"Dasturs against dilution” (Parsiana, August 7-20, 2021) is a very significant and timely piece — a much needed clarification of the stand our High Priests have taken to guard and preserve not only the way Zoroastrianism is practised in India, but the Parsipanu of the community.
On the other hand we are fortunate as Parsi Zoroastrians to be able to directly access the teachings of the Prophet through some excellent translations both in Gujarati and English. Luckily no controversy surrounds the significance of Verse 3.2 (Yasna 30.2) of the Ahunavaiti Gatha. Zarathushtra exhorts his followers to ponder deeply on the truths he has expounded before choosing to live according to his teachings. Zoroastrian theology stresses that within each one resides the urvan ("the chooser”) or soul that enables one to choose between "the right and the wrong, between the temporary and the eternal” (The Religion of Zarathushtra by I. J. S. Taraporewala).
Our vada dasturs would like to avoid controversies which, according to them, threaten to unravel the unity of the community; as well as ensure the continuation of certain social practices, by denying validity to opinions that differ from their own. Fortunately, they cannot stop one from studying the Gathas. For this I am truly thankful. To separate the wheat from the chaff is a duty enjoined upon all sincere Zoroastrians and to abrogate that responsibility is to negate the raison d’etre for Zarathushtra’s noble philosophy. ABAN MUKHERJI
mukherji.aban@gmail.com