Frashogard

Roj Sarosh Mah Bahman, 1379 Yz.

The Kusti ritual begins with the ceremony of ‘Padyab’, literally, ‘putting water over’, that is, purifying the exposed parts of the body will pure well water. How is this done in the right manner? Take a copper Karasya filled with well water in the left hand. Praying “Khshnaothra Ahurahe Mazdao, Ashem Vohu 1″ first gaze into the Karasya, making sure the eyes make visual contact with the water in the Karasya. Then wash the right hand first, from the elbow joint to the tip of the fingers, followed by the left hand in the same way (while washing the left hand, the Karasya would be held in the right hand). Then, taking some of the water in the cup of the hand and passing it into the mouth, the oral cavity should be cleaned by gargling three times, taking care not to swallow any water. Thereafter, clean the whole face, taking care to wipe the nape of the neck and the back of the ears. Next, wash the exposed feet (right first, followed by left) from the ankle to the toes in a downward motion, taking care to clean both the top as well as the sole of the feet. Finally wash the hand used to wash the feet. [Note: The sequence given above is for a male. For females, the order is always left first, followed by right.]

While praying the formula given above, the following Mithra (thought capsule) should be passed: “May the six Frado (divine cleansing and purifying energies) present in this pure water aid in the spiritual cleansing of my Aipi and help me raise the intensity of my Khoreh.”

What is the significance of this ritual, which is mostly not followed properly? Water is the best cleansing agent known to man. But our Master, Ustad Saheb Behramshah Shroff, revealed that behind the physical cleansing properties of water, there lie great spiritual energies which are called Frado in Avesta. Ustad Saheb explained that there are six different types of Frado energies (the names of these energies are given in the Avan Nyaesh as Adu, Vanthwo, Gaetho, Khshaeto, Zantu and Danghu Frado). Each of these six Frado have a different role to play in various circumstances. It is these Frado which give water the ability to clean things, to dissolve things, to quench our thirst etc. When a devotee performs the Padyab, he begins by reciting “Khshnaothra Ahurahe Mazdao, Ashem Vohu 1.” While reciting this formula, he gazes into the water in the Karasya. As we are aware, nearly 70% of the human body is composed of water or aqueous fluids. The eye is almost completely water based. The aqueous liquid in the eyes throws out a specific Frado energy, called Vanthwo Frado, which has the ability to cleanse and purify. Accompanied by the vibrations produced by the recitation of the Avesta formula, the gaze of the eyes throws into the water, large amounts of Vanthwo Frado. This stimulates and activates the other Frado present in the water itself and supercharges the water with enormous amounts of spiritual cleansing energy, which will be used during the Padyab ceremony.

Parsis who have been lucky to attend and sit through a Nirangdin ceremony will now immediately realize why a very peculiar action is performed by the priests throughout this ceremony, over a hundred times. In the Nirangdin ceremony, two large copper vessels (Kaharna) are filled, one with well water and the other with the urine of the Varasyaji. Both these are covered with copper Kasyas and placed near the Hindola (stone altar) on which the apparatus of the ceremony is arranged. At specific times throughout the ceremony, one priest will first put his right hand above the blazing fire, to fumigate and cleanse it, and then lift the copper Kasya from the Kaharna. Then both priests gaze deep into the Kaharna, whilst reciting specific Avesta Manthras. As soon as they finish reciting the Manthras, the priest immediately covers the Kaharna with the Kasya. This action of the priests is very important and is one of the factors which go into making the normal urine of the Varasyaji into the consecrated Nirang, which is used for drinking during the Nahn before Navjotes and weddings. The priests are in a very heightened state of purity during this ceremony which lasts for 18 days. Their accumulated purity and spiritual power (called ‘Khub’) is poured from their eyes into the Taro, through the Frado energies, accompanied by the recitation of powerful Avesta Manthras. It is this combination of factors which makes Nirang stay unspoilt for so many years.

