19^th October, 2024, (today) is Roj Khordad of Mah Khorda, marking the Parab of Khordad, which ushers in blessings of purity and perfection or wholeness/completeness in our lives. We are trained to strive for perfection since our childhood. Striving towards perfection has its merits. Improving our skills for example is beneficial. However, the pursuit of having a perfect job, perfect friends or a perfect life oftens lead to disappointment. It would be better instead to aim for wholeness or a sense of completeness in our life, with realistic goals and aspirations.

Khordad (Avesta Haurvataat) is an Amesha Spenta presiding over the purifying waters, embodying the quality of wholeness. Khordad and Amardad (Avesta Haurvataat and Ameretaat) are twin concepts, representing the final goal of human life – Completeness! In the Khordad Yasht, Khordad is referred to as, ‘the Lord of the coming of the season at its proper time’. In other words, Khordad is responsible for the delicate ecological balance and the precision of the changing seasons.

Khordad Yasht

In the Khordad Yasht, we pray, “Mraot Ahurō Mazdāo Spitamāi Zarathushtrāi azem dadhām Haurvatātō narām ashaonām avāoscha, rafnāoscha baoshanāoscha, khvītāoscha; avōi fracha yaokhmaide, yō te jasāiti ameshanām spentanām, yatha jasāiti ameshanām spentanām vohū manō, ashem vahishtem, khshathrem vairīm, spentām ārmaitīm, haurvatāoscha ameretatāoscha”! (“The Creator, Ahura Mazda told Spitamān Zarathushtra that He created Khordād for happiness and joy and to help righteous men and one may invoke Khordād and Amardād for help, just as one would the other Ameshā Spentas, Bahman, Ardibehesht, Sheherevar and Spandārmad.”)

What this means is pursuit of excellence leads to happiness and it is by invoking Bahman (good mind) with Ardibehest (truth and righteousness) as also with Sheherevar (strength and power) and Spandārmad (piety and humility), that Khordad or wholeness can be achieved with joy!

The Khordad Yasht also affirms that one who invokes the Holy name of Khordad would not only be protected against attacks from the forces of evil, but also smites them. This Yasht also lays great emphasis on chanting Avesta manthra in order to attain purity and wholeness. However, what one prays must be matched equally with good actions. Every Zoroastrian is expected to adhere to the principle of Asha which embodies truth, righteousness and divine order and Khordad or purity with a sense of completeness can be attained only through Asha.

Perfection Vs. Excellence

While most scholars would aver that Khordad is about the goal of perfection in a perfecting world, one could also consider the idea of perfection as our ideal and the goal and pursuit of excellence as the path that leads to the feeling of wholeness or completion. We should not confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence is human openness to being wrong, while perfection is about always trying to be right. The pursuit of perfection is usually impractical and puts unnecessary stress on the individual to be flawless or pretend to be flawless, even while knowing that all of us – saints or sinners – are flawed.

People who strive for excellence accept that mistakes are inevitable and value what they learn from them. They do not let mistakes define them. But perfectionists see mistakes as evidence of their inadequacy or inferiority. They expect themselves to know everything, to out-perform everyone, to always know the right thing to do or say, to be above criticism, and never let anyone down. This is not only unrealistic, but also a heavy burden to carry.

Excellence is about having high standards which encourages us to make improvements, solve problems and do quality work. High standards may be difficult to achieve, but they are attainable. These are what we can reasonably achieve with practice and persistence. It’s important to stay focused on the process (e.g., the practice of Asha) and not the outcome. Give every endeavour in life your very best. If that leads to failure, be humbled and learn from that failure. If it leads to success, remain humble and set your eyes on the next higher goal. This essentially would be the essence of Khordad in personal life.

As human beings, each of us is blessed with many gifts. We are unique in our set of gifts and talents. No one else has the exact combination we have. We are also unique in our purpose and mission in life and precious in the special role and function we are here to perform. To attain Khordad is to realize our being in all its fullness. We should strive to attain fulfillment – to reach the goal or completion of the unique life journey we choose to undertake.

Completeness And Happiness

To feel a sense of completeness or fulfillment is to be happy. In that context Khordad is intrinsically linked to Ushta or happiness.  

The Greek philosopher Aristotle considered happiness as the final end or goal that encompasses the totality of one’s life. It is not something that can be gained or lost in a few minutes or a few hours, like pleasurable sensations. It is more like the ultimate value of one’s life as lived and measuring how well one has lived up to one’s full potential as a human being.

Socrates believed, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” While claiming that his wisdom consisted merely in “knowing that he knew nothing,” Socrates did have certain beliefs, chief among them that happiness is obtainable by human effort. Socrates felt that by harmonizing our desires we can learn to pacify the mind and achieve a divine-like state of tranquility. He also believed that leading a righteous life is important, primarily because it leads to a happier life.

In the words of the American stage and film artist, Mae West, “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” On this auspicious Parab of Khordad, let us resolve to keep our attitude positive and life purposeful and productive enough to attain wholeness and happiness in life!