The Developement of Zarathustra’s Insight Clarity in the Behavior of the Youth

The Developement of Zarathustra’s Insight Clarity in the Behavior of the Youth

Preface:                                                                                             

Research on the knowledge of sociology and psychology has proven that up to the age of fifteen, the youth are interested in seeking the religious faith and beliefs of their families, learning and observing them in their own behavior. At the age of eighteen this faith gradually weakens, because the childreen doubt their own religious beliefs and as most parents are not awere of the correct philosophical answers to their questions to guide them, therefore at times the religious tendencies will also be forgotten.

It is obvious that on the one hand the youth continually follow the family’s morality and on the other hand they behave similar to their peers in the society. It is not good for the family to be afraid and worry about the doubts that appear in the young people’s thoughts especially in puberty, because suspicion is the prologue to questening, investigating and choosing the best way to live a correct life.

It should be noted that the the Zoroastrian society which includes organizations, associations, clubs and institutions, each with their statue law and regulations in the fields of culture, religion, sports, econommic and services pursue to enhance the developement of young peoples’ lives as well as providing them with comfort and health along with acceptence of the religion and belief in it. What has happend that in spite of all these services, the Zoroastrian youth have not developed their ancestors’ culture and beliefs as they should have, and Zarathustra’s religion, culture and philosophy has not reflected much of  the process of world religious beliefs in the current universal society where freedom of thought is well known?

Let’s remember that the birthplace of Zarathustra was the vast land of Iran and his early followers were glorified in the same land. With the invasion of the aliens they were trapped in such a way that Arabs with their attack were after the destruction of their religion and culture. In spite of all this, the Zoroastrian religion and culture has not disappeared as yet.

According to Jamsheed Choksy’s writings: “The collapse of Sassanid civilization did not mean the end of Iranian behavioral patterns, as these behavioral patterns continued from the decline of the Zoroastrian society to the advent of the Islamic cultue. Most of the Irannians, regardless of position, religion and job, responded towards the presence of Arabs and Islamic culture and continued a useful life with them, that is, they deemed it advisible to be united with the new system and influence it. In this way, eventually persuasion conquered compulsion and their disagreement ended.

When the consequences of this connection came to light, the Zoroastrians started migrating to the west of India to have a modern and highly successful future. It has been said that a group of them left Khorasan for the Persian Gulf coast and then sailed to Gujrat. In the year 936 AD. the Indian sovereignty provided them with a safe haven and the local residentes over there recognized them as “Parsees” or “people from Pars”.

The Zoroastrians who were left behind, moved to remote places of Fars and Kerman in search of shelter against Islamic lifestyles and left the political dominance, religious guidance and social and econnomical methods controlled by the Muslims (Struggle and Compromize Page 176).

The Zoroastrian religion and culture, once the first guidance to friendship and happiness for the people of the world, has the ability to be the messenger of peace, reconciliation, love and construction at the time when violance, killings and cruelty is taking place at different parts of the world, is not given much importance and status.

In this article several motivations and solutions will be refered to. Maybe it will be the beginning of a solution so that the future Zoroastrian youth who are the heir and debtor of  the glorious culture of worshiping Ahura Mazda will understand what a valuable gem they have inherited from their ancestors in the name of the Zoroastrian Religion.

Keywords: Zoroastrian Youth, Zoroastrian Institutes, Zoroastrians of Iran, Zoroastrians of India, Zoroastrian New Converts, Zarathustra’s Insight

Zoroastrians’ place in the world

Zarathustra’s followers and those who call themselves Zoroastrians are placed in three different groups and each group is known as Zoroastrians with different characteristics.

1. Iranian Zoroastrians
2. Indian Zoroastrians (the Parsees)
3. Zoroastrian Newly Converted

Zoroastrians of Iran

The Zoroastrians who live in Iran were in two fundamental branches from the beginning: The Zoroastians of Yazd and the Zoroastrians of Kerman. Because after the last social pressures and group massacares which they suffered nearly four centuries ago, many converted and sought refuge in the new religion and those who were nearer to the central desert of Iran migrated to the cities of Yazd and Kerman out of desparation to protect their ancestorial religion and culture in the quite and barren areas of these cities with the least resources, constructed underground canals, selected villages for themselves and began the traditional and low-income jobs of agriculture and animal husbandry.   

