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!! DONT WORRY BE HAPPY !!
GOOD THOUGHTS GOOD WORDS GOOD DEEDS
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ZARATHUSHTRA
Zarathushtra is
the name of the prophet of the Parsis as it appears in the
Avesta, their oldest scriptural text. In later writings the name
appears as 'Zartusht, Zardosht'. In the ancient Greek writings
the name appears in various forms, but the most common form is
"Zoroaster", which is generally used in English and
other European languages.
Zarathushtra lived and preached his religion in antiquity, in
pre-historic times. His life-history, therefore, is not
adequately known. But tradition has preserved the prophet's
life-story as recorded in the late writings of the 9th
century. These writings are evidently based on older sources. The
life-story of the prophet given in this booklet is taken from the
said traditional account.
The religion preached by Zarathushtra is based on the principle
of Avesta arta -- which signifies 'truth, law, divine cosmic
law'. It is explained and expounded in simple language : Humata,
Hukhta, Hvareshta' -- 'good thoughts', 'good words', 'good
deeds'. The principle of divine justice is : BAD UNTO THE DOERS
OF BAD, GOOD BLESSINGS UNTO DOERS OF GOOD.
The Zoroastrians once numbered millions, during the time of their
empires (about 6th century B.C. to 7th
century A.D.). After the downfall of the empire of the Sasanians
about the middle of the 7th century, their numbers
dwindled in Iran. Then some of them left Iran and migrated to
India. At present the world population of the Parsis may be
estimated at 130,000 souls -- about 101,000 in India, about
18,000 in Iran, about 6,000 in Pakistan and about 5,000 in
Europe, America and other places in the world.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
LIFE OF ZARTHUSHTRA
Those were evil times in ancient Persia. People prayed to Ahura
Mazda ( God ) to send them a saviour and to let the past glory to
the earth. At that time, in the city of Rae, lived Frahimurva and
his daughter Dughdhow. A radiance covered her (shiny golden aura)
which the wise men of the land thought was an evil omen and told
her father to send his daughter away as she portended evil. Her
father listened to the wise men and sent his daughter away to his
very good friend Paitarasp They bid a tearful farewell and her
father prayed to Ahura Mazda to look after her. Paitarasp
welcomed Dughdhow and as per her father's wish she married
Paitarasp's son Pourushasp. A few months later Dughdhow became
pregnant and one night she had a terrible nightmare and was very
frightened. Pourushasp sought the help of the wise men and asked
for the meaning of the nightmare. They told him to rejoice as his
son would be a great man. They said he will be a messenger of God
and will teach the world a religion of love and justice. But they
also said that he will suffer. Jealous men will try to destroy
him and his religion. At last when Zarathushtra was born his
mother remarked that it was strange indeed that her son smiled
instead of crying when he was born, like other children.
The head priest Durasrob, who was actually a sorcerer, knew
Zarathushtra to be a threat to all the forces of evil. So one day
he stole the baby and placed him in the path of a herd of stampeding
cows. But to his amazement one cow covered the child and stood
over protecting him. The evil man however would not accept defeat
so easily, so he took the child to a forest and left his there to
be eaten by wolves and wild animals. But the
animals took one
look at the child and slunk away. Durasrob seethed with rage and
tossed him in a fire to burn him to death. But the fire turned
into a bed of fragrant roses. A worried Dughdhow found him and
wondered how he was in the forest. One year later Zarathushtra
fell ill and Pourushasp called Durasrob for medical advice. He
said he would send a special remedy in the evening and sent his
poison But when Dughdhow went to give it to her child he
pushed and the cup fell from Dughdhow's hand and she scolded the
child saying he was naughty, but to her surprise when she touched
the baby she found that the fever was no more.
Zarathushtra soon grew up to be a sturdy, clever and handsome
boy. His father told the learned Burzin Kurus to teach him.
Burzin Kurus found him to be the most intelligent pupil he ever
had and was indeed proud of him. One day the aging Pourushasp
asked him which of his possessions he would like to have.
Zarathushtra asked for his girdle. His father was taken aback and
asked him why. He replied that he felt confident of winning God's
battle against the forces of evil.
Zarathushtra lived a simple life and spent his days helping the
poor, the sick and the needy. He was specially kind to animals.
He prayed to God everyday for strength to fight evil. One day
Pourushasp invited the evil Durasrob and equally evil Bratrokesh
to his house. Zarathushtra asked his father why he had invited
sorcerers to his home. He said that to practice sorcery, was
evil. This enraged the evil men and they soon left after warning
Zarathushtra.
