pain to the alleviation of their pain. And you will quickly discover in yourself a new source of strength, a compassion you'll hardly be able now to imagine, and a certainty beyond any shadow of doubt that your suffering is not only not being wasted, but has now a marvelous meaning."

                      - Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (Rupa - 1993-94), pp. 219.

 

                           (Parsi Pukar August-September 2000 - Vol. 6; No. 1)

 



 

 

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Monday, August 24, 2015

[ilmeKhshnoom] DOKHM-E-NASHINI NOT A MERE SYSTEM OF DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD BODY.Part 3 of 7( File No 106)

From: The Parsee Voice
Date: Sun, Aug 23, 2015 at 6:28 PM
Subject: TheParseeVoice Fwd: [ilmeKhshnoom] DOKHM-E-NASHINI NOT A MERE SYSTEM OF DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD BODY.Part 3 of 7( File No 106)
To: the-parsee-voice@googlegroups.com


Dear Readers,

Here's wishing you all Khordad Sal Mubarak. May the blessings of the Prophet be upon all of us on this auspicious day and the whole year through! May His holy Fravashi guide the community on the correct path!

I take this occasion to send the 3rd Chapter of the series on Dokhmenashini by Vada Dasturji Meherjirana. 

                                     Chapter III

                     GLIMPSES OF RUVAN'S JOURNEY IN THE NEXT WORLD

 

We have seen that when a human dies, the Ruvaan, the divine component and Keherp, the non-physical energy component get out; and the physical body and its consciousness are switched off.

 

At the moment of death, the two consciousness of Ruvaan and Keherp wake up. This is the instant when the Ruvaan becomes aware of what the body had done during the earthly life. The Scriptures declare and the taavil reveals that the state of the Ruvaan's consciousness depends on the credit-debit balance of Goonah and Kerfeh. If the person had tried to keep Kehrfeh up and Goonah down, and had during life tried to follow the commands of the Din, Ruvaan's consciousness remains calm and it prepares for the onward journey. In particular, at the moment of dying, if the physical mind, before switching off, recites Ashem Vohu, the awakening Ruvaan's peace is abundant. A lesson for you, my dear readers! When you go to sleep go on reciting Ashem Vohu, till the sleep fully takes over. This will habituate your mind to recite Ashem Vohu at the instant of your last sleep - death, and your Ruvaan will "smile". Ashem Vohu is a powerful mantra. Its every syllable has divine energy bound in it. If you are present when anyone is dying, recite Ashem in his or her ears.

 

On the other hand, if the dying person had not cared for the commands of Din and was all throughout the life selfish and immersed in material pleasures and objects without minding a hoot for the spiritual and divine, his or her Ruvaan goes in pain in death. Its consciousness becomes dazed and hazy. Instead of looking up for the journey towards the next world, it looks down to earth. This state is named "Sey-shab" - literally three nights. Ruvaan has some fear running through it. The Kriyas viz. recital of Khordeh Avesta prayers before the body "Sarosh-nu-patroo", and Geh Sarna try to mitigate the Ruvaan's agony. The Kriyas infuse energy and zeal in the Ruvaan's consciousness. "Look up now; forget the down. Ahura and His Yazata's ­Meher, Sarosh, Rashney are ready to help you in your onward journey." : this is the message of all Kriyas of the first four days.

A Ruvaan whose body had, during life, endeavored to follow the Din, does not have that fearing state of consciousness. It absorbs the vibrations of the Kriyas and tries to keep cool and calm. This state is called "Seydosh".

On the Cheharum morning, the Ruvaan and Keherp leaves this globe and enters into certain n-dimensional regions. These are beyond the three dimensions of our limited consciousness. There is a place called lower 'Chinvat' where the Ruvaan and Keherp enter. Here, they have to do certain cleansing work which is related to the thoughts, words and deeds which the deceased's body did when it was alive on earth. It is beyond the scope of this article to give the details of this stage.