According to Mary Boyce’s writings: After Shah Abbas, the Zoroastrians’ situation became even worse. Shah Abbas II (1624-1627 AD.) transfered the Zoroastrians (Gabrs) of Esfahan to a new town and in this new place they underwent alot of suffering during the reign of Sultan Hussein, the last Safavid king (1694-1722 AD.); A little after ascending the throne he even issued an order for their conversion. A christian priest witnessed the violent acts for the execution of this command: They destroyed the Zoroastrians’ temples, and forced them to convert into Islam by the threat of the sword and the colour of the rivers turned red with the blood of those who resisted . A few ran away and some families who still live in Yazd are descendants of the same people who fled (Zoroastrians, their religious beliefs and customs page 216).

The Zoroastrian migrants to Kerman went to the two parts of Jupar and Qanatghestan and inhabited the villages around it. Some people also began farming in the cities of Bam and Bardsir and a group settled in the center of the city of Kerman.

The Zoroastrians of Yazd also spread over the central part - the towns of Taft, Ardakan, Meybod and Rastaq and inhabited and built up to 20 villages and neighbourhoods. Doubtlessly each group from different parts of Iran had to compulsorily migrate to these villages. Since there is no coordination in their way of speaking and also in some of their customes and behaviors with the people of other villages and cities, this shows that each have different accent and  have come to the desert from diffrent cities of Iran.

According to the writings of Comete de Gobineau: The Zoroastrians had a very hard life two centuries ago, to the extent that in the era of Qajar sometimes they had to wear special clothes to be identified. They had to build  the walls of their houses shorter. On rainy days they weren’t allowed to walk about in the bazar, and worst of all they had to pay an additional ransom tax called Jaziyeh, along with hearing insult and abuse (The book of Three Years in Iran)

Fortunately with the help of the Parsees from India and their emissary, Manecji Limji Hataria to Iran, the pressure of the special ransom tax or Jaziyeh was abolished. Untill two centuries ago some Zoroastrins also used to live in different cities of Iran other than Yazd and Kerman who refrained to identify their religion and rituals out of the fear of persecution and enemy’s violence, and there is no sign of them. In order to live in their birthplace, all these Zoroastrian families tolerated oppression and bullying to protect the religion and the culture of their ancestors. 

Apart from the injustice and oppression incurred on the Zoroastrians from the Safavid to the Qajar era,  in the period after that they felt a bit of freedom in their lives and through gaining knowledge they achieved higher positions and worked in the Ministry of education, military, governmental institutions and factories. They went from Yazd and Kerman to other cities like Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz, Karaj and Ahwaz and in order to protect their relegion and culture by holding ceremonies and rituals, they built fire temples and established an association in every city and village, most of which are still operating.     

After the Islamic Revolution in Iran. due to different reasons they migrated once more and most of them went to America through an organization which is known to be connected to the the United Nations, to live and work with more freedom. Thus, the houses of many Zoroastrian villages in Yazd are now left uninhabited and in some villages also only a handful of old people are living, they will also be forgotten in the near future. It should be noted that the prevailing water shortage and drought in Iran the destruction of villages in Yazd and Kerman won’t be out of expectation.

At present we don’t have an exact census of  the Iranian Zoroastrians but it can be believed that fewer than fifteen thousand Zoroastrinans are now living in Iran and its cities.

 The Challange faced by the Zoroastrians of Iran

With the recent migration and outspread of the Zoroastrians to America and Europe, their houses in villages and cities have been broken into by thieves and at times addicts and lots of their tools and belonings have been stolen. Some opportunists have also occupied some of their gardens and houses and reclaiming them is difficult.