However, Ustad Saheb cautioned that the Frado energies can only exist and function properly in natural, free flowing water. He explained that when water is pumped over long distances, or piped from large diameter pipes to smaller diameter pipes (as happens in our city water distribution systems), a large amount of friction is produced by the water gushing into progressively narrow pipes. This friction and the attendant dragging force causes the loss and dissipation of the Frado energies. Such water is useless for any religious ceremony. This is the reason why all Agiaries and Atash Behrams have wells attached to them, and all water used for any ceremony MUST be drawn out from the well by hand.

Unfortunately today, because of the overwhelming population and the underground maze of leaking sewage pipes, many of the wells in our sacred institutions have become polluted. Wells are also spoilt by the discriminate throwing of flowers, sugar cubes and even eatables by our own Parsis in these wells due to mistaken beliefs. Some wells are also spoilt when the water is allowed to stagnate and not enough water is drawn out of the well. Moreover, due to the presence of high rise buildings around many Agiaries today (some in Agiary compounds themselves!) the light of the sun does not fall directly into the well for a reasonable length of time during the day. Sunlight also cleans the water of accumulated pollution. [This is also the reason why water is never drawn out of a well after sunset. Moreover, there is a long standing custom to always have a Divo placed in the niche of the well wall so that a thin ray of light always falls into the well at night.] For all these and more reasons, many wells in our religious complexes have become polluted. Trustees and priests attached to these institutions must take all steps to rectify this situation.

Well water for doing the Padyab at home is thus almost impossible today. In colonies such as Behram Baug, Parsis still have the ability to take well water from the Agiary well and keep the same in a copper vessel at home solely for the purpose of doing the Padyab Kusti. For others, there is no option but to use municipal tap water. However the proper Padyab can and should be performed during our visit to the Agiary every day. The act of performing the Padyab not only physically cleanses the exposed parts of the body, but the presence of the Frado energies cleans the accumulated spiritual pollution which gathers on the surface of our skin and ultimately takes the form of a greasy film like substance over it.

There is also another more practical reason for doing the complete Padyab ritual. Ustad Saheb explained that there is some element of Spiritual Power (Kuvvat) in every human being and in the Divine Ones. The Spiritual Potency or Power of Ahura Mazda is called Niru. The Spiritual Power of the Yazatas and the Amesha Spentas is called Aoj. The special spiritual power of the Yazata Sraosha, who looks after this earth and its inhabitants is called Tagi (as we recite in the Sarosh Baj: ‘Sarosh Asho, Tagi tan farman…’). Finally the spiritual power bequeathed to man is called Zor. In normal cases, the Zor power, which resides in the ultra-physical bodies of Keherp, Ushtan and Tevishi is muted and dormant. However, the act of performing the Padyab ritual awakens this dormant Zor. As it awakens, the Zor energy flows from the ultra-physical body to the physical body and the organs, making them perform efficiently and thereby enhancing their life and our life span in a legitimate Zoroastrian way.

As we have seen in earlier posts, the performance of the Kusti is our own personal communication with Ahura Mazda. Before we can begin our dialog with the Creator of the Universe, it is necessary to cleanse ourselves, both physically as well as spiritually. The Padyab is the essential requirement for doing that. Having done the Padyab, the washed parts of the body should be wiped clean with a small towel or handkerchief. Now, the performance of the Kusti ritual can be started.

Dear readers, as I keep saying again and again, all that we need and much more is present in our own religion. There is no need to look elsewhere. What is lacking is the knowledge and the faith to put that knowledge into action. On 7th July 2010, we shall mark the 83rd death anniversary of our Master, Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff who passed away on that day in 1927. Where would we all be without his knowledge and revelation? Verily he put us on the right path to salvation and revealed to us the beauty and magnificence of our Zarathushtrian faith. Thousands of salaams to his holy Ruvan, tens of thousands more to his Masters – the hidden sages of Demavand and millions more salaams to our Prophet Asho Zarathushtra who gifted us this magnificent religion and the opportunity to be Parsis! Let us use this opportunity to earn our salvation and not fritter away this lifetime in trivial and materialistic pursuits!

