Authentic Gatha Zoroastrianism

Greek Gods were anthropomorphic gods, and all had human characteristics and powers, only in a much more colossal scale.

In the Torah or the Hebrew Bible, God is the embodied spirit of the Jewish nation. The One God of the Bible is very much the collective consciousness of the Jewish people, acting as a supernal, guiding force throughout history. The God of the Torah, although transcendent is endowed very much with human characteristics and human sentiments.

While the Greeks saw their gods as undying supernal humans and the ancient Hebrews called man “the self-portrait” of God (tzelem elohim, See Bereshit 1:27–28, Bereshit 5:1–3, Bereshit 9:6;) the ancient Aryan seer/prophet Zarathúshtrá saw God not as the mirror-image of man; but saw the divine in LUMINOUS ENERGY and GENIUS. The embodiment of the God force is in the splendor of “the brightest and most brilliant of lights,” (See Yasna 36.6imá raöcháw barezishtem barzimanám.)

In the poetic gathas, all reality is smart energy and conscious-force; since reality orders itself and each time creates a new, unique melody, and by doing so shows “wondrous imagination, vision and spirit.”

For Zarathúshtrá, the universe is not ruled by rigid mechanical laws. Instead he sees a living universe reformulated each time in a novel manner by the power of mind/spirit, seer-will and unbounded imagination. In his sacred verses, the seer/prophet sees a universe in which MIND permeates it at every level. He treats all beings as mind-energy, from galaxies to atoms, from man to animals, from mountains to rivers, plants and ……..

According to his poetic gathas, all of nature is alive and every natural system has a conscious force. Everything is smart energy in essence, and although every conscious force is quiet unique, the spirit of everything in existence is united.

Another fascinating concept in his poetic gathas/ songs is the idea of eternal progress. Zarathúshtrá believes consciousness, mind/spirit to be in an odyssey or adventurous journey of discovery and creative evolution.

Unlike Aristotle or the Bible; for the prophet Zarathúshtrá neither the Earth nor the Mortal Man is at the center of the universe. He sees the earth as spherical, (See Yasna 19.7) and the splendor and energy of the sun and suns at the core of our living world.

Unlike the biblical view where man is the self portrait of God, and is vastly superior to everything else in nature, in his world view, humans are considered a part of nature, rather than superior to, or separate from it. His “sacred poetry/songs” DO NOT embrace a human-centered Philosophy, nor anywhere in the Avesta or the entire Zoroastrian lore do we encounter human-centered values and morals.

Mortal man is a steward over all worthy creations as the world now stands, and both the world and mortal man move forward in eternal progress, (See Yasna 31.10, 1^st rhymed verse line; vástár is “vesture, clothing” the word implies “covering, protection;” fshú is “prosperity and growth,” man’s role is to help things prosper and grow, compare with Germanic fehu.)

But the ancient seer/sage tells us that throughout the ages, the mortal man instead of being a steward over all worthy creations, has been a vassal and servant of demons; as we so read in his poetic gathas:

mashyáish 29.4, 2^nd rhymed verse line: what demons and mortal men have wrought in the past and their future course of action

mashyáns 45.11, 1^st rhymed verse line: first gathered demons afterwards mortal men all the evil and loathing to themselves

mashyá Yasna 32.4, 1^st rhymed verse line: Man’s religion of vileness, his vision of wreck and ruin

maretánö Yasna 30.6, 3^rd rhymed verse line: for demons rushed into madness/ fury and made the mortal’s existence malignant and sickly

maretánö Yasna 32.12, 1^st rhymed verse line: to kill animals ravenously they sing is man’s best adventure

mashyéng 32.8, 2^nd  rhymed verse line: to rejoice us mortal men, Yima has  foresworn the GD of the living and taught the voracious eating of meat

mashyaæshü   43.11,4^th rhymed verse line; sadness it is for me in showing/teaching men the dedication of heart (ancient commentary adds dedication of heart to evolvement/progress)

mashím Yasna 32.5, 1^st  rhymed verse line: You demons have deceived mortals from the pure nectar of life and deathlessness

mashím Yasna 46.11, 2^nd rhymed verse line: your vile actions have laid waste upon mortal’s existence (ancient commentary adds ruined mortal’s chance of advancement into the existence beyond)

For Zarathúshtrá Mortal Man is something that shall be overcome and developed into something far better and more luminous.

mashyái Yasna 48.5, 3^rd rhymed verse line; The best for mortals after life is evolving and cleansing from imperfections.

The gathic Varshtmanßar commentary of the same verse says: About mankind attaining to the wisdom of an adorable divine force (yedátö dánögí) through mind power, ability to learn and spiritual vision.

When the great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche says; Mortal Man is a rope, tied between beast and a superb power—a bridge over an abyss … what is great in mortal man is that he is a bridge and not an end ….He very accurately summarizes the position of the ancient Aryan seer/prophet on mankind, for what Zarathúshtrá teaches is an Evolutionary Philosophy. The evolving mind/spirit of man must overcome his limitations and embark on a fascinating journey culminating in a far more superior mind/spirit.

maretæibyö  Yasna 29.7, 3^rd rhymed verse line; Whom is of wow inspiring mind/spirit? Who gives instruction/enumeration (of hidden knowledge and its exposition) by word of mouth?

maretæshü Yasna 46.13 2^nd rhymed verse line: mortals to acknowledge who are far-famed as upright/elevated.

mashyáish Yasna 48.1, 3^rd rhymed verse line: when deathlessness, indestructibility replaces demons and mortals 

We also read in Yasna 47.1, 3^rd rhymed verse line and the ancient commentary of the same that: every remedy and indestructibility is the prize of the evolving man

The world that is and man in it, both must advance and the ideal will become real. As we so read in Yasna 43.1, 1^st rhymed verse line and the ancient commentary of the same; whatever wish fulfillment comes to man or whomsoever creature comes through the luminous vision of the spirit.