This lower-Chinvat state continues for three days to 57 years on our time scale.

Thereafter the Ruvaan ascends the higher Chinvat, another place. It is called the Chinvat Bridge and is referred to in the Gatha Ha 51 and other Scriptural Manthra's. By this time the Anaasars, the energy-strings (page 1-2) trapped in the dead body arrive. This is the rise of the Consciousness which the person had in life on earth and which led the body towards goonah and Kerfeh. On this Chinvat Bridge, a resurrection of the person takes place. He or she gets a subtle personality in which all the three consciousnesses are awake - namely (i) that which was awake during earthly life. (ii) the consciousness of Keherp and (iii) the consciousness of Ruvaan. This resurrected individual then sees the "Kerdaar". It is a formulation in human (woman's) shape. It is the field picturisation of all the good and bad thoughts, words and deeds the individual did, through its physical mind, on earth. The Kerdaar tells the resurrected individual that she is made up of what the individual was on earth. In the earthly life, it was that physical mind which worked. The other two consciousness were sleeping. That mind now sees its doings. Before it, appear all the credit-debits of goonah and Kerfeh. Non-saintly persons like us had been led away to goonah several times on earth. Here the person sees the disorders which he or she generated in nature by his or her sins. It is now time for that physical mind to lament and repent. It is taught that Chinvat is a place where Rashney Yazat is in charge. Rashney is the Yazat of Justice and Truth. No one can think untruth on Chinvat. The physical mind then pleads to Ahura and Zarathushtra, "Oh Lord! I was responsible for all these goonahs; it is I, who have given such intense agonies to my own Ruvaan, I plead guilty, my Lord, extremely guilty. I must be severely punished for creating disorders in the Lord's universe."

Rashney Yazat answers, "Yes, you are no doubt responsible for the disorders. But Ahura is just and kind. My colleague Meher Yazat is just and merciful. Your Patet-earnest repentance - is recorded in Nature. Whatever disorders you have generated by your goonah, you will have to erase by taking on yourself their Karmic reactions. If you have harmed somebody, you'll have to repay him. In your dealings with the humans, animals, plants and matter on earth, whatever. bad you have done, you will have to repay in your next birth on earth."

Thus arrives the day of Judgement on the Chinvat and the individual then prepares to go back to earth. Between this point and the point of being reborn through the mother's womb, several events occur and several stages are passed through. Again, these are beyond the scope of this series.

You will please see that the above journey involves two main requirements.

(i) the individuals's Ruvaan has to get back his or her Anaasars entrapped in the physical body, so that the personality is resurrected on Chinvat.

 

(ii) Ruvaan has to pass through certain states of consciousness right from the moment of death till the last Judgement on Chinvat and thereafter for the preparation of rebirth.

All our Kriyakaam for the dead are related to the above stages. Sachkaar controls the spread of Druj-e-Nasu, the subtle fields of pollution. Sarosh-nu-Patru infuses serene consciousness in the Ruvaan which is still near the body. Geh Sarnoo generates such vibrations as to induce the Ruvaan to leave its attractions towards the earth and prepare it for its onward journey. Dokhm-e-nashini then brings in the action of vultures and sun's rays, so that the body is fully disintegrated in all its wet parts and only the bones remain. This results in the liberation of the Anaasars and their flight to Ruvaan, which by then should have reached the lower Chinvat.

Mind! That is not the only task of Dokhma. It has certain religious fields carved in its whole ground and also in the surroundings. They not only help the vultures and sun rays to release the Anaasars from the body, but also help the Ruvaan in passing through the various stages of its journey. That is the reason why extensive Kriyas are done while consecrating, the Dokhma - from Taanaa procedure to the performance of Yazashney and Vendidaad deep inside the Dokhma. Dokhma is a storehouse of spiritual energy in every ounce of its air. The surrounding area vibrates with the divine energy. It is a sin to pollute the inside of a Dokhma and the air of the surroundings.