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Tir Mah Adar, 1379 Yz.

The earlier post on Parsis, yogic exercises, and pranayam introduced readers to the Zoroastrian concept of Dum, or spiritual breath and the divine truth that the number of a person’s breathes are predetermined in nature. It was shown that any attempt to elongate, prolong or extend the individual breath cycle causes spiritual regression for the Zoroastrian soul. This was one of the main reasons for the prohibition of pranayama or breath control or elongation which forms an intrinsic part of Hath yoga. The earlier article also introduced to readers the very important concept of Ushtan, or life breath. Every person draws in, along with the oxygen vital to his or her existence, a part of the breath of the Prophet of their respective religion. This Ushtan is what causes the ultra-physical and divine parts of his body to live and perform their necessary functions. The ceremony to connect the breath of a Zoroastrian to the breath of his Prophet Zarathushtra is the Navjote. The practice of pranayam or the chanting of mantras of religions other than his own causes lack of faith in a Zoroastrian and results in severe spiritual regression of the soul. It was clarified that the practice of doing yogic asanas for health or therapeutic purposes was allowed as long as it was not accompanied by the chanting of any alien mantra or words.

Does the Zoroastrian religion have a valid and legal method whereby the expending of the limited number of breaths we have can be lessened in any manner? Why should a Parsi Zoroastrian not make use of a valid technique to extend his lifetime? Our Master, Ustad Saheb Behramshah N. Shroff revealed the secrets of this in a very simple and easy to understand manner. Ustad Saheb said that the expending of the limited Dums of a Parsi Zoroastrian was not dependent on any exercise or on breath control. He disclosed that the burning up of Dum (or what he also called ’shwas-o-shwas’) was not a mechanical process but a spiritual process. When a Parsi thinks, speaks or performs a deed which is in line with the rules and tenets of the religion, a significantly less amount of Dum gets expended than when a Parsi thinks, speaks or performs a deed which goes against the basic rules of the religion. However, the skewed ratio of this process was revealed to me when listening to a recording of an old lecture given by Jehangir Chiniwalla. In that lecture, Jehangirji mentions that when a Parsi speaks the truth, 5 Dum get expended. But when the same individual lies (regarding any matter, not just religious), 50 Dum get expended! This is an extraordinarily high ratio and an eye opener for many of us (including myself). It is through this ratio that the secret of man’s longevity is revealed! Of course this cannot be the only contributor to a man’s longevity but it can still significantly alter the course of his life.

Ustad Saheb further revealed that the expending of Dum was closely linked to the state of the Aipi of a person. As we have seen earlier, a person’s body is composed of nine parts – three physical, three ultra-physical and three spiritual. The three ultra-physical parts of the body – called Keherp, Ushtan and Tevishi extend outside the physical core body by a few inches. These are also collectively called the Aipi – the subtle atmosphere around an individual. The area of the Aipi extends from the physical body to the circular expanse covered when a person stands with his arms on his hips. This Aipi, although invisible to us, can be very easily seen and read by advanced souls, including some Tibetan lamas who can effortlessly tell you how you have spent the last 24 hours. How is this possible? Khshnoom explains that each and every one of our innermost thoughts, words and deeds are captured and remain as a record of our past deeds at three places in nature. The first record and imprint is created on the ground on which that thought, word or deed was manifested. The second imprint is captured in our Aipi. The third record is maintained in one of two places: if it was a good thought, word or deed, it is stored in the celestial South – known as Dadar-e-Gehan. If it was a bad thought, word or deed, it is stored in the celestial North – known as Apakhtar. Over the years, this cloud of good and bad imprints gathers a form. It is this form which the Ruvan of a deceased persons sees on the fourth day after death, when it arrives on the doorstep of Chinvat. Depending on our lifestyle, the form can be a beautiful maiden, or a ugly hag.