The evolving mind and spirit of man must go through the evolutionary process, bringing novel ideas, new lights and a more wondrous melody into the world that is, transforming humanity and the world into ever better.

Yasna 45.5, 2^nd rhymed verse line: sounds and songs of inspiration, the most wondrous for mortals (maretæibyö) to hearken

Yasna 34.5, 3^rd rhymed verse line: for your voice/word is all the more powerful than that of demons, those of scattered wisdom and mortals (mashyáish)

We also read concerning the two wondrous formulas or blessings in Yasna 30.11, 1^st rhymed verse line: the two wondrous formulas which the GD Genius and Vision has taught to mortals (mashyáwng.hö)

But what are the two blessings or wondrous formulas??? The ancient commentary adds it is the hereto unknown and undiscovered wisdom and its revelation. Another commentary adds this refers to mind and the power of the spirit to realize as it is so written in 2^nd rhymed verse line of Yasna 31.11.

The baghan commentary of Yasna 31.11, 2^nd rhymed verse line states; because the spiritual vision of Zartósht is the evolving nature of Gayómard (living, flourishing man,) and the evolving nature of Gayómard is the spiritual vision of Zartósht.

It is not the man but the evolutionary promise of the man, the odyssey of the mind/spirit that is divine in Zoroastrianism. What is divine is evolution into a superb, wondrous mind that brings a complete, marvelous transformation of sense, feeling, knowledge and higher intuition. What is divine is the evolutionary creation of super-humans, a new physical form (tanö paßinö,) and a new age of discovery that is heralded by the coming 3 evolutionary stages of saöshyants or the future saviors.

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Evil finds special delight in going out of its way to destroy the good. It is so because evil subsists due to its PARASITIC nature on Goodness and Beauty. Another way to define it is to say that evil feeds on the Radiant Energy and Luminosity of the Good.

In the poetic gathas, Genius, Sense of Wonder is the SUBLIME, ORIGINAL FORCE and unmatched in energy; whereas evil, anguish is degenerate and twisted. Luminous Vision is the primary energy, ever flowing; whereas gloom is the counterfeit, stuck unable to move forward.

Gathas of the prophet clearly teach that Good and evil are locked in a COSMIC struggle, the things we observe are just the visible results of the conflict between Good and evil that takes place on a COSMIC scale.

In Yasna 30.3, 1^st rhymed verse line; the prophet narrates the tale of the two poles of the conscious force; “the two mainyü-s at first as twins in dream vision were heard.”

The ancient commentary says; Ahúrmazd and ahriman at first made themselves heard as twains of “Genius, Superb workmanship” and “folly, madness.”

Mainyü is “the intent, energy, power of the spirit, the conscious force.” It comes from the root man to “feel/sense.” The Avestan man is “the spirit, wisdom to see, Meaning.” It has to do with “sense, feeling, intense emotion, intuition and knowing.”

(Compare with Proto Indo European mon-eyo “intent, purpose, spirit, passion” Proto Indo European meino- “meaning, import, force” Old Irish mian “eager desire.”  See also Yasna 31.12, 2^nd rhymed verse line and Yasna 46.14, 4^th rhymed verse line.)

When the prophet talks about Twin Mainyü-s, he is talking about; Sense and senselessness, Genius and madness, as it relates to vibrant life force and the living dead, (See Yasna 30.4, 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

The statement of Mr. Ali Akbar Jafarey who writes: “The two represent the duality only and only in the human mind and within the human society. The dualism in the Gathas is pure ethical in nature. As regards good and evil, he confines both to human mind, not outside, not in the cosmos” is WHOLLY UNFOUNDED.

Mr. Jafarey’s above statement can NOT be substantiated by the original gathic poetry, any of the ancient gathic commentaries and/or the entire Zoroastrian thousands year old spiritual literature. Mr. Ali Akbar Jafarey’s fallacious conclusion stems from the human-centric notion that only humans have “mind” or humans alone are capable of “sense, feeling and understanding.”

While the poetic gathas clearly attribute “soul, sense, feeling and conscious force” to the entire cosmos as is evident by the first verse in the poetic gathas, (See Yasna 28.1, 3^rd rhymed verse line.)

Furthermore, NO where in the original gathic verse is there talk of the “human mind” or “humans” as is so purported by Mr. Ali Akbar Jafarey, but the principal of “sense, spirit and the conscious energy.”

The seer/prophet sees in a “dream vision” (Avestan khvfená, sleeping vision, dream, Old Norse svefn Old English swefn, Lithuanian sapnas, Greek hypnos, Spanish sueño) twins of “sense” versus “senselessness;” “meaning, force, energy” versus “meaninglessness and parasitic existence;” “Genius” versus “madness.”

The root of evil as the ancient Aryan prophet calls it is nöit eresh vishyátá; “a desire/wish not in rhythm, a wish that violates the melody, flow of meaning, force, energy.” For Spirit is like water when stagnated, it becomes decayed and foul. (See Yasna 30.3, 3^rd rhymed verse line and Yasna 30.6, 1^st rhymed verse line.)

Evil is linked in the gathas to the “breaking down” of Sense/Spirit. But, as long as beings have man “sense and intense desire,” it is possible that they will choose well. In the end shadow is only a passing thing, there is light and wondrous beauty forever beyond the reach of the broken spirit.

