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The practice of Zoroastrian pilgrimage in contemporary Iran is similar to that of pre-Islamic Persia, though practiced on a vastly reduced scale. In the early period of the religion, it seems that the hearth-fire of each family dwelling was used for worship but that around the 4th century BC communal temples began to be constructed. Fire temples were built in villages and cities, and at remote places in the high mountains sacred rocks, caves and holy springs were venerated. Mythological and archaeological evidence indicates that these mountain sites had been pagan sacred places well before the development of Zoroastrianism. The Greek historian Herodotus, writing in the 5th century BC, made the comment about the early Zoroastrian use of their mountain shrines, "It is not their custom to make and set up statues and temples and altars but they offer sacrifices on the highest peaks of the mountains." Over the centuries of use, however, these natural sacred sites were elaborated and simple temples were built. These mountain shrines, more so than the fire temples of the cities and villages, became the focus of the Zoroastrian pilgrimage tradition.
With the coming of Islam in the 7th century AD, Zoroastrianism lost its position as the dominant religion, large numbers of Zoroastrians converted to Islam, and many remote shrines were abandoned and forgotten. The mountainous region of central Iran around the city of Yazd became a stronghold of Zoroastrianism and today remains the only significant area where shrine pilgrimage is still practiced according to the ancient traditions. There are six holy shrines (called pirs or pirangah) in the Yazd region and the yearly pilgrimages to them are an occasion for the gathering of members of different villages. Zoroastrian arrival in India, Iran travel agency Iran hotel iran visa iran tour iran ticket, iran tour, iran visa, iran Archaeology tour, iran tour, Persia, iran cultural tours, iran hotel, iran tour, tour Persia.

symbol of light of Ahura Mazda Veneration of fravashis, all great Zoroastrians, esp. on Feast of All Souls iran Hotel reservation.

Respected Chairman, my seniors, scholars, my young friends, ladies and gentlemen, when people praise you, doubt their judgment; when people criticize you, doubt your own. Iran Hotel booking I have never heard criticism about a speaker from the President. IranTravelingCenter, tour operator, All the same, I thank you Sir, my friend. In ‘Doa Nam Setayeshne’ prayer, our religion is described as ‘farhangan farhang, meaning ‘Teaching of teachings’ or knowledge par excellence. Mine is not a talk, much less a lecture, mine is a heart to heart talk to my co-religionists. iran mountain climbing, .

Zoroastrians do stand for universality though here and there unity is sometimes at a discount. Iran, Trekking, iran hunting, iran hotel we Zoroastrians have not appreciated these Gathas - the strength that they give us, the vision that they develops. Iran visa, iran hotel

My subject for today is the Universal Elements in Zoroastrianism forming the fundamentals of life - the fundamentals of the Zoroastrian religion. Iran travel, iran tour I request you to distinguish between the religion of Zarathushtra and Zoroastrianism. Many scholars have written on ‘later-Zoroastrianism’ and they call it Zoroastrianism. There is a difference, a world of difference between the religion of Zarathushtra and the third century Zoroastrianism and between the Gathas and the Vendidad. Let us know that the late Dastur done a yeoman service by distinguishing the. periods in his History of zoroastrianism. So please, whenever you read some quotations from the Vendidad, also take care to see that you read quotations from the Gathas.

I live, I assert my living today. In spire of being .003 in the world census, I keep my head erect in the world and live, simply because of the strength that I derive from the Gathas. The Gathas teach me: ‘give and survive’. Arbab Guiv has really given me again the strength to say 'O Zoroastrian, what is thy name? My name is Mr Give'. In Bombay, I tell my people there is the 'Dena' Bank in Bombay. Some people prefer dealing with 'Lena' bank and not with. The Zoroastrians survive by 'Dena' bank. Of course there is a certain limit to 'Lena' bank. - Some people believe that life is a mission. iran hotel, iran tour, tour Persia Others believe that life is out and out a commission. We will not survive if life is out and out a commission.