Meanwhile the imprint in our Aipi also gathers. Depending on our lifestyle, the Aipi can be heavily polluted with the imprints of our evil thoughts, words and deeds; or can be radiant with our good thoughts, words and deeds. This is the reason why the photographs of holy men and women always have a halo around their heads – it is the extension of their superbly pure Aipi – which though invisible in normal individuals, is so powerful in the holy ones that it extends out of the body and is visible to normal persons too. Parsis who carefully observe such small things will realize that it is only in the portrait of our Prophet Zarathushtra, that the halo extends even from beyond His feet! My dear Parsis, when will we realize the great spiritual stature of our dear Prophet – who was a Yazata in human form and not some philosopher and poet!

Thus the fundamental principle and motive of Zoroastrian Yoga is to purify the Aipi. When an Aipi is clear, unpolluted and radiant, the Chakhras – the 16 Spiritual-energy receiving, processing and distribution centres present in our Keherp body, can function wonderfully well. Throughout the day and night, the Divine Government of Ahura Mazda works towards the salvation of creation. This Divine Functioning causes the raining of spiritual blessings – called Asere Roshni – to descend on this earth. When a person’s Chakhras are clear and unburdened, this Asere Roshni is easily attracted by the Chakhras, which assimilate this energy in our ultra-physical bodies, process it further and then distribute it to our physical body. It is this spiritual energy which lessens the expending of our Dums, and thereby enables us to elongate our time on earth. In short, a clean and radiant Aipi is the key to a long, healthy and satisfying life.

How do we keep the Aipi clean? The fundamental method of cleansing the Aipi of its accumulated debris is the performance of the correct and complete Kusti ritual. And this is where the problem starts. Performing a Kusti is a deeply spiritual, intensely meditational and supremely important ritual. It is that moment when we have to cut off our mind from the normal day-to-day humdrum thought processes, and instead focus on Ahura Mazda, His Prophet Zarathushtra and our own special Khuda – or personal god. One correct, perfect and intense Kusti can lead even the worst sinner to salvation! But today how many of us can put our hand on our heart and confess that we do the Kusti in this manner? I see hundreds of Parsis coming to my Agiary and performing the Kusti before entering the Hall of the Padshah Saheb. I can say without exaggeration that 99% of these performances are mechanical, devoid of devotion, and some are downright wrong! We go through the motions of untying and tying the Kusti but the mind is somewhere else. I can write pages on how we do the Kusti wrong. But I will rather save my time (and yours) by telling you how to do the right Kusti.

Dear readers, the Kusti is the fundamental building block of our spiritual progress. A soul takes thousands of births before it attains the Divine Right to put on a Sudreh! We are that exclusive few! Yet we are wasting this great Divine Gift given by our Prophet and the Creator. People talk of meditation and Art-of-Living classes. For a Parsi the Art-of-tying-the -Kusti is the supreme and easiest way to indulge in a one-to-one conversation with his Maker and his Prophet! It is the deepest of meditations and can take our mind right to the feet of our Creator! But we must learn to do it properly and completely. Our beloved Ustad Saheb has shown us the method and we shall analyse it in our next post.

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Marespand Mah Meher, 1379 Yz.

Today’s fast paced and chemical-laden life has brought, in addition to the comforts and conveniences of the modern age, new and varied illnesses and disorders that plague most of us. Physical wellness and being fit is high up on most persons’ wish list. This desire for wellness and a disease free existence has spawned a large industry which thrives on people’s insecurities and is the main reason for the introduction of a number of methods and fads which aim to bring wellness and balance in the modern person’s hectic life, for a price of course.

Doctors advise that a daily regimen of some form of exercise or aerobic activity should be an integral part of our life. Keeping in mind the negative effects of modern medicine, the ancient science of Ayurveda, along with its adjunct Yoga, has enjoyed a surge and revival. Several Yoga Acharyas have received worldwide fame and respect for their ability to use this ancient science to cure our modern day illnesses. Even in the western world, Yoga is a hot item and numerous institutes and centres have sprung up to take advantage of this growing interest.