In spite of having graduated from the universities, many of the Zoroastrian Youth in Iran are struggling with unemployment and due to not having enough income, they won’t have any incentives for marriage either. Thus, the average age of marriage among the Zoroastrians has reached thirty. Meanwhile they have faced another problem and that a young Zoroastrian gets acquinted with a non-coreligionist youth at work or university and after meeting each other for some years they will end up marrying, the registration for which the Zoroastrian associations do not have the permission and if no remedy is found, the number of young Zoroastrians and hence the Zoroastrian population will decline.

The Challange of Zoroastrian Institutions in Iran

In the Zoroastrian cities and villages some old structures exist that were once either a fire temple, a worship house, school, high school, houses for giving away charities (Gahanbar Khaneh), a public bath, Zoroastrians’ hostel, a reservior, cemetry or tower of silence (burial place on top of hills for Zoroastrian of Iran in the old days) and the like, which require maintenance and finance for repair and renovation. In most villages big halls have been built that are now left unused due to the migration of the Zoroastrians and hardly few programs are held in them in the span of one year. Each of these places is in need of a caretaker and few coreligionists come forward to do this job. Thus, they have either been left without a caretaker that will doubtlessly slowly and gradually be broken into, or their caretaker will be chosen from among outsiders specially people from Afghanistan and this will also lead to other problems. It should be noted that in some cities after the death of a Zoroastrian, there is not a coreligionist to wash the corpse and they have to take the help of a non-Zoroastrian to do the needful.

Zoroastrians of India (The Parsees)

The way the Zoroastrian migrated from Iran and reached India and their adventurous story has come in the book of The Story of Sanjan which has been well-documented by Late Bahman Keyghobad. Since, then too the Zoroastrians were not safe from the injustice of the enemies in the first century of their stay in the city of Sanjan, for sometime they went out of the city and hid in a cave, but anyhow since they enjoyed more freedom compared to their coreligionists in Iran, they started flourishing and inhabiting the place, in a way that after centuries the Parsees became well-known and famous people in India, achieved key and  important positions of this country and by establishing different factories exhibited their skill, talent and ability and all the Zoroastrians must be proud of this good name.

The Parsees of India who had carried their noble fire from Iran to India as the symbol of their identity in Iran, named it Iranshah and placed it in the city Udwada in the state of Gujrat and have kept it alight up to date . After sometime they migrated to other cities and states and started working hard in those places as well.

The Zoroastrians living in India also have been very successful in introducing the Zoroastrian culture to their children till the last century by building fire temples and cultural associations in every city and have had very good progress in this case. Although they put aside and forgot the Zoroastrians’ special language and clothing due to the contract they had had with the local ruler of India at the time of their arival, now they wear Indian clothes and speak in English and Gujrati language with each other, but try to preserve the ceremonies and rituals and safeguard the fire temples and cultural centers.

The Challange faced by the Parsees of India

From the prospect of religious beliefs, the parsees have been devided into two groups: The Shahanshahi and Ghadimi parsees and each have special and different customs for the fire and burial of the dead. Fire and its maintaince is so important that others think they are fireworshippers and hence acuse them of it.

Since ancient times the parsees haven’t had marital relationship with non-zoroastrians and those who haven’t followed this custom have been ex-communicated from the Zoroastrian Societies. Many of the young Indian Parsees have ageed and are no longer willing to marry. Many of the educated Parsees have gone to other countries in America, Europe, Canada, Australia or even Arabian countries for a better job, income and a better life. Therefore, on the one hand with these social and family events, the number of Indian Zoroastrian Youth population has also decreased and day by day the number of elderly people is being added, and on the other hand those who have migrated to other countries won’t have the ability to protect their ancestors’ culture and rituals like those in India.

The Challange of the Zoroastrian Institutions in India

The Zoroastrian organizations in India will also have many unused structures with the large migration of the Parsee families from the cities of India to other countries. Khosrow Bagh, Rustam Bagh and other colonies that were once full of families are little by little getting empty. Their buildings are old and need reconstruction. The plush structures of the fire temples which were built in many cities and are located in prime areas of the city have become dusty and the Mobeds who should be busy nourishing the fire at these places have decreased in number. Stadiums and Zoroastrians’ hostels have been built in many cities of India for the comfort of the coreligionists which are used less and if no solution is thought of for these cases they won’t have a desirable future ahead. Placing the dead in the tower of silence is still common among a group of the Parsees, although it is years that scavenger birds are not found in this country to destroy the flesh of the dead bodies and this deficiency has resulted in the decay of the corpse and spread of malodor in the humid weather there. The Zoroastrian organizations and Parsee Mobeds haven’t taken any new measures for this matter either.