I like to conclude by the words of the seer/prophet himself where he says in Yasna 30.3, 2^nd rhymed verse line; “in sense and spirit, in sound, voice and action, they made themselves known as better, more wondrous and the worst.”

But why is it “better, more wondrous” (vahyö) compare to “the worst, most beaten” (akem)???

The answer is that while there is NO possible limit to “Sense of Wonder, Wow, Beauty and how much BETTER it can get;” there is certainly a finite limit to “misery, evil and the beaten spirit.”

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If life is meaningless, if in reality purpose is lacking, why shall we choose goodness and light???

What if there is no specific purpose to things??? What if there is no pre-established melody to this universe??? What if truth is ugly??? And the search for a beautiful truth by which to live is in vain???

What if our world is just filled with pointless suffering???

What if the ages of this world are not progressing forward and history has no culminating event toward which it moves???

Could it be that everything that will ever happen has already happened infinitely many times in the past and eternity is simply this endless repetition of the ages???

How could there be then pursuit of a higher destiny???

Zarathúshtrá gives us a compelling alternative to the former bleak version of reality. At the core of Zarathúshtrá’s teachings is the concept of ashá/artá, a word that is the same as Greek Areté; “excellence, goodness, virtue.”

More accurately though ashá/artá is “divine artistry” or “supreme art.” ashá/artá comes often with the epithet vahishtá “beauty, wow, wonder.” The concept of Ashá vahishtá /Artá vahishtá is about the VISION/ART which creates and discovers WONDER.

The ancient commentaries of the poetic gathas, lay a strong emphasis on the word play between áish (the EYE, Sanskrit Akshi) and ashá/artá, (See the Baghán commentary of Vohü Khshathrem gáthá.)

In fact, Zarathúshtrá teaches that we are the co-workers (ham-kár) of the Gd of Genius and Vision through ashá/artá, (See Yasna 44.1, 4^th rhymed verse line.)

For through the “power to see and skill to envision anew,” we shall prevail over affliction, gloom and anguish, (Avestan añgrö.)

For even if life were meaninglessness, let us meet it head-on without blinking, and create a life magnificent and divine according to the transformative power of ashá/artá. Since, ashá/artá is the “artistic formula” for reinventing a new or better reality.

In his poetic gathas/songs, Zarathúshtrá teaches that the ages of this world are definitely progressing toward a magnificent event and a life divine. (Avestan mazé yáwng.hö, See Yasna 30.2, 3^rd rhymed verse line and Yasna 36.2, 3^rd rhymed verse line)

His idea of the progression of the ages of the universe toward a “grand climax” stands in sharp contrast to Hinduism with its endless repetition of the ages.

According to Zarathúshtrá, a “genius wizard force of goodness” is behind the scenes (See Yasna 29.4, 3^rd rhymed verse line, Avestan vichirö, Germanic wicca) orchestrating events so that things are moving toward such a magnificent, culminating event.

Zarathúshtrá’s luminous vision challenges the other bleak one in its own terms, so to speak, he presents to us in his poetry/gathas, a magnificent panoramic portrait of reality, a rival point based on the transformative power of imagination, skill, and seer-will.

Which vision of reality is more empowering to the spirit??? Which vision of reality marks our mark on time and creates a new destiny??? Which vision awakens a sense of awe and wonder.

For what is decisive, after all, is the transmuting alchemy of goodness, beauty and virtue.

I like to conclude by the following words of Yasna 49.10, 4^th rhymed verse line; whoever has wandered from the magnificent mind of godship has fallen into ruin and death.

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The question of “Why do evil and misfortune befall the innocent and the good???” is an old age question, and in a limited sense it’s true. It is not uncommon to see the plight of the good compared to the rule of the evil in this world.

Plight and suffering is not limited to good human beings alone, but is extended to innocent animals and the rest of the living world, including this good earth.

BUT WHY is it that the malicious seem to have the upper hand at times??? Why is it that in this universe, evil appears to have the advantage???

In the beautiful religion, we are not born as sinners and per our view there is no glory in gloom, suffering and misery. So what is behind the undeserved misfortune in this world???

To better understand the why, we should have a better understanding of the concept of evil in the Zoroastrian religion.

In the poetic gathas and the authentic Zoroastrianism; evil like everything else, has its origin in the realm of “mind/spirit;” more precisely, it has its origin in an “afflicted, narrow and frustrated mind/spirit.”(See Yasna 32.3, 1^st rhymed verse line and Yasna 32.5, 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

While Ahúrá Ma(n)zdá is the “boundless mind/spirit (minöán minü;) the “FORCE”  of “genius, luminous vision and realization,” the “endless mind-power capable of manifesting its brilliant thoughts/visions.”

Evil is the afflicted mind-energy; the very spirit of “frustration, gloom, agony and failure.”

The stagnated spirit of evil, consumed by “destructive lust” for and “envy” (areshk) of “the unlimited mind power” of Ahúrá Ma(n)zdá in accomplishing and realizing his luminous thoughts/visions; insinuated his malice, cruelty and frustration into the material manifestation of the Gd of Genius; inflicting it with his misery, wreck and ruin.

But Ahúrá Ma(n)zdá is the knower of every remedy and formula; (See Yasna 29.6, 1^st and 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

Hence, he has trapped the narrow mind/evil in the limited confines of time. For the ages of this world are the best formula/solution to the undoing of evil and the ultimate triumph of the spirit, (See the ancient commentary of Yasna 44.17, 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

But throughout ages, all beings in the continuum of time and space (not limited to mortal men) have the ability to make choices, and those choices will create consequences that will make each of us either a co-partner with the pristine force of imagination, creativity and progress OR a slave of stagnation and limited view.

