Zartusht and Other Religions
According to most institutionalized religions, one can only attain salvation, eternal forgiveness and heaven through the enactment of ceremony, tradition, and particular ritual. The difference in various sects is mostly in the manner of this enactment and not in the principle of religion. The ruthless bloodshed of Catholics and Protestants, Shiites and Sunnis… has been brought about because of the practices of these religions. Even the adversity among the followers of various monotheistic is principally due to practices, customs and trivialities than to basic difference. It is these very practices and traditions that create the institutional church and clergy. The real war is between the churches and not between the basic beliefs. This truth will be clarified by analyzing and comparing monotheistic religions. In the massage of zartusht, it is his description of religion, righteousness, piety, reward and punishment that stands out. As we have already seen, to zartusht the devout are those who believe in truth and honesty and those who enact these principles. Even the zartushti elite like Azargoshasb, Dahala, and Pourdavood …accept that in the Gathas zartusht explains the path of salvation without the presence of the zartushi church.
Zartusht sees assistance to the lower classes and those under pressure as vital, but he dose not see this assistance only in terms of being an ashvan. In 46/5 he clearly states the powerful must help the needy through love and humanitarianism, even if they do not belong to the followers of truth. He must lead the needy to the true path through love and kindness. He must aid through his wisdom. Free man and the followers of truth will choose truth through their will and consciousness. They will do this neither to appease the church nor God but to attain eternal happiness, because this path brings perfection. It is man’s essence and mind that is important here and not how he carries out his tradition or religious practice.
We have seen that the araiyan practices and customs were controlled by diviners and the clergy and with chanting the necessary chant which only these men were suitable to do. I have already said that other institutionalized religions clung to their own rites and ceremonies. There is no such sign of specialized rites and ceremonies in the massage of zartusht. There is no set measure for the worship of God in the Gathas. Zartusht’s interpretation of religion was one of the revolutions of its days. Today three thousand years later this revolution still stands out. Let us imagine what would happen if the pious of various religions were to believe in this truth today. What would come about if they could see God as the shelter of good deeds? What would happen if churches, temples… lost their authority? Would the world be rid of prejudice, vengeance and hatred? Would it turn to love and kindness in order to strengthen itself?
Man should make basic moral principles, which are at the root of all creeds and which have been advocated by all enlighted man, as the basis of his deeds words and thoughts. He should know all man as the creatures of God and he should see them as one. Indoctrinated veils and obstacles which have been handed down to him through ages should be destroyed. Each man should answer the call within according to his understanding. His beloved creed should be implanted within his heart without upsetting his fellow man. It is only at such a time that the world will take on a different face. Then will the pious that merely copy others, the majority of man, stop being puppets and become truly freed man. In such a society the leaders and politicians who advocate diverted thought in the world and who have brought man kind nothing but wretches and spiritual oppression by creating wars would be supplanted. Then will the church and the corrupt clergy who thrive on stagnation never be allowed to flourish.
In all societies it is very few who lead men to corruption and to destruction. They abuse men’s ignorance and thus suppress them in various ways. Most leading institutions of suppression are able to exist by enforcing their will through servants, who are suppressed themselves. Thus is the authority of corrupt elite founded. These servants attain no benefits but only fall to bestial ruin. In many cases man’s destruction in history has been brought about through changes that even today, after the passage of many years and experiences, man is still the puppet of the ruling elite. These elites control the churches and all doctrinaires and the media… Over the years man kind has been so suppressed that today the farmer, the worker even the educated or the scientist have no free will. They all carry out the whims of these elite. Men still rise to partake in holy wars. If men are allowed to bloom through wisdom and good thoughts, love and kindness they will choose to live together and they will refrain from blind submission. All people will become brothers and sisters and they will know that it is only their deeds that prove them and give them value. No single creed, religion or doctrine is higher than another. The world will gradually become the heaven of the true. This has always been the aim of all true reformers. It might be a logical desire, yet it has always remained unattainable. However, the more man works for this aim the greater peace he will know. Society will be led by mankind and it will become humanitarian.