In India, Yoga has been a part of Hindu culture from times immemorial. However, in recent years, there has been a distinct decline in the traditional guru-shishya parampara and a massive increase in the commercial variety of Yoga, including television-friendly Masters who claim to have a cure for every illness enjoying a near cult-like following. Many Parsis have also been attracted to Yoga and there are several Parsi instructors too. In an earlier posting, a reference was made to Ustad Saheb’s prohibition for Parsis following the practice of pranayama. Some readers have asked me to explain this point further and this article tries to go deeper into the phenomenon to understand the basis for this prohibition.

First of all, it is necessary to really understand the meaning of Ayurveda, yoga and pranayama. Ayurveda is a system of health care which originated more than 5000 years ago in India. The Vedic word Ayurveda has two root words–ayu and ved. Briefly, ayu means “life” and ved means “science.” Thus, Ayurveda means “the science of life.” Yoga is the other side of the same coin. Ayurveda brings to Yoga an understanding of how to remain physically and emotionally healthy while on the path to enlightenment. Yoga brings to Ayurveda a deeper purpose for remaining healthy, that purpose being to attain enlightenment.

Pranayama, the yogic art of breathing, comes from the root words prana and ayama. Prana means “life force” and ayama means “expansion, manifestation, or prolongation.” The practice of pranayama therefore is the practice of expanding personal prana so that it harmonizes with the universal prana. This results in oneness or merging of a person’s own consciousness with universal consciousness. Pranayama is breath control on the physical level and prana (life force) control on the subtle level. This is achieved through conscious inhalation (puraka), exhalation (recaka), and retention (kumbhaka) of breath along with focused attention on some particular part or area of the physical or subtle body, such as the heart or sixth chakra (the so-called “third eye”) at the middle of the forehead. These definitions have been taken from [http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/Pranayama_Yoga_Ayurveda]

It is therefore evident that the practice of pranayama is an exercise of manipulating the normal, unconscious breathing into a conscious elongated or prolonged style. This is where the crux of the problem lies for Parsis. The Zoroastrian religion has given a detailed explanation of time – the personal time of an individual, the time periods related to our earth as well as universal time. There is a detailed calculation of man’s personal time in our religion, the fundamental unit of which is called ‘Dum’ – one breath of a normal, healthy person sitting at rest. Multiples of Dum give rise to other units called Swanya, Dakika and Hathra. 18 Hathra make up one day of 24 hours as we know it today.

Every person, when he is born, is allotted a fixed number of Dums which determine his longevity and the age at which he shall die. This number of Dums is immutable and unchangeable. It is of course understood that we do not breathe at a constant rate through the day. The intensity of breathing changes based on the activity we are doing. At rest, a normal, healthy human takes between 12 and 20 breaths per minute. This changes when we undertake any physical exertion such as exercise or labour, or when excited or stimulated. Similarly the breath slows down when a person sleeps. Thus the combination of exertion-related fast breaths and comfort related slow breaths even out the breathing pattern through the 24 hours. Again it must be remembered that this breathing is unconscious and un-manipulated.

However, the practice of pranayama requires an individual to be conscious about his breath, and to regulate it in a particular fashion. Certain exercises require the breath to be inhaled through one nostril and exhaled through the other. Other exercises concentrate on elongating the length of one intake or outtake. Thus a conscious manipulation, elongation or prolonging of the breath is the very core of pranayama. The elongation of breath in a conscious manner has the effect of enhancing the life span of a person and hence goes against the tenets of the religion. But there is a deeper reason for this prohibition.

While the conscious regulation and prolonging of the breath brings valuable physical benefits, (for example prolonged deep breathing is an effective tool to lower high blood pressure instantly), Ustad Saheb has warned Parsis that following these exercises causes immense spiritual regression for a Zoroastrian soul. What is the reason for this? Ustad Saheb explained that the inhalation and exhalation of breath is not merely a physical exercise. Along with the breath we take in and breathe out, there is a Divine Spiritual Energy which accompanies every such breath, which is known as Ushtan – the Divine Life Force. The Ushtan descends from the higher regions of the cosmos and includes the very breath of our Prophet Zarathushtra.