Zarathushtra left home in search of truth. On the way he had to
cross the River Abahi, where there was neither bridge nor a boat
but he easily walked on the water and reached the other side. He
wandered through the land, studying the mysteries of nature. Then
he came to another river -- The Daiti. He began to cross it. The
water reached his knees, then his chest and then his neck, but no
higher. When he reached the other side, he stepped out, glowing
with a new light. This miraculous episode indicated that the new
religion he was going to found, would spread through the world in
four stages. On the other side of the river the angel of good
mind, Vohu Mano stood before him. He asked Zarathushtra what he
was looking for. He answered for the Will of God. Vohu Mano asked
him to close his eyes for a minute, then told him to open them.
Zarathushtra heard the words :"I am Ahura Mazda. The
righteous man is the one who is truthful, just and charitable. He
looks after all my creations, respects them and protects them. He
is the man I shall bless forever. Go forth Zarathushtra and
spread my message ". Zarathushtra asked Ahura Mazda to give
him a symbol. Ahura Mazda answered that every shining object is
the symbol of God. Fire burns away all evil and it can never be
made impure. Then Zarathushtra went back to his people and taught
them the importance of Humata (good thoughts) Hukhta (good words)
Hvareshta (good deeds). He told them to decide whether they
wanted to tread the path of the good. He told them to destroy
Angra Mainyu, the evil within you with Spenta, the beneficent
part of you; good will always be rewarded. Evil can never escape
punishment. He said to banish evil from their hearts and mind and
make room for God. God does not sit in heaven on a golden throne,
he lives in your heart.
Zarathushtra's cousin Mediyomah became his disciple and asked to
be taught the religion of Ahura Mazda. Many years later, in the
kingdom of Balkh in Persia, King Gushtasp had a dream. He saw
Zarathushtra come through the roof on a golden throne, holding a
ball of fire, the sacred book Avesta and a plant. In his dream he
planted the tree which spoke to him saying there is only one God.
He has taught Zarathushtra the true religion and told him to
follow it. Then Zarathushtra handed the ball of fire to Gushtasp,
and to his surprise he found that it did not burn him, nor could
be put out by water or earth. Then Zarathushtra gave him the holy
book. When the king woke up the next morning, his servant said
that a man wanted to speak with him. The king asked for his name.
The servant replied that it was Zarathushtra. The king was
dumbfounded and asked his servant to bring him at once. The king
said he would believe in his God if Zarathushtra answered the
questions of his wise men. Zarathushtra agreed. He answered the
most difficult questions, and the wise men realized that no
ordinary man could have such knowledge and answer these questions
about God, Heaven and Earth unless they have been given to them
by God himself. The king asked Zarathushtra to stay with him in
his palace and asked him if he could show him a miracle.
Zarathushtra answered him saying the holy book Avesta was his
only miracle. The king asked his forgiveness and asked to be
taught the truths of the holy book.
The courtiers were jealous of Zarathushtra's special position as
the king had given him a house in the palace grounds and listened
to everything he said. They connived to get rid of him. So they
put some bones, skulls, finger-nails, hair in his house when
Zarathushtra had gone out. The next day they told the king that
Zarathushtra was a sorcerer and wanted to destroy his kingdom.
The king did not believe them and to prove them wrong sent
someone to search Zarathushtra's house. The guard came back with
the things the evil men had planted in his house. The king then
asked the keeper of the house if he had seen anyone entering
Zarathushtra's house. He said that he had not seen anyone
entering his house. The king was angry and asked for an
explanation. Zaratrhushtra said he was innocent, but the king
threw Zarathushtra in jail. A week later the king's horse
Asp-I-Siyah was sick for the last three days. He had his
legs embedded in his stomach. No one could cure him. The king was
very sad. That evening the guard outside Zarathushtra's
cell told the king that Zarathushtra said he could cure his
horse. The king summoned Zarathushtra and told him that this was
his last chance to prove his greatness. Zarathushtra told the
king that his horse could be cured by complete faith in him and
that he had to fulfill 4 conditions. The king agreed. The horse
was brought before him. Zarathushtra told the king that he had to
believe that he was the true messenger of God. As the king
agreed, the first leg of the horse was free. Then he asked for
the king's son Aspandiar to come, and told him that as he was
noted throughout the kingdom for his bravery, he would use his
strength in the battle for the true religion and spread God's
message to the people. Aspandiar agreed, and the second leg of
the horse was free. Then he asked the king's permission to meet
the queen. Zarathushtra told the queen that since she was blessed
with a wise husband and a brave son, she should acknowledge her
debt to God and follow his path. The queen agreed and the horse's
third leg was free. Then he asked the keeper of his house to be
summoned and told the king to ask him again if he had seen anyone
enter his house when he was not there. The keeper blurted out the
truth that the bones etc. were put by the evil courtiers. The
king banished the evil ones from his kingdom, and the horse's
fourth leg was free and he stood up, well again. The king asked
Zarathushtra to forgive him which he did.
