Sunday, July 29, 2007

ARZ's advert on non-Parsis viewing deceased bodies in misleading

From: TZML Admn <tzmladmn@gmail.com>
Date: Jul 28, 2007 6:02 PM
Subject: ARZ's advert on non-Parsis viewing deceased bodies in misleading
Cc: arzmumbai@yahoo.com

Dear Zarathushti humdins,

cc: Vada Dasturjis
cc: Ervad Sahebs
cc: Prominent Zarathushtis
cc: TZML members
cc: Zoroastrian Studies
cc: The Parsee Voice
cc: Dini Awaz
cc: Parsi Pukar
cc: TMYZ officials

cc: ARZ


it seems ARZ has a lot of money to burn, given their large but
misleading advertisements in the Jame Jamshed weekly.

In last Sunday's issue (22-7-2007), they seem to have completely lost the plot.

Why would someone in their right sense compare the non-Parsi workers
at Doongerwadi (like maalis, watchmen) with the inter-married Parsis
and non-Parsis, about the question of not allowing them to look at the
bodies of deceased Parsis after the sachkar ceremony.

ARZ should understand that maalis and watchmen are not employed at
Doongerwadi to waste their time in peeping at the bodies of deceased
Parsis, and no trustee of BPP nor the families of the deceased
actively encourage these people to gaze at the bodies. Any error is
coincidental and not worthy of raising a big alarm over something not
worthy of even mentioning.

And the comparison of the workmen to the non-Parsi spouses,
intermarried Parsis and non-Parsis is totally absurd.

Non-Parsis and intermarried Parsis are scripturally not allowed to
look at the bodies (sezdo) after the sachkar ceremonies. This
religious practise has been going on since time immemorial and there
is no need to change it to please some so called reformists who take
out advertisements in community papers without understanding the ABCs
of our religion.

We have also received an illuminating reply on this topic from Mrs.
Pervin J Mistry, which we share with you below.

Seriously, ARZ should spend its money on more worthwhile causes then
raise false alarms with large but religiously unsound adverts in the
Jame weekly.

Tomorrow is another Sunday, and we hope we will be spared of more of
ARZ's false propaganda in the next issue of the Jame.

Fellow readers, please write to us about any more ARZ adverts if they
appear in subsequent issues of the Jame, and we will reply to them.

Please circulate this email to as many Zarathushtis you know so that
they are not mislead in by the false messages in the ARZ adverts.

Thanks to all who take an active interest in the preservation of the
Zarathushti din.

With best wishes,

Sincerely
TZML Admins
(encl the very illuminating letter from Mrs. Pervin J. Mistry)

=== =========== Letter of Mrs. Pervin J. Mistry ==============

The ARZ, correctly dubbed, "Association for 'Ruination' of
Zoroastrianism", continues its weekly absurdity in the Jam-e. In the
Issue dated 22-7-2007 the ARZ states: "Why Double Standards? Non-Parsi
gardeners and watchmen employed at the Doongerwadi are allowed on and
around the path-way through which the bodies are carried in a
procession after the paidust prayers. But inter-married Parsis and
their families are stopped and barred from that place." Then, they
ask, "Any religious justification for this selfish discrimination?"

ARZ is comparing paid workers employed at the Doongerwadi to the
inter-married Parsis and their families! ARZ must know that the paid
workers maintain the grounds OUTSIDE the Bunglis. They do not demand
any rights to " sezdo". They merely do their work and do not interfere
with religious matters. On the other hand, the inter-married Parsis
and their families KNOW that our Religion does not accept
inter-marriage or conversion and yet the inter-marrieds demand they
and their juddin spouse be admitted into the Bunglis to do the "sezdo"
after sachkar!

No one has refused the Parsi family of the inter-married Parsis
admission at any Bungli if the family members are married to Parsis
only. The ARZ is championing the untenable demands of the juddin
families of the juddin spouse! Our question to them is, did your
family allow any juddins to perform sezdo after sachkar, and were any
juddins permitted to enter the Bungli when your ancestors passed away?
No! Until now, by and large, the community followed traditions without
imposing unjustifiable "rights". At the Doongerwadi, there is a
special place reserved for juddins who come to honor the dead and
their Parsi relatives. The juddins have never felt discriminated
against as all Religions have their own specific rules. While we are
following the pathways of our ancestors, the ARZ is deviating. If ARZ
champions the "rights" of the detractors, who has more credibility,
the detractors or those who staunchly follow what has been practiced
for many millennia? Detractors cannot demand "rights" when they
themselves have discarded the timeless traditions, scriptures and
rituals!

It needs to be emphasized that enforcing religious rules is NOT
"religious discrimination" indicating prejudice, bigotry or disdain to
the inter-married Parsis and their families, or to the juddins.
Preservation and defense of a religious community and one of the
world's oldest Religions is NOT "discrimination" against those who
seek to alter and do away with the divinely revealed scriptures,
traditions, rituals, customs and the specific way of life that is the
hallmark and identity of a distinctive people!

As explained above, there is ample cause for "religious justification"
for this distinction between the paid workers and the inter-married
Parsis and their demanding families. Rightly so! The inter-married
Parsis, their families and their juddin spouses demand religious
"rights" after knowingly violating religious rules. Should the entire
religious community throw away all that has been held sacrosanct, even
at the cost of sacrificing lives, just because the ARZ's weekly
demands are persistently sacrilegious? Certainly not!

What will ARZ come up with next to continue this weekly display of
mental darkness? More irrationality and demand for fake "rights"? Hope
not!

Mrs. Pervin J. Mistry

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Khordad Sal - Kadmi calendar - Thurs, 26 July 2007

From: TZML Eductn & Information Committee <tzml.eductn@gmail.com>
Date: Jul 25, 2007 9:59 PM
Subject: Khordad Sal - Kadmi calendar - Thurs, 26 July 2007


Dear Zarathushti humdins,

The Kadmi Khordad Sal falls on Thurs, 26th July 2007. Of course the
roj, according to the Kadmi Calendar is Khordad and the mah Farvardin.

(Yes Shahenshahis, the Kadmis are one month ahead of you!!!)

Khordad Sal is the day our exalted Prophet Vakshure Vakshuran
ZARATHUSHTRA SPITAMAN was born.

The whole of Nature rejoiced on that joyous occasion, the Righteous
human beings, the animals and birds on land, and the fish in the Seas,
all rejoiced when the most Exalted of All was born.

To regard Zarathushtra Saheb as a mere super-mortal is wrong. He is a
part of Ahura Mazda Himself. And He is rightly regarded as a Divine
Being, worth of Worship and Adoration.

We pray that this day bring righteousness, happiness and spiritual
progress to not only us Zarathushtis, but to the whole of mankind and
all the 7 Creations of Ahura Mazda.

We are enclosing a small part of the heartfelt tribute to Zarathushtra
called "Koi Puche Mane kya chhe tara paigambar ... Dil chiri ne
bataroo mara jigar ni andar" ("If some one asks me where is your
Paigambar Zarathustra, I will tear open my heart He will be in it)

This recording is available in the tape "Chhaihe Hame Zarathushti" by
Marzban Dara Mehta, and is available at WZO Projects, plus their
sukhad shop at Cama Baug, plus other sukhad shops too.

Readers may buy the cassette not only to encourage these artistes, but
also to be fortunate in owning a very lively collection of religious
songs.

Feedback on the audio quality is most welcome.

With best wishes,

from the TZML Education & Information Committee

Monday, July 9, 2007

Bahman Yasht - in Pazand and in Avestan

From: tba@xtra.co.nz <tba@xtra.co.nz>
Date: Jul 9, 2007 7:22 AM
Subject: Bahman Yasht - in Pazand and in Avestan

Baname Khuda!

Dear Zarathushti friend,

thank you for your email sharing information with us on the topic of
Bahman Yasht.

You are right - the Avesta Bahman Yasht was withdrawn from common
men/priests when its power was not used in the right manner.

But fortunately for us, a portion of the Avesta Bahman Yasht resides
in the existing Hormazd Yasht (which could well be paragraphs 24 to 32
as you write - I will confirm that).

So those who want to worship Bahman Ahmeshaspand and pray for Vohu
Manah / Good Mind (Gujarati: sadbuddhi) may do so by instead praying
the entire Hormazd Yasht devotedly, not only the parahraphs 24 to 32.
As an old song says: "Bahman Ahmeshaspand ni bandagi karnar Parvar ne
che pyaaro"

I have learnt that the currently available Bahman Yasht in Pazand form
is not a Avestan prayer as such and has no maanthric composition, it
is only an essay or description of the original Avestan Bahman Yasht.
All our prayers have a maanthric composition and intoning them
correctly produces a beneficial effect in the reciter as well as in
the physical atmosphere. Having said that, this effect is NOT produced
when one recites the Pazand Bahman Yasht narration or essay. Those who
wish to pray to Bahman Ahmeshahspand may well pray the Hormazd Yasht
as described earlier or Mah Bokhtar Nyaish, Mah Bokhtar Yasht, Gosh
Yasht or Raam Yasht.

I have a small audio talk on this topic which I may share with all
readers and yourself when I locate it.