Every Parsi, when he undergoes the Navjote ceremony ties his personal Ushtan with this universal Ushtan of Prophet Zarathushtra. The sacred instruments of the Sudreh and Kusti are the apparatus needed to catch this Ushtan and channelize it into our inner bodies. This is the greatest gift of our Prophet to Zoroastrians. In the same manner, Prophets of other religions have established institutions and methods whereby the life breath of their religion is taken in by the followers of that religion using certain methods or ceremonies. Pranayama is the method designated for followers of Hinduism to assimilate their own Vedic life breath into their personal bodies. As such it is a deeply personal and religious exercise which is meant only for followers of that faith. This is the main reason why in the earlier days, the science and secrets of pranayama were closely guarded and given to disciples by their Masters only after years of practice and training. A Parsi following the practice of pranayama creates disorder within his body by mixing the life force of an alien religion with his own Prophet’s Ushtan.

While the physical breath pumps in the required oxygen into our body and enables life as we know it, the Ushtan which enters the body along with the physical breath causes the progress and spiritual development of the non-physical and spiritual parts of our body. As readers are aware, the human body is composed of 9 parts: 3 physical, 3 ultra-physical and 3 Divine. The flow of Ushtan varies throughout the day and there are certain spiritual exercises which regulate the flow of Ushtan in our body. But the practice of pranayama causes great imbalance in the flow of Ushtan for a Zoroastrian soul. This causes havoc in the 6 non-physical bodies which reside within us and in turn leads to the dilution of the Zoroastrian Khoreh or divine lustre or aura which every Parsi possesses to some extent. These imbalances and dilution in Khoreh cause immense spiritual regression to the Zoroastrian soul which is struggling to achieve its final goal of Frashogard – salvation within the lifespan allotted to it. It is for this deep and very important reason that our late Master Ustad Saheb Behramshah Shroff strongly disapproved of Parsis following the practice of pranayam.

Ustad Saheb advised that the performance of Yogic asanas or exercises in which the various parts and limbs of the body are postured in a particular manner may be followed by Parsis for health reasons. Yogic asanas are well known for providing relief for physical ailments of many kinds, if performed under the constant guidance and supervision of a qualified master. However, Ustad Saheb cautioned Parsis against using pranayama or any form of breath control while performing these exercises or using the Om chant or any other on-Zoroastrian name or Sanskrit manthras or phrases accompanying certain Yogic exercises.

Ustad Saheb further revealed that a person born at a particular time carries with him the influences of certain planets which may be beneficial or malefic. These influences (which change in accordance with the age of the person and the changing positions of planetary influencers in his horoscope) cause the various trials and tribulations which mark our lives. These malefic influences can also manifest themselves in the form of various ailments, diseases and disabilities. For each such difficulty there are specific cures available in the Zoroastrian religion and there is no need to look elsewhere. The practice of Zoroastrian Tarikats and the praying of specific Manthras for relieving the malefic influence of specific planets will cause substantial ease to the affected individual.

But in case a Parsi attempts to follow the religious practices or manthras of any other religion (which may even prove effective in the short run), he will cause substantial disorder within his own body and the Ushtan flow within his sacred bodies will be disrupted. This spiritual regression can take a very serious form, the results of which will become evident to the soul only after death. Ustad Saheb has given a detailed explanation of the plight of souls of persons who follow such un-Zoroastrian practices, which I am unable to pen here.

Thus the maintenance of the Ushtan flow, preservation of the Aipi (subtle atmosphere around our body) and maintaining the Zoroastrian Khoreh are the prime requirements of a Parsi. This is the main reason why our religion has detailed rules regarding what to do when we sneeze, yawn, hiccup or pass wind – there is a particular Nirang or Baj which is to be prayed (for advanced persons) while normal persons are instructed to recite a silent Ashem Vohu prayer after these occurrences! Why would a sneeze or yawn require a Nirang or Baj? Because the excess breath forced out during such occurrences causes an imbalance in the Ushtan flow at that time, which is remedied by the powers of the Baj Manthras.