Zoroastrian New Converts

Since the time the European scholars have translated the Avesta writings, many people specially the university students became aware of the idea and message of Zarathustra and the treasure of Avesta. The researchers traveled to Iran and India to study the Zoroastrian culture and rituals well. The german philosopher, Nitzche was inspired by Zarathustra’s message and scholars like Anquetill Duperron, Tommas Hyde, Burnouf, Speigel, Martin Haug, West and James Darmesteter published their researches on the writings of the Avesta. Research sessions on culture and ancient languages were held in Iran and foreign countries. In a journey to Iran, scholars like Mary Boyce collected the Zoroastrian customs and tradition and published them. By the familiarity of other countries to Zarathustra’s human-centered and rational thoughts, many wanted to join the first religion which was the source of other religions in the world and has appeared in the ancient land of Iran. From the beginning, the Parsees of India have refused to accept new converts in the Zoroastrian religion and this continues to be so. Before the Islamic revolution in Iran, acceptence to the religion used to be very rare and sporadic. For example by  comming to Iran, Rashid-e-Shahmerdan who was born in Iran and brought up in India, performed the Nozooti rituals and ceremonies for many eager families and converted them into Zoroastrianism.

In places like Russia, Central Asia, America, Canada and Eurpoe, some families have converted to Zoroastrian religion through research, and by making journeys to Iran, wanted more ties and friendship with the Iranian Zoroastrians.

Presently in Iraqi Kurdestan a large group have converted into Zoroastrianism by the ritual of the shawl which they have learned from their ancestors, call themselves Zoroastrians, and have fire temples and worship houses. It is to be noted that after the Islamic revolution Zarathustra’s religion and thoughts have found many followers in Iran who wish to convert into the religion of their ancestors.

The Challange faced by the New converts to the Religion

The Nozooti of many followers of the Zoroastrian religion in America, Europe, Russia and Central Asia has been performed with the help of the Mobeds who are living outside Iran and they are continuously invited to the religion. Recently one of the Mobeds has performed the Nozooti ceremony for the people soliciting by distance education and holding tests and invites them to the Zoroastrian religion. Many also through research and without performing the Nozooti rituals consider themselves as the follower of Zaratushtra’s thought. With all these ongoing methods, the New-converts’ fundamental challenge is that the Zoroatrians associations in Iran are not permited to issue identity card for them. Therefore the new convert youth, whether girl or boy, cannot have marital relationship with those born as a Zoroastrian. They don’t have the permission to enter the Zoroastrians’ rituals and ceremonies, and however much they consider themselves a Zoroastrian, but are not accepted and don’t have a place in the Zoroastrian society. The Parsees of India also persist in their thought and don’t accept anybody to the Zoroastrian religion. The Zoroastrian institutions outside the country also haven’t thought about this and nor have taken any action and if no solution is thought doubtlessly one day their number will be more than those born as a Zoroastrian and the future cannot be predicted properly.

 Special traits of The Zoroastrian Youth

Today we witness that the Zoroastrian Youth are well-educated and excellent in most fields. The Zoroastrian society is proud for not having any illitrate person in the current period. Most of the Zoroastrian girls and boys, whether from the group of Parsees in India or the Zoroastrians in Iran at any place in the world, have university education and have achieved high and significant positions in various fields of science. Many of them have been busy working in important academic, experimental, scientific and research positions.    

The Challange faced by the Zoroastrian Youth

According to what it has been said before, the youth are now spread all over the world. Some live along with their families and many also have opted to live by themselves. The Young Zoroastrian across the world are less in contact with each other and therfore have no personal, professional, economical and cultural familiarity with each other. We should admit that their religious belief has also decressed compared to the past generation and they only are having the name of Zoroastrian with them. If anything is asked about the phylosophy of Zoroastrian religion they will refrain from replying to it because they don’t have much information about their ancestors’ religion.  