There are thus three 'Taleysem's in a Dokhma. (Taleysam means a thing an object, or a field - like gravitational or magnetic or vibrationary - which has power and which performs certain function.) They are: (i) Vultures, (ii) Sunlight and (iii) the Religious field in the ground and air. (We can call this Dini Taleysam). These three are inseparably interconnected. One cannot function without the other two.

Mind again! The Dini Taleysam of the Dokhma helps the Ruvaan during all its journey in the next world, at all stages. The function of the Dokhma is not over once the body is disintegrated. It continues to function thereafter too.

How our Kriyas like Dokhma the Chehaarum, Dasmu, Masiso, Chhamsi, Varsi etc are connected with the various experiences of the Ruvaan in its journey, is a fascinating subject. You can find this in the extensive writings of IIm-e-Khshnoom.

 

                           (Parsi Pukar August-September 2000 - Vol. 6; No. 1)                                   ……………………….. to be continued


Hum Mithra at 7 a.m.

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 reformists 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 Adran and Dadgah of India. Let not one day pass without Atash Parasti and our reverance towards Holy consecrated Fire(Pavmahal),Dokhmas, Sudreh Kusti, Mathravani 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, due to which we have survived so far. That is how we will be able to maintain our true "Zarathosti Khandani" and continue to survive with our Aryan Lineage intact. Let the time of 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 their religion and its tenets. "Phiroj baad Khureh avizeh Vehdine Mazdiyasnan" - Let the Khoreh of Mazdiyasni Zarathosti deen protect its faithful followers"

........1 Yatha Ahu Vairyo, 2 Ashem Vohu

 

__._,_.___

Posted by: "Firdosh K Sukhia" 

Information/message contained and transmitted by this email is confidential and proprietary to members of The Ilmekhshnoom Group Mailing List and is included for use only by the addressees who are members of this Mailing List. The sentiments/views expressed by the members are their personal opinions and Administrators/ Moderators of  this Mailing list take no responsibility for mail content and the personal opinions of the members.


For articles on Khshnoom visit 1)Blog site By Firdosh K. Sukhia:- http://ilme-khshnoom.blogspot.com/
2)The definative Blog on Zarathustrian Mysticism - Ilme- Khshnoom By Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram:- http://www.frashogard.com/
3)Traditional Zoroastrianism-Tenets of the Religion:-
http://tenets.zoroastrianism.com/
-- 
Regards
H. M. Mistry

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Happy New Year 1385 YZ and Khordad Sal Mubarak


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: TZML Admins
Date: Mon, Aug 24, 2015 at 3:09 AM
Subject: Happy New Year 1385 YZ and Khordad Sal Mubarak
To: TZML <TraditionalZarathushtris@yahoogroups.com>


Dear Zarathushti humdins,

the Shahenshahi year 1385 YZ has begun.

We wish you all a very Happy New Year - Sal Mubarak.

May the New Year bring good cheer, good health and prosperity.

We also wish you a very Happy Khordad Sal Mubarak. In fact, it is Happy Birthday to our dear Prophet Zarathushtra.

We pray that He strengthens the religion and gives us behdins the courage to resist the misguided elements of our community.

Aamin.

The Parsi Zarathushti community is facing serious challenges on some fronts:

1.   We have the perennial problem of declining numbers.

The Incorrect Solution: 
Open the doors of our community to children of inter-married both male and female Parsis.
The Correct Solution: 
Close the doors to children of intermarried children, be they of male or female inter-married Parsis.
Encourage early marriages amidst our youth.
Encourage couples to have more than one child. In that light, the Jiyo Parsi advertisements were on the dot, though the medical solution would be availed by only a few Parsis.
 