Similarly the flow of Ushtan becomes almost one third when a person goes to sleep. This diminution in the flow of Ushtan encourages low level evil entities to try and attack the sleeping body and take over nervous system of the sleeping individual. This is manifested in many persons as bad dreams, talking in the sleep, sleep walking and other such undesirable activities. It is for this reason that there is a specific Nirang which every Parsi is required to recite before going to sleep, as well as on waking up. The flow of physical breath and the Ushtan is overseen by three specific Yazatas – Rashne Yazad, Meher Yazad and Sarosh Yazad, who also look after the Zoroastrian soul when the person is asleep.This is also the reason why we have an age-old tradition of performing the Kusti before going to bed and to recite the words ‘Sarosh Yazad Panaah baad!’ just before closing our eyes.

Ustad Saheb had detailed and intricate knowledge of the science of breath analysis – Ilm-e-Nafs. Through this Ilm, Ustad Saheb could calculate the number of Dums expanded by various exercises, such as push-ups, crunches, wrestling, swimming, running etc. as well as physical activities such as drawing water from the well, ploughing, grinding wheat, etc. Based on these calculations and the person before him, Ustad Saheb would prescribe certain exercise and prohibit certain acts to the individual. Alas, we are without his guidance today! But in general, Ustad Saheb has left behind some excellent advice, which has been preserved for posterity by Hakim Rustam Sola Doctor in the Ustad Saheb Memorial Volume.

According to Hakim Rustam Sola Doctor, Ustad Saheb advised that the best exercise for a Zoroastrian soul was the practice of horse-riding. Ustad Saheb explained that when a man rides a horse, the breath and Ushtan flow of the Zoroastrian is immensely aided by the subtle energy forces which emanate from the hair on the neck of the horse. These subtle energies mingle with the Ushtan and breath of the person and not only strengthen the physical breath but also provide excellent support and exercise to the heart, lungs, spine, waist, intestines and kidneys. The combination of benefits available to a Parsi by this exercise is not available in any other form of exercise. Ustad Saheb further revealed that by riding on the back of the horse, the constriction and compression of the pubic areas also regulates and strengthens the functioning of the 13th Chakhra which is situated in that region.

It is for these reasons that the practice of horse-riding and archery were the first skills which were taught to a Zoroastrian child in ancient Iran, along with the practice of speaking the truth – at all times and at all costs.

Dear readers, there is great depth and knowledge in our religion, which is based on the most intricate of sciences far advanced than the physical science we are so proud about today. Unfortunately we Parsis love to mock our own religion and look for cheap and short term alternatives elsewhere. Hordes of Parsis line up in front of temples, mosques, churches and dargahs, or flock to so-called holy men, whose eyes are fastened on the wallets of their ‘devotees’ and physical lust rather than any real spiritual power. Recent events reported in the press of such perverted ‘babas’ should make us aware of the rot which exists in these circles. At the same time, our Agiaries and Atash Behrams remain deserted or witness low traffic. We have a treasure trove of Manthras, Nirangs, Bajs and ceremonies for every ailment and every disease, but we are not ready to follow the strict rules of purity which are essential for the success of any Zoroastrian Tarikat. Then we moan and complain that our prayers have no power! They have the most amazing power – we just do not know how to harness it properly!

Our Prophet Zarathushtra has shown us the way and method to achieve great spiritual strength and physical, mental, financial and spiritual prosperity. Let us come back to our religion and its Tarikats so that we may reap the rich rewards that await a true Parsi soul. In the next post we shall try to understand Ustad Saheb’s advice on the Zoroastrian method of regulating the Ushtan flow and overcoming physical ailments.

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram