Survival Of Our Community Is Directly Linked To Our Mobeds

It remains a fact that no community can survive without a strong religious foundation. At the same time no religion can survive without an enlightened clergy. The success and survival of our Parsi Zoroastrian community is undoubtedly directly linked to our religion and our Mobeds. Our Atashbehrams and Agiyaries were created by our visionary forefathers, where not only their generation could revere and worship Ahura Mazda, but left them for us as a legacy and benefit for all future generations of Parsis.

We have at these places of worship bowed countless times in reverence before our holy fires, in normal times as also in times that have been other than normal. It is our revered and venerated holy consecrated fires that have not only connected us with Ahura Mazda but have been the guiding forces that have charted the successes that we as a community have achieved over centuries. We are privileged to be considered a community of achievers. We have a very rich heritage of which we are all very justifiably proud. For all human beings, faith is a very vital attribute. Faith is the fountainhead from which goodness flows and righteousness in all its glory is manifest.

To tend to our holy fires to act as spiritual guides and leaders, divinity created the very privileged group that we refer to as ‘Athravans’ or ‘Athornans’, our Priests. Our venerated Dasturji Kotwal has himself mentioned in a very recent write up, “It is Zarathushtra himself who clearly outlines the need for a priest who seeks to realize his pastoral duty, to be just in all that he does and to be in harmony with the truth”. For our Parsi community it is very essential that young Athornan boys should not only be initiated as ‘Navars and Maratabs’ but should also be encouraged and motivated to perform religious ceremonies, if not as full time Mobeds, at least on a regular basis as and when time permits. Our community, experiencing a chronic shortage of ‘Mobeds’, definitely needs to address the issue on a priority basis.

Foreseeing such a catastrophe, Dasturji Kotwal has written, “There is a great concern among the prudent, well-meaning Parsis that something concrete should be done to save the priestly class which is in danger of extinction, and unless each one of us commits ourselves to do something concrete and tangible for the priesthood, we will be eventually endangering our community, our way of life and our ancient faith”.

The very contemplation that the holy consecrated fires at our Atashbehrams and Agiyaries could be affected due to shortage of Mobeds is frightening and needs to be addressed by the community as a top priority. It is a credit to Team Jiyo Parsi that they have recognised this dilemma and have introduced Jiyo Mobed as an offshoot of their main Jiyo Parsi – a much needed step in the right direction.

Mobeds from all walks of life, are earnestly requested to register and participate in the Jiyo Mobed initiative by attending their second workshop on Sunday, November 19, 2017 (9 am to 3 pm) that is being held at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, Hospital Auditorium Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road, Prathna Samaj, Girgaum, Mumbai 400004. There is no charge for attending the workshop. Jiyo Mobed will be conducting 8 to 10 such workshops from time to time. Mobeds who have participated on an ongoing basis and been proactive will be considered for financial incentives at the conclusion of the full set of workshops.

Each of the workshops shall provide our Mobeds an insight into diverse subjects that will be of immense benefit to Mobeds and groom them into evolving into spiritual guides and leaders that the Parsi community would look up to and draw inspiration from.

Atha Zamyad, Yatha Afrinami!