This “power to choose” not only gives evil/narrow mind the exposé, but the possibility of advantage at certain points/periods in time.

We are a bundle of mind energy, either bright and brilliant or gloomy and deficient. In any finite point in time and space, if there is simply more “miserable and negative energy,” there will be temporary trophy for evil and the good suffer an eclipse.

Hence, we read in the poetic gathas, Yasna 46.6, 3^rd and 4^th rhymed verse line; “the treacherous holds in high esteem/wow the malicious and the liar///while the virtuous loves/favors the good and luminous.”

The afflicted spirit has been unleashed in time and space, pressing his advantage at every point. Like attracts like, and misery likes company. But is all hope faded??? Will evil/narrow mind have dominion over all life on this dimension even to the ending of the world???

Zaraþúshtrá asks in his poetic gathas; will not the right living be saved from fall and ruin???/// will not the fruitful be set apart from the destructive liar???See Yasna 29.5, 3^rd rhymed verse line.

The passage of time wields a series of events, and until the jigsaw puzzle pieces fall into place, it’s hard to comprehend how time can so effectively empower spirit and overcome evil.

How Ma(n)zdá are the working of the ages allied to You and  affectionately embrace You??? (See Yasna 44.17, 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

The ages of this world make only sense when viewed from an infinite and eternal view. From an unlimited view, a lot of what we cherish and see as success turns meaningless, trivial and only passing. Shadow after all is a passing thing, and all that really matters might not be what we see/realize today from our vantage point in time and space.

There is much evil and agony in this world. But the key point about it is our attitude. Our attitude could be that of anger or hurt to such an extent that we never go beyond it – which then becomes the defining moment of our lives, in a certain sense the stagnated point, where life stops and the spirit is crushed and beaten, just like evil.

On the other hand, our attitude could be that there is real good in this world worth moving on and fighting for; that in the end darkness and distorted, limited vision are passing things, and at the end of all things, all that really matters is our connection to eternity , the unbounded, luminous vision of things and triumph of the spirit.

Not that I have not been heard that I have not prevailed thus far (See Yasna 43.12, 2^nd rhymed verse line)

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From the earliest days, Zoroastrianism—the ancient religion of the Aryans, whose adherents worshiped Ahúrá Ma(n)zdá  (“the GD of Genius; bright, boundless Mind/Spirit”) and his luminous angels (the brilliant aspects of Ahúrá Ma(n)zdá’s superb mind/spirit) who battled Añgrá Mainyü  (the afflicted, gloomy mind/spirit) and his demonic frustrations—has played a central role in history of ancient religion and classical philosophy.

Zoroastrianism was known in the West for centuries. The wise figure of the ancient Aryan Prophet, Zaraþúshtrá and the Persian religion appeared in classical Greek sources; Zoroastrianism, in the persons of the 3 magi, wizards or wise men also appeared in the New Testament (Matthew 2:1–12,) and has fascinated and sparked the imaginations of European minds from Nietzsche to Wordsworth.

During the Jewish Enlightenment or Haskalah, of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, there were many reasons for the “enlightened” Jewish scholars known as maskilimto familiarize themselves with the ancient Aryan religion of the Persians.

The “Persian Period,” is a critical era in the biblical/Jewish history. Following the conquest of the Near East by the Zoroastrian King, Cyrus the Great in the 6th century B.C.E., Jews came under a Persian Zoroastrian dominion that lasted for centuries. Except for a brief interlude following the conquests by Alexander the Macedonian in the 4th century B.C.E., Babylonian Jews were subjects of successive ancient Iranian, Zoroastrian dynasties that together made up more than a millennium.

A number of important books of the Bible were written during this period. Moreover, the central work in the Jewish canon, the Babylonian Talmud, was produced close to the Zoroastrian Sassanid winter capital of Ctesiphon.

Babylonian Talmud contains many Indo-European/Persian loanwords and numerous references to Zoroastrian kings, religious leaders, and aspects of cultural and religious life in Iranian/Zoroastrian-ruled Mesopotamia.

Moreover, major Jewish beliefs NOT found in the Torah, that have developed in post-biblical times, such as those concerning the afterlife, angelology, the future Messiah, a great battle at the conclusion of time, the resurfacing of a new universe, the resurrection of the dead, and a new luminous future body, ALL appear in the Jewish lore only after the Jews came under the Persian Zoroastrian rule.

Yet, biblical apologists consisting mostly of Evangelical Christians, have an unshakeable faith that the Zoroastrian eschatology and angelology could not have possibly influenced the later biblical books and worldview. Neither can they accept the Zoroastrian influence on Greek thought as admitted by Greek philosophers themselves.

Hence, these biblical apologists disguised at times as scholars, have all along stubbornly insisted to lower the age of the ancient seer Zaraþúshtrá from 600 years before the Trojan wars (about 1700-1800 BCE as reported by almost all the ancient Greek writers;) to 600 or even 300-100 BCE.  They have even suggested that Zaraþúshtrá was the accursed Palestinian servant of Nehemiah/Nəḥemyāh , the Jewish cup-bearer to Artaxerxes I, the 5^th Achaemenid Persian king (465 BCE to 424 BCE.)

This pretty much explains why they so insist that Cyrus the Great, the Achaemenid or Parthian dynasties were not even Zoroastrians.

But none of such wishful sermons will change the FACT that the ideas of afterlife, angelology, and the Messiah are NOT to be found in the TORAH and ONLY appear in the Jewish lore during or after the PERSIAN PERIOD.

