(A reprint from FEZANA Journal)...*W]IAT DO WE FINII IhI'T'TIE GATHAS" by Prof Knikhosrazt D ' lrani...
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The Gothss ore the HYrnns c,omposed' byZo rothushfro q,b-out 3,500 yeorsogo. The Poeti'c compl'exity ond beoutyof these . songsis ofmostbeyond befief. EochHo (one of the ChoPters) hos itsownsymmetric strucfut?Gs; on'd eochverse contoins, quite oflen, porollel structures sorne' times coordinoted ond sometimes controsting. Sin'ce the theologY of the Gofhss hos been discussed often,I sholl limit myself to the innovotive o,nd: lofty religious elements ' conloined in Zorothushlro's Hymns. The mostr,evolulionsry ond {or-reoching: coil,Geption wo's the shift of focuso,f reli'g'iotrs corrt' ilrilrnenl from f:hetribof to the indlvldusf . Religious s66mil' rnenf is viewed os on oct of in' dviduol reflection, choice, ond octive dedicotion, which hos nothing lo do with ihe foctof birth in o community or tribe. fhe con' sequence of this is the unovoid' oble individ'uol responsibility be{ore God for o worthy life,ond the foundotion of personol sol,' votion,Such on ideo wos to different fromthe fr:ibol {ocus of th,e vorious Indo'EuroPeoo ol1' cient religions, thotitsfull impli' *W]IAT DO WE FINII IhI'T'TIE GATHAS" by ProfKnikhosrazt D' lrani (A reprint from FEZANA Journal) Koikho-srov D, &''onf csfions wsr's recognired onlYbY lho intef le,etuo lly d iscern ing r.cl,i' gious fh:inkers o,f h'on ond ol,so ol oncienf Indio snd Greece. Turning to th:e notion of the rcflglout scl. Ordinorily people toks this to be on oct of worshiP, ond indccd thare ore Gothic Hymns expressing venerotion ond worshipful invocofion of Ahuro Mo,zdo, Asho,Vohu-mono ond Spenfo-Armoity. AhuroMozdo is fhe Divinity on-d the restore the personolired e$sances through whicho,ur'lives orre to be g'ui6td. However; the centrol sct of reli' giouscomrnitrnent is living o life of refl'Bctivg r',ig'hfeousness, of Good Thought, Word, ond Deed. Thef'undurnontol teoching of the,Gothos is itsErhic ,lor which lron wos known throughout the oncienf world' The Ethic of the Gothos is reflective, not prescrip- iive; though prescriptive elements were introduced into the foith, yeors loter. Ancienf .religio-morol irod itio,ns corn monly'e'nu ncioted p:rescriptions, thol is,rules speci- iying whof to do ond whotnot to do. the Gothos offer no such rules; they ploce upon the i,ndividuol the heo,vy responsibility to discern the Truth, thot is, wholonysiiuo'tion id.eolly should be, t,h'roug:h tha Good-Mind, ond o,ct $o, os to promote it. The world we live in is 9'ood ond wos meo'nf fo evolve fo perfecfion, but ii is confo'minoted with the effects of the SPirit s{ Opposition, theSpirit of Evil. This contominotion we oresuPPosed to rernove, or minimize, withour octions. And whenour ocfions rend,er lhe wronged worldright, in physicol ond sociol existence, then we orB [ustified. When fhe whof e of hurnonitY ocfs thus, evil is destroy € d. Forwhen evilis not ch,osen, when its monifestotions ore removed, then it is trulY de' stroyed.This bri'ngs obout ihe odvent of the finol renovotion in which we, humons,'PloY o cru' ciol role. This is theoPtimistic rnessoge of theGothos; to oct free of onger ond hotred ,flee of the guih ond sin, directing effort of thoughl ond oction to tt't. cleonsing o{ the world,, espocioll'y oursociol world, toword, whotAhur:o Mozdo hos ossured us, the downing of o perfecfed exi'stence.
Transcript of (A reprint from FEZANA Journal)...*W]IAT DO WE FINII IhI'T'TIE GATHAS" by Prof Knikhosrazt D ' lrani...
