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The Gathas mention that caste, colour, race and nationality do not play any discriminatory part in the universal message of Zarathushtra. The five Gathas in the Avesta have 241 stanzas and its seventeen songs are called 'haitis', meaning 'sections' instead of 'songs'. These divinely inspired words were composed by Ashavan Zarathushtra Spitama. They are the 'Primal Principles of Life'. The unique technique has preserved the very dialect spoken by Zarathushtra and his companions for us. Zarathushtra wanted to leave behind the divine message and we all know that inspite of the prose on the daily living, belonging to his period, was lost, we still have with us, by Divine intervention, the eternal message in the form of the coherent Gathas. This eteternal composition was salvaged, and fortunately, it survived in tact through the extremely difficult times of persecution of Zoroastrians from their motherland, Persia. The collection of sacred writings was badly damaged and only one-third of the Avesta, mostly consisting of its religious part, survived more or less, as a result of the catastrophe of the downfall of the Sassanian Empire in 630 C.E. Its the western scholars, who had got interested in the Oriental Studies in the 18th century C.E. and found the key to the Gathas. We owe much to the patient western scholars, who gave it an impetus. I am mentioning a few practically useful points of the Gathas : 1. There is only one God, the Creator, Ahura Mazda, the promoter of the cosmos. (Songs 8 and 9). 2. All superstitious beliefs, irrational ideas, performance of unnecessary rituals should be abandoned. (Song 5). 3. Mankind has been endowed with the freedom of thought, word and deed, and has a bright mind to discern between what is good and what is bad for human society. (Songs 3.2, 4.9, 11 and 12). 4. The human world on this earth is divided into two camps - the righteous and the wrongful. The objective of the righteous should be to win over the wrongful into the righteous camp and thus establish a good life for all. In the same way, human being has two mentalities - spenta mainyu, which is progressive mentality, and, anger mainyu, which is retarding mentality. The first one is to improve himself and the world, whereas the latter is harmful for himself and the world. The wise one would definitely opt for the progressive mentality. (songs 3, 4, 10 and more references). 5. What is good can best be understood by studying nature, advancing knowledge, harmonising with all that is good and beneficial, and promoting the environment - our human society and the rest of the living world. (Songs 7.3, 8.6, 9.12, 13, 15.3). 6. If a person does not choose correctly, his world continues to be chaotic, and he suffers the consequences until he adopts these divine principles. (Songs 8.5, 17.6, 8, 9). 7. Sooner or later, mankind will correct itself and attain perfection and eternal life. (Song 10.7). 8. Mankind is its own saviour. Each person, guided by a discerning 'good mind' and 'good conscience', should work for the betterment of self and fellow human beings, and all living creatures in the world. Songs 3 and 10). 9. Enlightenment and happiness come to the person who gives happiness to others without discrimination whatsoever. An enlightened and happy life is what every person needs to achieve and spread. (Song 8.1). These are some of the features of the Gathas to use as prayers to commune with Ahura Mazda. With the Gathas as guide to practise good thoughts, good words and good deeds, as composed by Lord Zarathushtra, we realise the uniformity, universality, modernity and the subtlety of the thought-provoking message. There is no beginning and no end. There is only One. There is no separate God and a separate devotee. There is only ONE. The energy, composed of subtle particles around us, is pure and Divine. That is none other than God, the Omnipresent. This pure energy is in a state of tranquility and Oneness (known in Avesta as Zravane Akarne). I have been stating in my earlier articles that the Universe, from the time of its existence, has been a matter of Oneness. There have never at all been caste segregations. That is all manmade. In the eyes of God, all is one.History abounds in divisions, which exist even today, and have widespread destructtive influences all over the world, for which, we, as humans, are absolutely responsible. I had also mentioned that we, as Parsis, are an intelligent race, and can rationalise. Orthodoxy should give way to Reality. Zoroastrian religion is universal just like Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and others. May humility and understanding prevail ! Ahura Mazda, the Supreme Being, will guide us. I have also said earlier that LOVE is the essence of all religions and has its source in the Universal Religion, which teaches : "There