The Hungarian maskil Alexander Kohut, who among his other accomplishments edited and vastly expanded the classic 11th-century talmudic dictionary, the Arukh, and filled it with Persian etymologies, was fascinated by the Zoroastrian angelology and demonology and charted many correspondences between the Persian/Zoroastrian system and its Jewish counterpart.

The Austrian talmudist Isaac Hirsch Weiss listed a number of critical areas in which, he argued, the rabbis had adopted Persian practices. In other places Weiss claimed to have found signs of resistance—instances in which rabbis established practices specifically as a means of precluding certain “Persianisms” in practice and interpretation.

The most radical and colorful character involved in the exploration of Zoroastrianism was a sharp-tongued Galician maskil named Joshua Heschel Schorr.  Schorr wanted to radically reform Judaism by subjecting it to the rules of logic and a rationalistic approach.

Schorr saw Zoroastriansim simply as “ancient Aryan wizardry,” and see any parallel he found between the Zoroastrian Avesta and the Old Testament or Talmud was a sign of corruption in the Hebrew bible and a reason for excision and reform.

A system of nomenclature for angels in Jewish lore DID NOT EXIST prior to the Persian Zoroastrian period. We find for example, angels being named for the first time in the book of Daniel (a book compiled during the Persian exile).

The naming of angels is of great importance in the Zoroastrian religion (See Gathas of the Prophet, Yasna 51.22, 3^rd rhymed verse line.) The Talmud itself relates that: “Shemot HaMal’akhim ‘Alu Lahem MiBavel” – “The names of the Angels arose from Babylon”.

The Talmud, in fact, goes to the extent of borrowing the names of many of angels in the Zoroastrian pantheon, such as: Mithrá/MiÞrá (called Metatron in the Talmud), Aæshm , the demon of wrath in Zoroastrianism, (called Ashmedai, the king of the Jewish demons in the Talmud), Añgrá, or Ahriman, the afflicted spirit in Zoroastrianism (called Agrat, queen of the demons and one of four angles of sacred prostitution who mates with archangel Samael in the Talmud), and many more…

In Zoroastrianism Ahriman’s frustrations are numerous and are referred to as dævs, demons or devils. Talmud reinterprets that and states that demons are more numerous than the dust of the earth; Masekhet Berakhot 6, Midrash Tehillim 17, Tanhuma, etc.

In Zoroastrianism throwing food, water and/or drink at night into the direction of north is considered sacrilege and a symbol of feeding the dævs. Masekhet Megillah 3 states that during the period of night, no one must offer or receive the hand of another (for fear of an evil spirit).

In the Zoroastrian Hádókht Nask; the soul’s journey after the physical death is through the moon, sun, star stations into the boundless lights; Midrash Tehillim contend that the righteous who dwell in Paradise are as luminous as the stars, etc.

The truth is that Torah or the five books of Moses, embrace a human-centered philosophy that combines the celebration of ethnic identity with an adherence to human-centered values and ideas. A fact that is not lost on the great Zoroastrian commentators of holy Denkart.

Torah if studied objectively has clearly a non-metaphysical approach, according to which the power of the Jewish spirit or stand is the embodied ONE GD in history. It is a religion of here and now, a common mythology of the Jewish people. Torah uses theistic language, but makes few if any metaphysical claims that non-believers would find objectionable.

Torah’s Judaism is arguably the paradigm example of the evolution of a culture and tradition that can embrace religiosity without faith in the afterlife or a world to come.

On the other hand, Zaraþúshtrá’s does NOT embrace a human-centered Philosophy in his poetic gathas or anywhere in the Avesta. Mortal Man is something that shall be overcome and developed into something far better and more luminous. Mortal Man is a rope, tied between beast and a god-like superb power—a bridge over an abyss … what is great in mortal man is that he is a bridge and not an end.

Zaraþúshtrá’s philosophy is all about the triumph of the will power, the triumph of the mind/spirit, the odyssey of the conscious force. The universe is not ruled by inexorable mechanical laws; instead it is governed by the power relations between limited and unbounded conscious energy, seer-will and mind/spirit (minoo.)^[

And as the powers of mind/spirit are evermore unleashed; a new physical body, a new, splendid universe and a new age of unlimited and eternal progress will be born (frashö-kart.)

Gathas are the poetic visions, riddles and heartfelt prayers of an Indo-European genius, seer/prophet called Zaraþúshtrá who lived in ancient antiquity, most likely about 3700-3800 years ago; at a time that the ancient Aryans were still living in the Pontic-Caspian steppes and lofty mountains of the Central Asia. Even Akenaten, the father of monotheism as we know it; lived most likely few centuries after him.

The kind of monotheism that Zaraþúshtrá teaches; is that of the supreme force of genius, goodness and boundless mind/spirit at work in this and other universes, which is manifested in the ever fascinating odyssey of consciousness throughout various development stages and eternal progress.

ardeshir

There is fear of failure, fear of loss, disease and death, fear of darkness, fear of the Unknown. Fear is deeply rooted in our subconscious. Even if we overcome it rationally, it still lurks in the dark, hidden lairs of our being, and it is there that we must confront it, seize hold of it and conquer it.

But why do we feel afraid?  Why does courage fail??? I think it is because we are confounded in our conceited universe. We have no faith in our purpose, mission, or destiny, and don’t really trust that there is an “effective force of goodness and brilliance” at work in this universe.

We may put it however we like, but the root of the matter is a lack of trust, and an overwhelming feeling that one cannot protect oneself, and there comes fear, anxiety and torment.