Life is a mission - so teaches my Master. When I use the word Master I use it with all the emphasis at my command. Unfortunately in Bombay, we see our Zoroastrians believing in other Gurus. It is not a matter of anger but that of distress and pain that we have not appreciated Lord Zarathushtra as our Guru, as our only Guru. What are these world elements? I call the Gathas, 'Gathao, Spentao, Ratushathrao, Ashaonish, Yazamaide' (We worship the Holy Gathas ruling as pure spiritual teacher). The Gathas are the prophets of ages. The author Duchesne-Guillemin taught me the word 'prophet' embodies two outstanding traits - universality and permanency. The Gathas embody elements of universality and therefore they are entitled to permanency. My ancestors were fully confident of the permanency of Zoroastrianism. Whenever some people are doubtful and dejected and say 'Will Zoroastrians survive after a hundred years or five hundred years?' I reply, the answer is in Chapters 10 and 11 of Visperad-one of our scriptures. These are the chapters I quote. Whenever we talk something weighty, we must talk chapter and verse, not through the hat. 'Stiatascha Daenyao Mazdayashnoish'-(Oh we revere the permanence of the Mazdayasni religion). The permanence of the Mazdayasni religion depends upon observing this excellent religion. But we can only do so if we know what it is

We have studied the Gathas ever since 1935 casually and intensively ever since 1951 and we have agreed with Rev. Dr Mills who was here in Oxford. He said 'I have come to the conclusion after a study of the Gathas for forty years, each syllable of the Gathas is loaded with thought'. Not every line, not every word but every syllable. He said syllable because it is poetry. He says that Greece and Rome and Egypt are mere words in ancient history. It is some intention of God that there must be some secret why Zoroastrians have survived, in spite of being .003 in the census of the world. And it is our responsibility on this occasion of the World Zoroastrian Conference that we become and live as world citizens. A Zoroastrian is a universalist, he is a world Zoroastrian and a world citizen. Iran Travel agency He never thinks of his family only; he thinks of the world as his family.

My friends who know Sanskrit know this very fine dictum 'Yatra viswarm bhavati ek needum' (Holiness is unity). This is the motto of Rabindranath Tagore's Shantiniketan University for the last so many years. A Zoroastrian believes in the 'family of nations. The Hindus call it 'Gokula'. The word 'go' in Avesta' is 'gao'. Unfortunately for the last so many centuries of course in the wake of the Pahlavi traditions (and it is Zoroastrianism and not the religion of Zarathushtra) that 'gao' has been translated as 'cow' instead of the 'world' and 'life'. It is heartening to know, that 'the Avestan student in particular and for every Zoroastrian in general that there are two meanings of the word life. Iran visa Iran Tour One life is any sentient life for which the word is 'gao' and the latter in another context stands for human life. The highest in the scale of evolution is 'Gaya'- you recite in Khorshed Nyaish ‘Nemo Geush Nemo gayehe, Nemo Zarthustrahe Spitamahe'.

If I understand these expressions, I need not have separate religious instruction. I shall be very choosy in presenting to you this fact of universality in Zoroastrianism. I can teach my children 'Look at your religion, look at your noble religion that will make your life noble'. When I recite in Jasme Avanghe Mazda, 'mazishtacha, vahistacha, sraeshtacha', many say that, 'is not self glorification that you call your noble faith the best, the finest and the noblest?', my reply is 'I will not say it verbally, I will show it in my life' and that would be undebate-able. No one will be able to say - your life as a Zoroastrian is not the finest and the best, one whose name is Mr 'Give'. If I you believe in giving and very little in receiving, you will come up in the estimation of the world. Persia, iran cultural tours.

The third element according to Zarathushtra, as expounded in the Gathas is to accept the sinner and not hate him. The Avestan word for the sinner is 'dregvant' and for the righteous person 'ashvant'. I have learnt this as a custodian of religion. Einstein calls us the custodians of religion and he requires of us to be very precise when speaking in the name of religion. Iran Iran hotel Iran travel information When I use the word precise and precision I am reminded of the terms 'razishtayao, chistayao', meaning 'the most upright and divine knowledge' which our religion is.