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The Gothss ore the HYrnnsc,omposed' by Zo rothushfro q,b-out3,500 yeors ogo. The Poeti 'ccompl'exity ond beouty of these .songs is ofmost beyond befief.Eoch Ho (one of the ChoPters)hos its own symmetric strucfut?Gs;on'd eoch verse contoins, quiteoflen, porollel structures sorne'times coordinoted ond sometimescontrosting. Sin'ce the theologYof the Gofhss hos been discussedoften, I sholl l imit myself to theinnovotive o,nd: lofty religiouse lements ' con lo ined inZorothushlro's Hymns.
The most r,evolulionsry ond{or-reoching: coil,Geption wo's theshift of focus o,f reli'g'iotrs corrt'ilrilrnenl from f:he tribof to theindlvldusf . Rel igious s66mil 'rnenf is viewed os on oct of in'dv iduol ref lect ion, choice, ondoc t i ve ded i co t i on , wh i ch hosnothing lo do with ihe foct of birthin o community or tribe. fhe con'sequence of th is is the unovoid 'ob le ind iv id 'uo l respons ib i l i t ybe{ore God for o worthy life, ondthe foundotion of personol sol,'vo t ion , Such on ideo wos todifferent from the fr:ibol {ocus ofth,e vorious Indo'EuroPeoo ol1'cient rel igions, thot i ts ful l impli '
*W]IAT DO WE FINII IhI'T'TIE GATHAS"by Prof Knikhosrazt D ' lrani
(A reprint from FEZANA Journal)
Koikho-srov D, &''onf
csfions wsr's recognired onlY bYlho intef le,etuo lly d iscern ing r.cl,i'gious fh:inkers o,f h'on ond ol,sool oncienf Indio snd Greece.
Turning to th:e notion of thercflglout scl. Ordinorily peopletoks this to be on oct of worshiP,ond indccd thare ore GothicHymns expressing venerotion ondworshipful invocofion of AhuroMo,zdo, Asho, Vohu-mono ondSpenfo-Armoity. Ahuro Mozdo isfhe Divinity on-d the rest ore thepersonolired e$sances throughwhich o,ur'lives orre to be g'ui6td.However; the centrol sct of reli 'gious comrnitrnent is living o lifeof refl'Bctivg r',ig'hfeousness, ofGood Thought, Word, ond Deed.
The f'undurnontol teoching ofthe,Gothos is i ts Erhic , lor whichl ron wos known throughout theoncienf wor ld ' The Ethic of theGothos is reflective, not prescrip-iive; though prescriptive elementswere introduced into the foith,yeors loter. Ancienf .religio-morolirod itio,ns corn monly'e'nu nciotedp:rescriptions, thol is, rules speci-iying whof to do ond whot not todo. the Gothos offer no such rules;they ploce upon the i,ndividuol theheo,vy responsibility to discern the
Truth, thot is, whol ony siiuo'tionid.eolly should be, t,h'roug:h thaGood-Mind, ond o,ct $o, os topromote it.
The world we live in is 9'oodond wos meo'nf fo evolve foperfecfion, but ii is confo'minotedwith the effects of the SPirit s{Opposition, the Spirit of Evil. Thiscontominotion we ore suPPosedto rernove, or minimize, with ouroctions. And when our ocf ionsrend,er lhe wronged world right,in physicol ond sociol existence,then we orB [ustified. When f hewhof e of hurnonitY ocfs thus, evilis destroy€d. For when evil is notch,osen, when its monifestotionsore removed, then i t is trulY de'stroyed. This bri 'ngs obout iheodvent of the finol renovotion inwh ich we, humons, 'P loY o c ru 'c io l ro le.
This is the oPtimistic rnessogeof the Gothos; to oct free of ongerond hotred , f lee of the guih ondsin, directing effort of thoughl ondoction to t t ' t . cleonsing o{ theworld,, espocioll'y our sociol world,toword, whot Ahur:o Mozdo hosossured us, the downing of operfecfed exi'stence.