The poetic gathas teach us that ahúrá  ma(n)zdá is the GD of unbounded mind/spirit, the effective FORCE of luminous visions, the brilliant power of realization, the wise and triumphant force of goodness and brilliance whose at work in this and other universes.

That we stand between the boundless and bright mind of GD and the confounded and afflicted demonic mind.

That all goodness, fortune and fulfillment come from Gd or unbounded spirit/mind; and all evil, torment, fear and frustration come from the false luster of the demon’s limited mind and frustrated spirit.

Poetic gathas teach that demons and terror do not and cannot enter unless there is affinity and an open door for them in our selves.

Falsehood and conceit emit fear, (Yasna 46.6, 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

The 2^nd rhymed verse line of Yasna 34.8 which is used in the Srösh Yasht reads; all fear vanishes, when like a mightily force “the inspired melody/music of making” come crashing down on the base and lowly.

For your voice/melody is more effective than that of the demons, those of scattered conscious force and the mortal men (Yasna 34.5, 3^rd rhymed verse line.)

Giving voice to the right words /// with mastery, kingship of the tongue as is the wish; the ancient commentary says to give voice to the original, wondrous melodies/music of making and rule the worlds without fear, (Yasna 31.19, 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

With wise lore and precious legacy, in delight or sadness/// forging ahead with a far, wide brilliance; the ancient commentary says to shape one’s destiny with brightness and go through life fearless, with the loveliest light that never goes out even in the darkest places, (Yasna 34.7, 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

To love the shining light of goodness with kindred blazing will-power; the ancient commentary says to have an unshakable trust in the wondrous power of the spirit and realize the luminous vision of the seer-will without fear, (Yasna 48.4, 3^rd rhymed verse line.)

With beaming happiness holding dear the ahüric artfulness, excellence; the ancient commentary adds to hold dear the wondrous truth/artfulness of Gd with the most radiant bliss, (Yasna 51.8, 2^nd rhymed verse line, second stanza.)

I like to conclude by the following passages from Minög Khirad or the spirit of wisdom, which correspond to the ancient commentary of the aforementioned gathic verses.

CHAPTER 19.

1. The sage asked the spirit of wisdom (2) thus: ‘Is living in fear and falsehood worse, or death?’

3. The spirit of wisdom answered (4) thus: ‘To live in fear and falsehood is worse than death. 5. Because every one’s life is necessary for the enjoyment and pleasure of the worldly existence, (6) and when the enjoyment and pleasure of the worldly existence are not his, and fear and even falsehood are with him, it is called worse than death.’

CHAPTER 14.

Which is the highest pleasure of all pleasures? And the pleasures which are superior to all pleasures are health of body, freedom from fear, good name, and virtue/excellence.

 ardeshir

Our universe is riddled with passages and according to the poetic gathas Chinvatö Perethü, or the Chinvat Bridge is the name of the main passageway from this world to the next and the wondrous realms beyond. At the dawn that rises after the third night following death, the soul has to cross the Chinvatö Perethü, the Chinvat Bridge, to reach the boundless Lights beyond. (See Yasna 46.10, 5^th rhymed verse line, Yasna 46.11, 3^rd and 4^th rhymed verse line, Yasna 51.13, 1^st and 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

Perethü comes from Proto Indo Europen root pertu “to pass over” “bridge;” German brücke, Old English faran “to go, journey” Old Norse fjörðr “ford, entrance, passage” Old Church Slavonic pariti “fly” latin portus“port, entrance, passage,” Greek poros “journey, passage,” peirein“to pierce, pass through.”

Chinvatö comes from the root chit, Sanskrit chid, Welsh chwydu, Old Irish scian, Gothic skaidan; “to separate one thing from another, to shed knowledge/light on” Latin scientia“knowledge” from scire “to know,” originally “to separate one thing from another.”

Chinvat Bridge is the bridge that “manifests knowledge, reveals, make it all clear.” Chinvat is the port/passage where higher insight is revealed and a selection of the souls for journey to more wondrous dimensions is made.

The term Perethü “bridge” appears without Chinvat in Yasna 48.2, 2^nd rhymed verse line (passage to the best, most wondrous existence or falling into the abyss,) Yasna 50.7, 2^nd rhymed verse line (be filled with marvel when coming to the bridge,) and Yasna 51.12, 1^st rhymed verse line (the earthly or winter passage/bridge.)

We read in the ancient Südkar Commentary of Yasna 46.10, 5^th rhymed verse line and Yasna 46.11, 3^rd and 4^th rhymed verse line:

The soul alone sees the reward and bridge of the spiritual existence, and embodied it does not see such things; if when embodied, it could have seen like that, then it would not have committed the mistakes originating with it, even for anything whatever of the ease and comfort of the worldly existence, nor shrunk from the pristine good work.

As we can see the whole idea is about selection, separation through higher knowledge and the result of a fiery trial/ordeal by spiritual illumination. This again is corroborated by the ancient Südkar commentary of Yasna 47.6, 2^nd rhymed verse line where it says:

It is about the judgment of sinners through the flaming, bright bridge, as declared by vision/revelation.

Also, in the Baghan Commentary of Yasna 48.2, 2^nd rhymed verse line we read:

By him or her who shall go through the fiery trial accomplished, the Chinvat passage becomes manifest; for those who have accomplished what is a work of the spirit become witnesses, one about the other, as to the wisdom/knowledge, whereby a change occurs from evil to wondrous, that change which is the perpetual renovation of the universe……

According to the ancient Südkar commentary of Yasna 50.7, 2^nd rhymed verse line; when the virtuous wishes to pass, the bridge becomes far and wide. For the wicked the passage becomes narrow like a razor blade. This reminds one of the old Yorkshire folksong of “the Brig o’ Dread, na brader than a thread.”’