But till then, lets all not forget Bahman Ahmeshahspand in this month
and look after His animals on this geti of ours.

Thank you once again for your letter.

Sincerely,
Tehemton B. Adenwalla


=========== Message received ===========

MR. Tehemton B. Adenwalla.

I recieved a message of yours through a friend of mine, as he knows that I
am Very interested in the Bahman Yasht.

You have mentioned the following about this prayer......

"Incidentally, the Bahman Yasht floating in Parsee houses and some agiaries
is not the Avesta Bahman Yasht. It is actually the Pazand version, and it
reads like an essay. If possible, that "essay" is not to be recited as a
normal prayer"

I would be grateful if you could give me more details about this. I have
heard that the origional which is lost - Avesta Bahman Yasht, was too
powerful, and was being missused. Later on, a toned down version was brought
out in Pazend, during the Sassanian times. The latter portion of the Hormazd
Yasht (paragraphs 24 to 32) contains parts of the lost Vohuman Yasht.

I have no idea if this is true, but will be most obliged if you could kindly
enlighten me and send me some infomation on this subject.

thanking you,

- Zarathushti friend

_________________________________________________________________

On 7/6/07, Tehemton B. Adenwalla <tba@xtra.co.nz> wrote:
Baname Khuda!

Dear fellow Zarathushtis,

today is Ram roj, the last of the hamkar day in this month Bahman.

Hope you all are having a good and pious Bahman mah.

If some readers would like to share experiences of how they worshipped
Bahman Ahmeshaspand, or His Hamkars Mohor, Gosh and Raam; please share
them with us.

Or, if you wish to narrate what special effort you or your family took
to look after animals and animal needs, then please enlighten us.

Incidentally, the Bahman Yasht floating in Parsee houses and some
agiaries is not the Avesta Bahman Yasht. It is actually the Pazand
version, and it reads like an essay. If possible, that "essay" is not
to be recited as a normal prayer.

Does someone knowledgable want to comment on this?

Sincerely
Tehemton B. Adenwalla


----- Original Message -----
From: Tehemton B. Adenwalla
To: TZML
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 4:02 PM
Subject: [Traditional Zs] Bahman mah - Bahman roj - on Sun, 17 June 2007


Baname Khuda!

Dear fellow Zarathushtis,

today on Sunday 17th June 2007 is Bahman mah, Bahman roz.

It is also called "Bahman nu parabh"

Bahman Ahmeshaspand presides over the animal kingdom.

The Yazads which help Bahman Ahmeshashpand are:
* Mohor
* Gosh
* Raam

Many Zarathushtis follow an "unrojo" in respect of Bahman
Ahmeshahspand and refrain from eating meat for the whole month. Some
of them do not even eat eggs.

Some Zarathushtis follow the "unrojo" during all the hamkar/parabh
days of Bahman Ahmeshahspand, i.e. on rojs Bahman, Mohor, Gosh, Raam
in all the 12 months of the year.

Traditional Zoroastrianism does not frown on meat eating but if we eat
meat, we are enjoined to eat meat of the goat/lambs and chicken and
fish only, beef (cow's meat) and port (pig's meat) are traditionally
shunned.

Respect and good treatment for the cow, the most sacred animal to our
Hindu brethren in Hindustan, too is important.

Whatever be our dietary habits, we must look after our animal friends.
If we have dogs in our houses, we must see that these faithful
creatures are well fed, exercised and looked after. Those of us who
use domestic animals like bull and horses in our farms, must ensure
that these majestic animals too are cared for, well fed and not
overworked fed.

Otherwise, "janavaro ni hai lage"

Some Zarathushtis donate money to associations like "Society of
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" in the month of Bahman. Some years
ago, there were victorias in Mumbai, which were pulled by retired
racecourse horses. These poor animals were made to work and not rest
even when their mouths use to bring out foam and no water breaks were
given. Hope the victoria-wallas look after their horses well. Stray
dogs too are a big sight in Indian cities and some of these dogs are
in so deplorable a state (some are injured on one leg and go around
with just 3 legs; some have rabies, etc); that one's heart goes out to
them.

In school, I had some friends from Gujarat and because they had a
farm, they had many animals. These friends of mine always included
their animals as part of their families and really looked after them!
Such incidents were really inspiring.

By the way, the modern science of genetic manipulation where they
implant animal genes in the vegetable products (and vice-versa) is
really deplorable. We are not here on Planet Earth to tinker with
Mother Nature's creations, She has created animals under Bahman
Ameshaspand and plants under Amardad Ameshaspand - these creations are
not to be mixed and inter-produced.

Sincerely
Tehemton B. Adenwalla