Three months back I performed a Navjote ceremony of an Iranian girl. That girl of course knew Persian, so when we recited together 'razishtayao, tayao', she was quiet. Then from the seventh word onwards 'Mazda-dhatyao, onyao Daenyao, Vanghuyao, Mazdayasnoish. tour operator, iran tour, iran visa, Din-beh rast va dorost ke Khodae bur khalk ferastadeh' (The excellent religion of Mazda worship which is noble, just, complete and effectual which God has made known for the people of the world) the child began to nod so as to say 'Yes, Dasturji, what you say is quite true'. Because she knew the language, iran Archaeology tour, iran tour, she understood and appreciated the words. For the first time she made me realize that I must also now make every Parsi-Zoroastrian child realize these words and then it can be a red letter day in the life of that child. The Navjote today is a social event, a social gathering. Let us cease to make Navjote a social gathering and let us make it a day of awareness for the young soul. My prophet has taught me another universal element, that religion stands for progress. The word for progress in Gujerati and Sanskrit is 'gati'. There is a phrase in Avesta 'utayuiti tevishim gat toi vasemi' (In truth I crave from you God's desire for perfection and immortality-Yasna 43. I). My religion further teaches me 'fradat-gaethem'. In so many references Zoroastrians read 'Sraoshem ashim'. When you return home, if you recite Sarosh Baj prayer, you will recite 'Sraoshem ashim huraodhem verethrajanem fradat-gaethem, The five Gathas are called in Persian 'Panj-bokh'. In the list of names for our children, I saw this name; it was in the Iranian list of names sent to me by an Iranian Zoroastrian friend. The Panj means five and the five that liberates are the Gathas. The Gathas mean songs and these songs enjoin on you to practise goodness in this life' Collectively and individually. I live my life, my Zarathushtrian life, by contributing goodness. To me the word God is synonymous with goodness. If a man says 'I don't believe in God', God doesn't mind whether you believe in Him or not, but please do believe in goodness at all cost. Be good, do good. These are the two lessons of my Sudreh and kusti. Sudreh teaches me 'be good' and kusti teaches me 'do good'. Teach the child to do these two things daily, to think upon these cardinal lessons of life, of be good and do good so that continuity of life and gathering of the spiritual strength from day to day occurs from life to life. All these processes end in the ultimate perfection and immortality of my soul. Immortality is another universal element in my religion. Immortality is nothing but a distant but destined goal of the progressing soul. We have learned this both from the Gathas and from the Farvardin Yasht. ran Trekking, iran hunting, Paragraph 58 of the Yasht specifically mentions this. iranian tourism, Iran I have chosen these lessons at random to onvince you my friends how the follower of Zoroaster is a universalist. He never believes in narrow confines.

There is a very fine but sad anecdote as far as a custodian of religion is concerned. It is said about a priest that he prayed to God 'Oh Lord reserve a place for me in Heaven; in it may there be a spare place for my wife'. If such is my prayer in life, if such is my attitude in life, I don't think I can be Mr Give. So selfish an attitude will not make my life 'Utayuiti tevishim gat toi'. 'Gat toi' means for progress. The word for progress is (gat toi' and there is also in the later Avesta 'fradat-gaethem'. I will not go into details but merely mention what every Zoroastrian should believe. A Persian has said 'Vahdak dar zad, kafarat dar shifa' meaning unity in fundamental, diversity in details. Iran travel, Iran visa, iran hotel, iran tour, iranian tourism, Iran The religion of Zarathushtra, this noble faith, teaches me that man has to develop himself from humanity to divinity. That is the progress of man. The six Gahambars in their essence are not festivals only. They are a lesson in the scale of evolution. I only mention this in passing. Zarathushtra taught me in Yasna 31.11 about the making of man. He says 'I gave you reason, I gave you mind'. In Yasna 19, some later Zarathushtrian Apostles tell me 'Mind is man's magnificence'. In the seventeenth century, Descartes, the French philosopher taught 'Cogito, ergo sum', 'I think, therefore I exist'. A Zarathushtrian collegian came to me and asked 'Is there any equivalent of this in Zoroastrian scripture?' I replied pointing out Yasna 31.11 and Yasna 19. In both of them emphasis is laid on reason which should be the guiding principle in a man's life. Iran travel agency Iran hotel iran visa iran tour iran ticket
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