For the virtuous the crossing is all well and free from sorrow. When the wicked soul, on the other hand, steps onto the bridge, he falls into the abyss and back into the house of lies.

‘Thus say I to thee, O Spitaman! The man or woman of virtue steps forward over the Chinvat pass, the far-famed happy bridge; for Ashtad, the angel of justice, the good promoter of the world, and Mihr, the angel of love, of wide living spaces, save only those  possessing genuine goodness from that distress, as though they were an army (sipah) a thousand strong.

The Vársht-manßar commentary of Yasna 50.7, 2^nd rhymed verse line states; the bridge is the mighty assistance to the genuinely good on the passage to the most wondrous existence, by the spirit of the wisdom, the realms beyond, bountifulness, brilliance, fortue/riches and the angel Höm.

The epithets of the Chinvat bridge in Avesta are “heard from far and wide” (dūrae.srūta) “mighty, strong” (amavant) and “good protector” (hú-pāta.)

I shall conclude by adding that great similarity exists between Chinvatö Perethü of the Gathas and Ásbrú, the Aesir’s Bridge of the ancient Norse mythology.

Ás-brú is the bridge that the Aesir, the godly powers built between Midgard, home of mortal men, and Asgard, the realm of the aesir/ahúras, and can be seen from the earth as the rainbow. Ás-brú is strongly built. According to the Nordic mythology the red color of the rainbow (Ásbrú) is a fire that burns in the sky. Daily the Aesir ride across Ásbrú to Urdar-brunnur, the well of Urdur (destiny, fate, making,) which is where the aesir hold their court.

The first part of the Prose Edda describes it thus:

For the Aesir’s Bridge
burns all with flame,

Finally, the Chinvat Bridge of the poetic gathas has greatly influenced and inspired the Sirath bridge of the Moslems. Arabic Sirath is borrowed from latin strata and alludes to a straight bridge into heaven.

ardeshir

Rue, the sacred plant of the Zoroastrian lore and the national herb of Lithuania

Rue called in Old Iranian svanta, spand, Modern Farsi Esfand,was a well known “auspicious” plant among the ancient Aryans. It plays a great role in both cooking and as incense among the Iranian Zoroastrians.  Greek authors refer to it as persaia botane (Flattery and Schwartz, pp. 35-42, 144-48).

Two varieties of the plant are mentioned in the early medical texts, the white rue and the more potent black rue. Folk medicine practices reflect a classical belief in the medical properties of esfand. It is considered to be a divinely favored, auspicious plant which can cure seventy-two varieties of ailments. Furthermore, the smoke from its burning seeds is believed to ward off harm from persons or places that are exposed to its smoke. The practice of burning rue/esfand seeds to avert the evil eye is widely attested in classical Persian literature. The burning of the seeds is accompanied by the recitation of sacred verse or a prayer formula.

The continuity of Persian tradition has brought the ancient sacred plant into Islamic sources. A Shiʿite tradition states that there is an angel in each of the plant’s leaves and seeds. Its root drives away sorrow and sorcery, and the devil stays a distance of seventy houses away from homes in which it is kept. Shiʿite sources influenced by the Zoroastrian lore tell of the benefits of ingesting esfand or its juice.

I conclusion, I shall add that Rue or Esfand is considered a national herb of Lithuania and it is the most frequently referred herb in Lithuanian folk songs, associated with purity and maidenhood. Likewise, rue is prominent in the Ukrainian folklore, songs and culture.

ardeshir

Dastoors, rivers of knowledge and Herbeds, scholar priests

The Zoroastrian Parsis employ dastoor as the title of a high priest and the term dastoorán dastoor has replaced the earlier pēshöpáy“spiritual leader, pontiff,” or the Sassanian möbedán möbed “chief magi.”

In the Sasanian period dastür was a term referring to “well versed scholars.” It was qualified as dæn ágáh“well versed in revelatory knowledge, vision, spiritual matters.” Dastürs were the highest authority in sacred verse, their exegesis and their new interpretation/light.

Dastür ī dæn ágáh was the designation for high-ranking doctors in sacred verse and spiritual wisdom, with dæn being “revelatory knowledge, vision, religion,” to whom members of the community turned for wise counsel. The Zoroastrian religious phrase dastoorán édoen guuft is to be translated “the spiritual counsel/experts have said so.”

The origin of the word dastür goes back to the poetic gathas. In the famous kém-ná         ma(n)zdá manthra, Yasna 46.7, 5^th rhymed verse line; we come across the word          dánstvá(n)m, from the root dán.

Dán can be compared with Proto Indo European danu, Celtic danu(w)-yo-“a flowing, river.”  Hence, dánstvá(n)m, is one who is “a river of knowledge and new ideas.”

Also in Yasna 45.5, 3^rd rhymed verse line, dán like a river brings the flow and melody of inspired poetry (sraöshá) into understanding and savor.

The famous sage Jámásp bore the title dé-jámáspá in Yasna 49.9, 4^th rhymed verse line; the discerning Jámásp of superior sagacity/wisdom; Translated in ancient Pahlavi commentary  as dastür Jámásp.

The term dastür is also applied to doctors, highest agents of demons, (dævéñg dán) in Yasna 49.4, 4^th rhymed verse line. The ancient Pahlavi Commentary of the verse says; avæshán dæv dastür hénd kæshán drüvandī dæn“those dastürs of demons whose vision/religion is treachery and lie.”

