In certain religious traditions, God is perceived as a fearsome divinity (the adjective – ‘God-fearing’ is quite common in the English lexicon) or as the Lord or as Malik (Master). However, in our Zoroastrian tradition Ahura Mazda is neither to be feared nor a master to be pleased. The relationship that a Zoroastrian has with […]
Death is the final doom, says the sceptic and there is no beyond. Life is but the beginning of death and death is everything. From oblivion we come and to oblivion we return. We play our part and are away forever. All joy and sorrow, success and failure, love and hate, fame and shame, peace […]
Myth: The Jamaspi is an authentic Zoroastrian book of revelations and accurately predicts events that will unfold for the community and the world in the future. Fact: It would be a myth to state that the Persian and Gujarati Jamaspi contain some authentic utterances of Jamasp – the apostle of Zarathushtra. In fact, most of […]
The iron-gate turns heavily upon its hinges with a jarring noise, and the dead enter the Tower of Silence. No roof the charnel-house has, no balcony, no corridor, no parlour. A circular enclosure, open to the sky, dreary and dreadful, it gives its inmates but a bare stony bed, with no pillow and no covering. […]
The holy Muktaad or Fravardegan days are the last ten days of the Zoroastrian calendar and are of great significance in every pious Zoroastrian’s life. On August 17, 2018, it will be the first day (Roj Hormuzd) of the first month (Mah Fravardin) of the Shehanshai calendar corresponding to the year, 1388 Yezdazirdi (YZ). […]
Killing is the kiss of death, its embrace, extinction. The bravest heart quails to look it in the face and trembles at its sight. The strong in body and robust in mind and defiant of spirit and undaunted in courage, that think they can make light of death and frighten and fight death itself, are […]
Myth: The Northern direction is inauspicious from the Zoroastrian point of view Fact: The Northern direction is not inauspicious simply because doctrinally we are precluded from praying facing the North. In fact, in the char disha no namaskar we pay homage to all four directions, including the North. Is there any rationale for not praying […]
Great is the gloom that death casts around us. Time fails to soften the sorrows and heal the wounds of those that are disconsolate by temperament. Endowed with deep emotional nature and gentle feelings, they cannot forget the dear ones that are torn from them. They cannot be comforted by consoling words. Death lacerates the […]
.Myth: ‘Paalak’ is a Zoroastrian form of adoption and is religiously valid. Fact: The Parsi custom of naming a ‘paalak’ for undertaking obsequies of a deceased cannot be confused with adoption. The fact is adoption is not yet legal among Parsis in India. The only codified law available for adoption in India is The Hindu […]
Death the grim harvester is heedless of the seasons of life. Old age and sickness provide a rich harvest for it. As the frosty wind cuts off the buds that have not yet blossomed and flowered, so does death fall as a noiseless shadow upon sprouting human seedlings and blows its withering wind upon […]
Peremptory is the summons of death; none can resist it. When the hour sounds and death knocks at the door, nothing in the world can keep it out. Not priest, nor prince, nor peasant can ever retard the hour of death. Grim death is ever at man’s heels. It is closer to him than […]