2.   Attempts to 'reform' the religion by questioning fundamentals like treating the Sudreh-kusti as identity symbols only

The Incorrect Solution: 
The sudreh and kusti are minor vestments and can be dispensed off.
The Correct Solution: 
The sudreh and kusti are major aalats or implements of the Zoroastrian religion and they provide spiritual protection to the Zarathushti. 
Performing the kusti properly shakes of bad vibrations from one's aipee and also provides and opportunity during the Hormuzd Khoday recitation to repent for any sin of thought, word or deed.
 
3.   Dokhmenashini not compulsory even where it exists , etc.

The Incorrect Inference: 
Dokhmenashini is a brutal method of decomposing a Parsi body.
Vulture population is declining or non-existent. 
The Correct Solution: 
Dokhmenashini is the method sanctioned by Prophet Zarathushta himself. The sun's rays Khurshed Nigarashni is actually adequate to destroy the nasu in a dead body, the scavenger bird vultures are only secondary agents helpful but not mandatory.
 
Sincerely,
 
TZML Admins 
 
 




Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Help our old Parsi Brethen - Appeal from Parsi Infirmary Navsari

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: TZML Admins
Date: Tue, Aug 18, 2015 at 2:28 AM
Subject: Appeal from Parsi Infirmary Navsari
To: TZML <TraditionalZarathushtris@yahoogroups.com>


PARSI INFIRMARY, NAVSARI.
Office: ESTD: 1948 Ihstitute:
5/1649, Dasturwad, 3/663-665, Rustomwadi,
NA VSARI-396 445. NAVSARI-396445.

Tel: (02637) 241007. Tel: (02637) 257311.

On behalf of this Infirmary trust, I forward this appeal for your kind consideration. This
institute has now completed 67 years of its existence. During this long period it has looked
after a large number of our community members mostly old, bed ridden, destitute or in
desolated state from any part of our country, providing them lodging, boarding, - nursing,
medical & other facilities.

Boarding arrangement includes tea thrice a day, morning breakfast, lunch, evening
refreshment & dinner.

Qualified doctor twice a week more when needed & nurse visit daily the inmates on a
regular basis. Medico specialists — Cardiologist, Dermatologist, Ophthalmologist,
Psychiatrist are called & consulted when needed. Treatments advised by them are given to
the patients, the relevant cost is borne by the trust.

T. V. sets are provided in several rooms. News reader is employed to read loudly the daily
briefings before the inmates.

Out of 63 inmates currently two are blind, several bed-ridden, walk with a walker, few move
freely. About 18 are maintained totally free, some pay fees ranging from Rs. 100 to 900,
very few between Rs. 1,500 to 4,000. But all the inmates are treated equally in every
respect.

The Infirmary spends heavily towards employment of regular staff of supervisors, ayahs,
cooks, wardboys, gardeners and office employees. Maintenance monthly cost is
Rs.9,000/- inmate.

At the time of the demise of an inmate having no relatives, infirmary arranges and spends
for their last rites of "Dokhmenashini", with rituals of the first four days as also on selected
important days during the year.

Soaring cost of daily commodities & rise in salary bills add to our problems of maintenance
expenses. But even under such adverse circumstances, we are able to carry on all the
activities, only due to the everlasting financial support of benevolent donors and charity
trusts.
I request you to give your kind consideration to this appeal for monetary help to this needy
institute. In return of your good deed, you will surely receive the Blessings of Dadar Ahura
Mazda and His Divine Associates.

Donations are accepted by cash / cheque / demand draft drawn in the name of 'Parsi
Infirmary - Navsari'. Relevant receipt will be despatched without fail by the return of post.
Any additional information, if required, will be gladly furnished.

Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,

(Yazdi Jehangirji Kasad)
Hon. Secretary.
09825945167

(18 Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly Sunday, August 9, 2015)


Fwd: Appeal from The Ratanji Faramji Daboo Parsi General Hospital, Navsari


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: TZML Admins
Date: Tue, Aug 18, 2015 at 2:49 AM
Subject: Appeal from The Ratanji Faramji Daboo Parsi General Hospital, Navsari
To: TZML <TraditionalZarathushtris@yahoogroups.com>


Since 1913 

THE RATANJI FARAMJI DABOO PARSI GENERAL HOSPITAL

NAVSARI

Daboo Circle, Station Road, Navsari 396445.
(Trust Registration No. C/35, Navsari.)

Appeal for Donations for Medical aid to be given to poor and middle class Parsis

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO OUR PARSI PATRONS

Our hospital was established in 1913 and it caters healthcare needs of Parsi community of entire
South Gujarat. We have various departments viz. General Surgery, Medicine, Orthopedic,
Radio-Sonology, Pathology, Neurology, Dental, Urology, Psychiatric, Physiotherapy, Intensive Care Unit etc.

We are giving free treatment including surgery and medicines to poor and middle class Parsi Patients.

We also provide free food to Indoor Parsi patients.

We also provide free ambulance service which goes to the remote areas of Vansda, Dangs, Mandvi,
Mangrol, Valsad, Surat, Bharuch, Khambhat and surrounding villages and city of Mumbai from where
Parsi patients are brought to hospital for treatment and returned back after treatment.

We provide Physiotherapy and nursing services to old persons by sending our physiotherapist and nurse
at their homes regularly and about 90 old persons take advantage of this scheme. Our nurse visits their
.homes everyday for routine check-ups.

In outpatient department free consultation and medicines are provided to poor and middle class Parsis.

We provide free X-ray, Sonography and Pathology services. For CTScan and MRI we send Parsi patients
to outside CTScan and MRI center in our Ambulance and we pay for it.

We have spent Rs. 1,10,00,000/- (Rupees One Crore Ten Lac) for medical relief to
poor and middle class Parsis in the year 2014-15.

Donations to this hospital is exempted under section 80 G of Income Tax Act,1961.

We earnestly appeal to Parsi Trusts and donors to continue to give us donations in order to cater the
needy patients of our community.

Cheques / Demand Drafts in the name of
"THE R.F. DABOO PARSI GENERAL HOSPITAL, NAVSARI."
may be sent at the above address for which official receipt will be issued.

We will ever remain grateful to the community for Donations.

RATAN M. KATRAK                       DARA K. DEBOO
Chairman Emeritus                         Chairman

Mrs. GOOL R. KATRAK                Dr. SAROSH M. KATRAK                   DARA D. JOKHI
KERSI K. DEBOO                        YAZAD D. DEBOO

Trustees / Managing Committee Members


(Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly, 16 August, 2015)

Fwd: TheParseeVoice Fwd: [ilmeKhshnoom] DOKHM-E-NASHINI NOT A MERE SYSTEM OF DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD BODY.Part 2 of 7( File No 106)


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Parsee Voice <theparseevoice@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 17, 2015 at 11:11 PM
Subject: TheParseeVoice Fwd: [ilmeKhshnoom] DOKHM-E-NASHINI NOT A MERE SYSTEM OF DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD BODY.Part 2 of 7( File No 106)
To: the-parsee-voice@googlegroups.com


​Dear Readers

At the outset, let me wish you all Navroze and Khordad​ Sal Mubarak. May the new year usher in  peace and prosperity in every home and fill our hearts with devotion towards the Almighty and his divine creations.

I also take this opportunity to release the next chapter of the write up of our Vada Dasturji Meherjirana on Dokhmenashini. Though it is long, it is definitely worth your time.

Regards
H M Mistry
 

                               Chapter II

                              LIFE ON EARTH ­GOONAH, KERFEH, KARMA

 

The wonder of all wonder is our life. What are we doing on this speck of dust, the earth, a whirling, spiraling, dancing globe? We arrived; our parents rejoiced but we cried; we breathe; we live, do all kinds of things under the sun, moon and stars. And one day we are sure to go, disappear, disintegrate as if we were just not there. This time it is our dear ones' turn to cry and then after a while to be used to our disappearance. What is this? Is life an empty dream? From where? How? Why?....