The term dastür has the sense of “mastery” and signifies “rule, best instruction, master formula,” as in: dæn pad dastür dár “regard the revelatory knowledge, religion as your rule, master formula” (Pahlavi Yasna and Visperad, p. 202) and akhv ī xvēsh paddastür künēd “make the ahü, divine in your inner-self Master” (Holy Denkart, ed. Madan, pt. 2, p. 528).

Dastoor in secular Persian literature is commonly used in the sense of “instruction; rule or formula;” e.g. grammar “dastūr-e zabān, lit., rules of language/tongue”; dastūr-e jalsa; “procedure of a committee meeting.”

Dastoor was also borrowed in Arabic and denotes “constitution, statute, canon, regulation.” In colloquial Arabic dastoor denotes “authority to do something, permission.”

HĒRBED (or Hērbad, Ērvad), is a Zoroastrian priestly title, used at present for a priest who has undergone the initiatory Návar ceremony and is qualified to officiate at simple rituals.

The Middle Persian form hērbed derives from Avestan aæthra-paiti, which denoted a keeper of flame who taught his disciples to recite the sacred verse/gathas (Yasna 65.9;Yasht. 10.116).

The power of mind/memory of the ancient aæthra-paitis was greatly revered in Avesta, (Yasht. 13.105; Vendidad. 4.45), and their role was deemed essential for the transmission of the sacred verse/gathas and their spiritual wisdom in an oral society.

The Sassanian inscriptions show that the high priest Kartir bore the title of hērbed (inscription at Kaʿba-ye Zardoesht, l. 8.) This suggests the word was a title for scholar priests who were qualified to teach religious matters.

This is confirmed by the Holy Denkart (ed. Madan, I, p. 406, l. 6), which gives the high priest Tanßar the title of hērbed. Hērbeds were not only responsible for teaching their pupils to recite the sacred songs/gathas and their hidden wisdom/Avesta, but taught more advanced branches of religious learning, such as the Middle Persian commentaries of the Avestan texts (gnosis/higher knowledge/zand), and the keys to their higher understanding.

In the Rivāyāt literature, the same persons are all called dastür in one letter and hērbed in another (Dhabhar, pp. 603, 607; Kreyenbroek, 1987a, p. 164).

Also, in the Rivāyāt literature, high ceremonies, which in modern Parsee practice can only be performed by more highly qualified priests, are repeatedly said to be carried out by hērbeds (Dhabhar, pp. 325, 397, 403).

While in Sasanian times society was evidently wealthy enough to support a considerable group of hērbeds for the sake of their scholarship and teaching activities alone, the impoverished Zoroastrian community of later times found it increasingly difficult to do so.

We learn, from the 9th century Dādestān ī dēnīg that there was active rivalry between hērbeds and hāvishts, that is scholar-priests and ritual priests.

Manuchihr, the traditionalist author of the Dādestān ī dēnīg, frowned on such rivalries and pointed out that the hērbeds’ status was higher; and, since they had knowledge of the Zand or hidden meaning of the sacred songs, they were better qualified to direct ceremonies.

Elsewhere in Dādestān ī dēnīg45, Manuchihr states “if a hērbed cannot make a living from his activities as a hērbed/scholar, may do other work . . .” or if the faithful fail to provide for him, a hērbed may engage in other activities to make a living. In other words, the community’s increasing poverty led to a blurring of the distinctions between scholar and ritual priests, forcing all priests to accept what work they could find.

ardeshir

géush úrvá is a very important gathic phrase meaning “the soul of animals;” occurring many times in the poetic gathas. I believe the following true story clearly elucidates the meaning of the term and how animals have a soul.

ardeshir

http://www.inquisitr.com/331051/dog-guards-deceased-owners-grave-for-six-years/

An incredibly dedicated  dog refused to leave his master’s side, even when the man passed away six  years ago. Since his owner’s death, Captain has refused to leave the man’s  grave.

Captain, a German shepherd, ran away from home shortly after his owner,  Miguel Guzman, died in 2003, reports The Daily Mail. When the family went to pay  their respects a week later, they fount the heartbroken dog sitting by his  owner’s grave, wailing in mourning.

Since then, the loyal dog has rarely left Guzman’s resting place in Villa  Carlos Paz, central Argentina. Miguel Guzman bought Captain as a present for  Damian, his 13-year-old son, in 2005. Miguel passed away suddenly just one year  later, and, by the time the family returned from the funeral, the dog was  missing.

Guzman’s widow, Veronica, stated that:

“We searched for him but he had vanished. We thought he must have got run  over and died. The following Sunday we went to the cemetery and Damian  recognized his pet. Capitan came up to us, barking and wailing, as if he were  crying.”

Yahoo! News notes that the family never showed  Captain how to find the cemetery, so it remains a mystery how the dog discovered  his dead owner’s grave. Hector Baccega, the cemetery’s director, stated that he  and his staff have started to feed and take care of Captain. Baccega recalled  that:

“He turned up here one day, all on his own, and started wandering all around  the cemetery until he eventually found the tomb of his master. During the  day he sometimes has a walk around the cemetery, but always rushes back to the  grave. And every day, at six o’clock sharp, he lies down on top of the grave,  stays there all night.”

Damian Guzman added that his family hasn’t simply abandoned Captain, even  trying to bring the dog back home several times. But Captain always returns to  the cemetery before dark on his own. Damian added that, “I think he’s going to  be there until he dies, too. He’s looking after my dad.”

Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/331051/dog-guards-deceased-owners-grave-for-six-years/#vaMi00F8R1CFAVCE.99