is only one God, He is Omnipresent; The birthplace of 'Dharma' is the heart. Dharma means righteous action. Wisdom and Dharma are the two qualities, which differentiate a human being from an animal. Coming to the subject of Oneness, the world should not be treated as merely physical, but should be looked upon as a Divine manifestation. Only virtues lend value to human life, such as compassion, forbearance and sacrifice. It is only when the body, mind and soul (Atma) are in harmony, that you will experience peace and bliss. Atma means the power of consciousness. Religion has always been blamed for conflicts, as we see even today. It is hatred and fanatic greed that need to be condemned. The human family around the world is the one indivisible unit. It belongs to the Supreme Self - God. When words, thoughts and actions are good, there will be no breeding ground for impurities like anger, greed, lust, violence and hatred.'Vohu Mano', the good mind, will show the right path, 'Asha Vahishta', the righteousness, if only you look for it. God's creation stands for 'Unity', and, unless and until this realisation dawns, mankind will keep groping in the dark. Remove the biggest obstacle on the path, the 'EGO', and the Universal Truth will show you the light. The only difference between one religion and another is in the observance of rituals, dogmas, rites and ceremonies. These are all manmade and have NO religious importance. Believe in Oneness and all the wrongs will be eradicated. Divinity is'One', the Absolute. Only the behaviour and attitude of human beings keep changing as per their likes and dislikes. We must see Unity in Diversity. The ATMA is one and the same in everyone.There is only one God and He is Omnipresent.The Universe is all Oneness. One should not be concerned about one's own welfare. Human birth, being the superior one, 'buddhi' (the intellect), is given only to mankind to put it to good use, but mankind has failed to fulfill the divine laws of nature. As you, dear readers, may note that I have been repeating some of these facts in my earlier articles, to awaken and rekindle in you the thought-provoking divine message of our Lord Zarathushtra, which is the same as that of Lord Krishna, Lord Jesus, Lord Buddha and the other sages. They have all given us the same divine laws, which come from one Divinity alone - God. But, because of human attachments to transient pleasures, man is oblivious of his real divine nature. The personal expectations of gains, at any cost, are ever-increasing, with the result, all human values to gain real happiness are pushed behind.Such is the sad stateof affairs today. No unity means no love, and no love means no meaning to life. In the words of a renowned sage : "When the mind is trained to see oneness of all creation, there will not be perversions of any kind. You should face everything in life with a smile. Adversity is a stepping-stone to eternal bliss." He further says : "There is a creator behind the enchanting cosmos. He is Omnicient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent. He is worshipped as God, using many names and in many forms by various people. Unity, brotherhood and devotion are essential for every human being. To promote these sacred qualities in mankind, some great souls sought to establish different religions.RELIGION is NOT a restrictive concept. Its primary object is to cure man of his follies and make him a real human being, by transforming his mental attitude. It is intended to develop the human personality and indicate the basic guidelines for right living. It brings out the humanness in man and enables him to live in harmony. It provides the link between the individual and the Divine. It demonstrates the UNITY that underlies the diversity in creation." This divine wisdom could not have been better expressed. It shows that a spiritual aspirant can progress only when he has full faith in the oneness of humanity. It has been emphasised that when the essence of all religions is one and the same, and the goal of all human effort is towards love and peace, where is the need for differences? The paths are varied, but the destination is the same. Spirituality recognises the oneness of all beings. Mere reading of the Zend Avesta or the Bible or the Bhagavad Gita or the Quran will not help in any way. The basic teachings have to be put into practice. That is what is important. Cultivate the attitude of oneness towards men of all creeds in all lands. Human life is for the purpose of gaining supreme reality and not merely for eating, drinking, making merry and procreation. Understand that the Atma that dwells in you is the same that you find in others. Visualise such oneness and experience bliss. When you are unable to do so, you are giving room to hatred and jealousy. I will end with the famous quote : "You may worship God in any form of your choice, but always bear in mind that God is One. Cultivate love and promote unity and harmony among all. Religions are all paths laid down by messengers from God for the pilgrimage of mankind to the one all-merciful omnipresent God. The languages through which people express their thirst for God are different but the thirst is the same in all lands. No religion has a separate God, showering Grace upon those who profess to abide by that faith alone! It is the same God who confers upon all mankind health, prosperity, peace and happiness. " With this, I wish to convey warm greetings to all on this New Year's Day. |
"The
religion of 'Good Conscience', the Gathic name for the Zarathushtrian religion,
is universal and for all." (Songs 9.10 and 17,1).