My reply to Parsiana dated 21st June, 2016 Editorial Write up titled "A mirror to reality"

Mr Jehangir Patel

Editor of Parsiana


The following is in response to your Editorial viewpoint write-up titled "A mirror to reality"in Parsiana dated 21st June 2016


You write:-

If the Parsi traditionalists wish to be taken seriously they have to present a cohesive, persuasive and organized argument. They have to create platforms and institutions. They have to present documentation and scriptures to substantiate their arguments. They have to put in the required, sustained hard work and thought. They cannot be mere armchair conservatives, spouting out random thoughts and fanciful stories. Unless they demonstrate some tangible results, they will continue to remain on the margins of society.

To view whole Parsiana Editorial article click over Here

You are interested in persuasive and cohesive organized argument. As if after giving all the proof you will turn to a new leaf, all in favour for our age old traditions and customs. Hasn’t all Vada Dasturjis given umpteen number of times in one voice and in writing that Inter marriage is bad and you cannot increase fold by inter marrying. Now that you know that all present Vada Dasturji barring few are ailing and become Old so you would like to push your reform strategy.Even if our Paigambar saheb will descend to give religious discourses to ignorant people you being rational minded will start demanding a University Degree from him. Do you understand the status of our Paigamaber saheb that he is called as “Aevo” the one and only one, and has divine wisdom known as Asne Vir.The divine senses as mentioned in Doa Naam Setayesh Pazand prayers are Vir, Hos, Kherad. These are divine senses but you sir are refusing to use even common sense. Some of the Hindus saints are known as “Trikal Gyani” or knower of Three Kaals where as our Paigamber saheb is knower/ Seer of seven Eras( Saat Kaal) of vast expanses of mind boggling stretch of time that he can see with his divine eye. And he knew and saw the past, present and future of all the time frames that this earth will be in existence till salvation known as Frashogard. That is why he is called as "SEER", the one who can see much beyond us, where as we with our short sight cannot see anything further than the stock of our nose, somewhat similar to the saying in Gujarati that “Derka ni Duniya tey Kuvani Paar.”

Do you for any practical purpose take all things in life on face value that what you see you believe, and the rest is not to be believed in ?.I would like to ask a counter question to you. You have assumed your parents as your mother and father because you have been told that these are your mother and Father, just because somebody in your family told you so. Now if you are rationalist then won’t you be needing proof of your hereditary existence, or are you going to doubt your parents too ?. There is a limit to rationality and there are many things under the Sun which are done in good faith and you cannot take away the faith from us, however you deformists may try it. Another example I would like to point out is that you are sitting on earth you observe that Sun is moving around earth, but that is only your apparent observation whereas truth is very much opposite to your apparent observation. You also observe that Earth is also Flat but in reality Earth is round in shape, so after all, your eyes can play a trick on your mind.

You feel that we have to reform because our age old practice of Dokhmenashini is defunct because of lack of Vultures which is main agent for disposal for dead body. As if when the vultures were there you deformists called this system as filthy and barbaric which is like a kettle calling the pot Black. Now these are not random thoughts that you would not like to believe in but those who have done some scriptural studies can tell you that for a Zarathosti soul no other method of disposal of dead is allowed if he has to reach Chinvat Pool. Do you at all in first place believe that there is place called Chinvat. Do you believe that there are places a soul has to dwell in after his physical death on earth. The names like Naman, Vees, Jantu, Dakhyu, Varjamkard, Kang Daeza, Ganjesh(Portal) found in our avesta prayers and Afringan Prayers, the seven Dakhyu names that can be found in our Meher Niyaesh Avesta Prayers, does all these mean anything to you ? Or is it according to you a figment of imagination by our past Mobeds that new unnecessary ceremonies are invented after high intoxication of “Chato Pani” merely to sustain their living and extra income. For your information Physical death is not end of everything, for nothing can be destroyed in nature they can merely be transformed from one element to another, that is basis of Alchemy, like lead can be converted to Silver, or Cooper to Gold. Over here we are talking about Spiritual Alchemy of a Soul. That is why Dokhmenashini is called as “Awal Manzil”, which is well oiled machinery of nature for disposal of atoms of dead body in a defined and swift manner where atoms are taken care of by Daham Yazad. In case of other disposal Daham Yazad won’t be able to help the soul. In Bible it is said that “In my Father’s home there are many Mansions”, have you considered all these facts before you arrive at any logical conclusion for reform. You would like to believe that by cremating or burying the body we are expediting the process of getting rid of Putrid matter in a dignified manner and the matter ends there. But you Deformists with your short sight are missing important fact that death is not the end of our Journey but only a step further to it. Besides the 3 physical body of Tanu, Gaetha, Azda there are other 3 Ultra Physical parts known as Keherp, Ushtan, Tevishi and Divine 3 part of the body known as Ruvan, Baodang, Fravashi which has to be taken into consideration. Are you wise enough even to question the authority of our Paigamber Saheb which has shown us the path. These long standing customs are valid for all ages and even today in absence of Vultures we have sun shining all year round which will crumple the physical body to powder form and exposure of body to Sun is known as “Khurshed Nagirashni” which is another side of the same coin. You under the guise of being practical and pragmatic wish reform and would like to do away our age old practices. I would say Keep trying but you will never succeed.

Why did we Leave Iran our Mother Land:-
And for what purpose did we leave our property and home land of Iran ? To preserve and protect our religion and ethnicity of being a Parsee, otherwise did it not occur to you in first place that why did we not merely convert to another religion and take trouble of coming all the way here to India. Remember that amongst Crores of population we have shone like a diamond and that is due to our Parsi Panu and preserving of our seed known as “Boonak Pasbani” and you want to under guise of reform want to give up all that. This Scare Mongering fear tactics adopted by you and brain washing the gullible youngster in HPY Holiday Programme for Youths will not last for long, for our religion is going to last for all the time to come. It may shrink but it can never disintegrate for there is higher Hierarchy taking care of it. What is not going to last will be deformists who thing it is time to change. Certain things cannot be changed. For example you cannot change your children for they are been gifted by god to you, same is the case with the religion, for Religion is not man made but is God made that is why it is called as Ahurish Takesho in Afringan Prayers Daham no Kardo. Translation:- Ahurish= That Belonging to Ahura, Takaesho= Deen= Religion.You cannot change a religion like wanting to change a dress to your liking/preference, nor tell others to forgo their own religion and come in our fold. I shudder to even think what will hardliners in Middle East do when they come to know of your conversion policy. Consider yourself lucky that you are dealing with cultured community. Had you gone ahead with your gimmicks with other community the only solution for them is death to the reformer. To educate how they treat the Blasphemy victims/ Adulterers is they bury the victim in ground with their head above ground, and they are stoned to death, other method is they cage the victim and sprinkle Petrol and cremate/ roast alive. Sounds very revolting and barbarous, does it not ??

It is one thing to believe as you want but it is a sin or “Margarjan Gunah” to confuse the laity/ fence sitters with your distorted and convoluted way of looking at our religion. Please desist from doing that for on the day of judgement one has to answer all our misdeeds. Better to be safe than be sorry.

Firdosh.K. Sukhia