It is crystal clear that our non-saintly mind and consciousness are just unable to fathom the mystery of life…. and death. Philosophers and scientists have tried frantically to find the answers and solutions, through their observations, thinking, imagination, and mind tools like logic and mathematics, but to no avail. Since last 500 years the humans were swept away by a poisonous and fatal fad that the human mind was capable of understanding all nature. That myth is shattered and exploded, and the splinters from the explosion have brought all humans to the brink of extinction. The hatred and the wars and strikes and the calamities and greed and ego and carnal desires are those splinters.

Our theories and conjectures and speculations have not the faintest idea since how long this life drama is going on, on this stage, the earth, the only one earth, the tiniest of the tiny particle. The amazing part of the situation is that the answer to the riddle of life and death is staring at us; but we close our eyes. God sent His Prophets, Avatars, Saints, Sages and Seers in answer to the riddle. They proclaimed that the answer can be arrived only through experience and not by the highly limited three dimensional consciousness of man. To have that experience step by step is our march towards God. To meet Him, to be attuned to Him, to be one with Him is our final goal. And He declared through His divine Messengers that to reach the goal, follow the Path of Dharma prescribed for you.

Dharma - loosely called Religion - is thus the path leading to God; and one of the stations of our journey on the Path is the life on earth. Earth is our "Dharma-Shala" - the School of Dharma. We have come to this school to learn Dharma, and we cannot learn Dharma without living it. A science degree requires practical work in the laboratory. This school of life requires certain rules to be obeyed, certain disciplines to be self-enforced, certain code to be complied with.

The analogy of Dharmashala is very apt; because dharmashala also means a temporary abode, a motel, where we arrive from our original home to do some work and collect some goods; and then depart to go back. All dharamshalas have certain rules to be observed, so also here.

Whether it is a motel or a school, the code and the rules are to be strictly observed. Do's and don'ts are prescribed. Thou shalt do this and thou shalt not do this, proclaims the Head Master through his deputy-Teachers.

In the Zarthoshti Din, the human thoughts words and deeds are classified in two broad divisions : "Goonah" and Kerfeh", meaning: vice and virtue; sin and righteousness; immorality and morality; good and evil. The most fundamental and essential truth to be absorbed is that the definitions of Goonah and Kerfeh, good and evil, moral and immoral are determined by Ahuramazda and not by the mortal non-saintly human. Man's own definitions of good and evil are most likely to go wrong, because his mind is capable of being drifted away towards 'goonah'.

Another truth taught by all 'Dharma's is that Goonah and Kerfeh give rise to Karmic reactions. What is defined as a sin germinates bad karma that is, it causes a bad reaction in nature which then falls on the doer. Every Dharma has taught this in most emphatic terms. Some call it punishment; some, Karmic reaction. Similarly every thought, word and deed defined by Ahuramazda as Kerfeh or good, gives rise to good reaction. This 'good' does not mean worldly good; it means: march towards Ahura. Do good, and you have taken a step towards Him; do bad, and you have gone away from Him.

Now how is a sin or righteousness defined? All 'dharma's have described sin or vice by naming them. They are called man's internal enemies. The following table sets out the names as given by the Hindu and Zarthoshti Dins

 

 

Hindu           "Kaam"  "Krodh"  "Lobh"     "Moh"                 "Med"     "Matsar        -               -         -            -

 

Zarthoshti:   Varuni    Aesham   Aaj       Niyaz             Goomani   Areshka   Aashmogi   Kin     Sazgi     Nang

 

Meaning:     Carnal      Anger   Greed  Attachment          Pride        Envy     Faithless-   Fraud  Blasp-   Shame

                    Passion                              to worldly            to think                  ness                       hemy     less-

                                                                 things                high                      Enmity                                  ness

                                                                                          about                     to

                                                                                         oneself                   Din

 

(We Parsis claiming to be superior have ten enemies as against six of Hindus). This is a broad classification. Patet Pasheymani gives a long list of sins - more than one hundred! It is possible to fit them in the main ten.