Some years later four men on horse-back came to the gates of the
kingdom. The guard said he was nearly blinded by their dazzling
garments. The king wondered who they could be and asked
that they be brought to him.. The first horseman said, "I am
Vohu Mano, the good mind". The second said, "I am
Haurvatat, that is perfection." The third said, "I am
Asha Vahishta, righteous, law and order." The fourth said,
"I am Adar Gushasp, the sacred fire." They said they
were Ahura Mazda's angels and that Zarathushtra was his messenger
and to listen carefully to his wisdom, accept his religion
completely and protect him from all harm. They left after giving
this message to the king.
King Gushtasp and Zarathushtra established temples dedicated to
the Sacred Fire, the symbol of Ahura Mazda. When Zarathushtra was
77 years old, a Turanian ruffian murdered him when he was praying
his beads. But before he died he threw the beads at the murderer
and the evil man too fell dead.
Zarathushtra died, but the great religion he preached 8,000 years
ago still lives in the hearts of thousands of Zoroastrians who
practice it to this day.
The Achaemenian dynasty lasted over 200 years till it was
destroyed by Alexander along with the holy Zoroastrian scriptures
at Percipolis. In spite of his evil design and the 500 years of
religious barrenness that followed due to the Greek and Parthian
rule of Iran, this great religion once again emerged with the
rise of the Sassanians in A.D. 226. The religious fervour in its
revival was amazing. The ardour of the Irani kings and the zeal
of the high priests, set about putting together the Zoroastrian
religion from scraps of parchment collected from all over the
country.
When the Arabs came and defeated the Sassanians, the Zoroastrian
religion collapsed. Even when the Arab influence diminished and
the Iranis came to power again, there was no resurgence of the
Zoroastrian faith. The Arabs converted many to the Islamic faith
at the point of the sword and many must have perished by
resisting. Those who wanted to follow the Zoroastrian religion
did flee to the mountains where they led a miserable existence
for a century or so. They suffered great hardship and persecution
. Then they made their way to the port of Hormuz and after
another 15 years set sail for India with their sacred fire. On
the way there was a great storm and it seemed that everything
would be lost. They prayed to Ahura Mazda and finally landed
safely in India.
So the Parsis of Pars (a place in old Persia) came to Sanjan, a
town on the west coast of India. the Raja (King) of Sanjan ,
named Jadi Rana was approached by a Parsi priest to ask for
permission to settle on his land. “Why should I” asked
Jadi Rana. The high priest of the Zoroastrians Noriosang Dhaval
requested the King to call for a large bowl of milk and a hand
full of sugar. When the milk and sugar were brought the priest
asked the king to sip the milk and say how it tasted. The king
said that the milk was sweet. The priest took the hand full of
sugar and added it to the milk. He then asked the king to taste
the milk again. The king said that the milk tasted sweeter. The
priest told the king that his hand full of people would mix (like
sugar) with his own people and make his country more prosperous.
Jadi Rana imposed some conditions to which the Parsis agreed.
They were told not carry weapons, speak their language (Gujarati)
, the ladies had to wear saris and the Zoroastrian religion to be
explained to the Raja.
And so the Parsis stayed in India mixing with the people (like
sugar mixed in a bowl of milk) and following some of their
customs but at the same time keeping to their religion, the Great
Zoroastiran Religion, the oldest and simplest – Good
Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds.
________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
PRAYER
God
looks not at the oratory of our prayers - how eloquent they are,
Nor
looks at their logic - how methodical they are,
Nor
at their arithmetic - how many they are,
BUT
He looks at their sincerity - how spiritual they are.
_________________________________________________________________________________
DEVINE SEEDS OF WISDOM
1.
Aham Brahmasmi (I Am That )
2.
Tatvam Asi (Thou Art That )
THOUGHTS
1.
Watch your thoughts - as they come
about or as you think. Both have to be watched, i.e.
involuntary thinking or willful thinking.
2.
Do not compare yourself with others-
as it is this comparison that is the root of sorrow.
3.
Do not judge- as this establishes
authority, power, pride and position.
4.
Nobody belongs to you and you belong to
nobody - as this breeds attachment, which is the source of
sorrow. As all relationships in the process of experiencing is
only means to an end and not the end.
5.
Live from moment to moment - for
then only you can live in the present, which is the reality as
thinking in the past is a fruitless repetitive activity and
thinking in future is a shot in the air fired without target.
6.
Change can be brought about only in us
- not in others and situations that appear as problems are only
resolved when change is brought in you.
Life
is a process of interaction which can only be fulfilled when one
lives for the other.
Therefore,
true living is fulfilled when one commits oneself to live for
others and hence two qualities - SERVICE
AND SACRIFICE.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
My e-mail yo_999@hotmail.com