To those not very familiar with blogs, one word of advice. The posts run in reverse order, the last post is actually the first. It's important to point this because, as far as this blog is concerned, the contents will be better understood by reading the last post first, then the next post, please read in 'reverse' order.
This will take a small space here, but for the sake of continuity, repeating here, from the previous posting, the first three verses of the Gathas would make for good continuity.
The Ahunavaity Gatha:
Yasna 28 comprising of 11 verses.
From this very first Yasna-chapter/section, we begin to realize that Zarathustra's teachings emphasize that wisdom is gained from good deeds done with good intentions, with love and devotion. This leads him to pray for peace in this world.
God can only be realized through a pure mind. Righteousness is needed in both the physical and spiritual world to gain God's blessings to lead the faithful into God's heaven-the abode of light!
With hands outstretched in humble adoration,
to Him, for perfect bliss-
(I pray) to Thy Holy Spirit, Oh Mazda, first of all,
through deeds, inspired by Righteousness,
and for the wisdom gained from Pure Mind,
do I pray-to bring solace to the soul of the world!
I would reach unto You, Oh Ahura Mazda, through the Pure Mind,
that to me be granted, in both the worlds,
both this corporeal and spiritual world,
blessings through Righteousness,
whereby the faithful be led into the Abode of Light!
I shall verily unto Thee, Oh Righteousness, weave my hymns,
and to Pure Mind (also), as never before,
so that by the grace of Your Kingdom,
shall Devotion grow within us;
come Ye all and grant us perfect bliss!
These verses, and the ones that follow below, are Zarathustra's "opening statements." He makes his intent clear. He is clearly a Saviour; through perfect bliss, he wants to bring solace into this world and lead the faithful, through righteousness, into the Abode of Light!
Let the verses, his own words, speak for themselves:
Again, it is good deeds, done in the name of God, that lead the soul to its destined home:
Thus, upto it's exalted home the soul,
attuned to Pure Mind, shall I lead;
good deeds bring blessings
if done in the name of Mazda Ahura;
as long as I have will and the power to lead,
so long I will teach man to strive for Righteousness.
Zarathustra is keen to realize God, the Righteous, God, the Pure Being, through obedience. The Sacred Word of God is itself the excellent path that would also help in 'bringing back' those who have strayed- a return to the correct path:
Oh Righteousness, when shall I find Thee,
and acquire wisdom, to realize Pure Mind too?
and also seek the path to Almighty Ahura,
which is Obedience unto Mazda?
Through the Holy Word towards this excellent path,
shall we turn with our words the ignorant (who drift)astray.
The enmity of the wicked can be overcome by enriching our inner lives(!):
Come with Pure Mind,
grant us the long enduring gifts of Righteousness,
verily according to these sacred words, O Mazda,
grant Zarathustra the joy of inner life,
as also unto all of us, O Ahura,
that we overcome the hatred of the foe.
Zarathustra exhorts Righteous God to bless him with the rewards of a pure mind; he yearns that God, who is so devoted to His creation, grants the king, Vishtaspa and all the people, His Power, the state of being where more good work is devotedly done, fulfilling God's Divine plan:
Grant us, O Righteousness, that blessing,
the rewards of Pure Mind,
grant verily, O Devotion,
unto Vishtaspa* (the king) and also to my people,
and by Thy Power declare, indeed O Mazda,
that we, your devoted servants, should carry out Your Word!
*Vishtaspa, a king in the eastern part of ancient Iran, east of the Caspian sea, is the first monarch to accept Zarathustra's religion. Vishtaspa and his wife Hutoasa become ardent Zoroastrians after Zarathustra cures the king's favorite horse of it's ability to stand.
For the Best Abode from Thee, O Supreme (Lord),
from Thee, of one accord with Righteousness,
from the Lord do I beseech yearningly,
for the worthy Frashostra(a follower), as also for my people,
and even on those You choose to bestow,
the blessings of Love through all eternity!
We will never, O Ahura, take Thy blessings,
and provoke Thy wrath, nor (of) Righteousness,
nor (of) Pure Mind, who is the best,
we who strive eagerly to offer our songs of praise
unto Ye;
for Ye are the most worthy for invocation
in prayers, together with Ye, Supreme Dominion.
And if Thou knowest those, who on account of their righteousness
and because of their loving heart are wise,
and upright, O Mazda Ahura,
do fulfill their desires by granting attainment (of these);
for I assuredly know, Thou shalt not leave unanswered,
devout prayers for righteous ends!
So, through these prayers, I hold myself to Righteousness,
and to Pure Mind for evermore;
do Thou, O Ahura Mazda,
instruct me to proclaim,
through Thy Spirit and through Thine own lips,
whence this creation first came into being.
these 11 verses form Yasna 28 (see previous post for details of make up of Gathas.)
Zarathustra, Zoroaster to the Greeks, the great prophet, founder of Zoroastrianism, lived and preached amongst the Indo-European "Aryan" ancestors of Iranians, in a remote past, the first to reveal the existence of One God. To readers conditioned to visualizing God with human attitudes-an angry or wrathful God who visits destruction, or demands sacrifices,(Abraham tested, asked to sacrifice his son,)the Zoroastrian God is pristine pure, and human failings cannot be attributed to His nature.
The Zoroastrian credo is: "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds." The neighbouring religion to the East, Hinduism, tells you "think no evil, see no evil, do no evil," not a frontal ethical assertion when compared to "Good Thoughts......." Hinduism believes in renunciation and rejection of this world, by contrast a Zoroastrian is expected to lead a joyous life, raise a family, help the poor, look after God's creation, and fight evil from within the world!
Ahura Mazda, Lord Wisdom, is Highest Righteousness, Pure Mind-(wholly pure through His whole Being), Supreme Omnipotence, Bountiful Devotion, Perfection and Eternity. These seven attributes, a Great Heptad, are reverently called the Amesha Spentas, Eternal Bountiful Divine Beings, but form One Entity, Ahura Mazda, Lord Wisdom.
Ahura Mazda is so pristine pure, no human failings and negative qualities like anger revenge and punishment can be part of Him; thus Zarathustra's God is simply incapable of causing human suffering and pain.
All the pain and death, suffering and misery is the work of an opposing Force, Angra Mainyu, the Ignorant Mind, whose sole aim in creation is to wreck the good work of Ahura Mazda. On a parallel, is it not the ignorant who are mainly responsible for the ills of this world?
Besides, Ahura Mazda has set into motion Asa-Laws of Creation-that we see all around us. Massive earthquakes, for example, like the Haiti earthquake, can be said to be the natural ongoing work of Asa, God's Law for nature-creation, shifting earth plates a natural phenomena. However, if response from the world is seen to be lukewarm, earthquake victims and problems relating to such situation is not addressed, that would be said to be the handiwork of satan-Angra Mainyu-Ignorant Mind!
Every one of His creation, man included, is responsible for their actions and all natural consequences resulting from these.
Eventually, all evil will be utterly annihilated, and all of God's creation will attain perfection and become deathless. This is called Frashokereti - perfection of the world.
Readers may find this new, but Zoroastrianism does not accept converts, or believe in conversion, yet Zoroastrians are keen the world know about Zarathustra's message, for understanding the world around them, understanding the unique problem of pain, suffering and evil in the world, the choice of believing in good, doing things the right way. The consequences of choices made are solely the person's responsibility. Thus one can learn from the precepts of the religion, strive to be a better person, but without any formal acceptance of Zoroastrianism
a popular stylised picture of the Prophet.
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