Now another question: From where does these sins originate? And why? Why are people sinful? Why are they attracted to evil thoughts, words and deeds? Why was Hitler so bad and Mother Theresa so good? To put it in a philosophical grab, what is the origin of evil?

 

No idea! We know that evil exists: in the human mind and outside (say as HIV). But why and how, is beyond us. Any attempt to fit in evil in the three dimensional thinking of man may result in a brain crack. (It actually has, in some cases). All that we can do is to believe in what the authentic Zarthoshti Saints and Gurus have informed us. If some point sounds to you not logical, remember Godel's Theorem which says that any statement made in a human language has an unprovable component.

 

It is taught that in the beginning of the creation "Ruvan" came into existence, and immersed itself into ego. "There is one Ahoo "above" all right but I am also I", the Ruvaan said. This ego generated evil. The evil fastened itself to the Ruvaan. At a point, Ruvaan realised its mistake and repented. It was then asked to dissolve and alchemise the evil by having a long journey in Creation, and come back to Ahura with all the evil converted to good. The Ruvaan started its journey. A process of division based on certain decimal formulae was applied to it. Most of its evil is already alchemised. The last part with its attached evil has to travel through earth and here we are. The attached evil is woven into the physical body. The strings of Anaasar (pages 1, 2) is a weaved carpet of good and evil. Our non-physical body, the Keherpa, has almost all its evil alchemised. The Ruvaan as the divine essence of Ahura is imprisoned in the physical body. Our duty during our life on earth is to endeavor every moment to alchemise the evil within. Dharma prescribes the rules of conduct for such alchemy, and defines 'goonah' ('don't') and 'kerfeh' ('do').

We have thus a good element and an evil element within us. In the present times, evil has surfaced up and that is why sin is so rampant. The good element has the name: "Gava"; the evil: "Druja". This is picturesquely described by saying that we have a cow and a wolf within us. The cow is serene love and selflessness; the wolf is ferocious hatred and selfishness. The cow desires to give its milk to the wolf. The wolf desires to devour the cow.

 

During our life on earth, although our mind is inclined to evil, we do alchemise some part of our 'druj' to 'gava'. The most wicked man has and does some good in life. We may have to come back again and again on earth until all the druj is alchemised. Then the last part of our journey to Ahura begins. Coming back is called "Tanaasakh"; going ahead is called "Tan-pasin".

 

This takes us to : what happens when a human dies and what is the role of Dokhm-e-nashini in the Ruvaan's journey in the next world.

 

On page 1 and 2, we have seen that a human is made up of three main components - (i) physical (matter) (ii) non-physical (Keherp) and (iii) divine (Ruvaan - Ahura's Light). We have also seen that each of the three has its own consciousness. In non-saintly people like us, only the consciousness of the physical body is awake and works throughout our life. The other two are "asleep" i.e., unconscious of what the body is doing.

When a human dies, the consciousness of the body working through our brain is switched off and the other two wake up. This happens at the moment of death.

Ruvaan and Keherpa get out of the world and flyaway on the Cheharoom morning to the next world. The fallen body appears to be a heap of dead matter: but actually it has still woven into it the subtle energy strings ­the 'Anaasar's, which are required to be separated from the body and to be sent to the Ruvaan and Keherp in the next world. One of the functions of Dokhm-e-nashini is to snatch out the Anaasars from the decaying body at the earliest. The ideal condition is that the Annasars should reach the other world on the fourth day. This is the reason why the vultures and sun's natural are an essential requirement of the Dokhma. We now delve a little in life after death.

                           (Parsi Pukar August-September 2000 - Vol. 6; No. 1)

 


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