It’s obvious that in countries where a person’s religion is important for the government and  people, with their behavior and speech the follower of every religion try to be proud of their messenger and teacher’s thaught and strive to boast about the superiority of their religion and culture. In this way the Zoroastrian Youth who know very little about the religious teachings will be left behind from the caravan of religious discussions and there will possibily be the tendency to follow another religion as well.

In these days that the young people of the world from any religion and rituals have less participation in the religious traditional programme under the pretext of the religious rituals being superstitious and difficult and many youth have become indifferent towards the religious teachings, in this regard, it is not fair to forget Zarathustra’s good, truthful, happy and intellectual teachings as well and our youth who should follow a simple and advanced religion, disregard it like others by refering to the superestitiousness of the Zoroastrian ritual traditions. One of the correct ways is to recommend to our youth the status the Avesta teachings and Zarathustra’s message has given them. By doing so the youth will be proud of their behavior. After that we should understand Zarathustra’s message correctly from his hymns, the Gathas and suggest it to our young generation for use, so that they themselves study and select the best path, as in a part of the Haat 30, verse 2 of the Yasna Zarathustra says:

O’ People

Listen to the best hymns

Look at it with clear thaughts

Then every man and woman amongst you

Choose the good and evil way

The Place of Youth in the Avesta

In the Avesta it has been said:

Yavanem. Hu Mananghem . Hu Vachang Hem. Hu Shia Otnem. Hu Daenem. Asha Vanem. Asha Ratum. Yaza Mayedeh (The Khordeh Avesta, Ayvee Sarutrem Gah)

The translation of this saying is as follows:

We praise the youth with Good Thought, Good Word, Good Deed, Conscientious and normative.

If we guide and support the Zoroastrian Youth in all these features that the Avesta has wished for them: Thinking good, talking good, doing good, having an aware conscience, respecting and obeying the rules; so that they use these good features in their behavior and remind them to their coreligionists and childreen, doubtlessly the life structure of the youth and their lifestyles would be better, they would be out of confusion, and having a fresh and true attitude, they will also be proud of their religion and culture like the past genetations, they will protect it well and with this new approach we will always witness the ever good name of the Zoroastrian society in the world.

Zarathustra’s Religion and the Zoroastrian Traditions

It’s obvious that we should understand the zoroastrian religion from Zarathustra’s message and whenever we have a delibration in Zarathustra’s hymns we will understand these valuable and philosophical insights.

I have had a profound research on Zarathustra’s hymns and will put forward a fresh understanding and theory for the first time:

1. In Zarathustra’s message, Ahura Mazda is not the God as referred to in the Abrahamic religion: God in the heavens, omnipotent and powerful, who will at times be angry and avenge people, who will have angels in the court, chooses a prophet and inspires his words to him and calls for servetiude from human to bring him to a pleasent paradise where Adam had once been.

Till now Ahura Mazda has been defined as The The Almighty Wise Creator. “Mazda” means Almighty Wise and “Ahura”  means Creator. It’s clear the word “Wise” is a nominative case and doer of action (the one who knows). So how has this Being come into existance? Creator is also the One who has (once)  given existence to everything, and this is also a nominative case and doer of action. Who was this Being and how was he himself created?

In Zarathustra’s hymns where sometimes the word “Mazda” and in some hymns “Ahura” and “Ahura Mazda” have been used and where he has had unanswered querries regarding the universe around him, the reference was to “knowledge and awareness”, not to a wise person in the sky who gives him the correct answer, as in the Gatha, Ahura Mazda has not replied Zarathustra.

Throughout the verses of Haat 44 of Yasna, at the beginning Zarathustra says: I ask this from thee O’ Ahura, reveal the truth to me .

And what he asks are the questions he has observed in the life around him and because the knowledge at that time was not yet much advanced, no one knew the reason and the  philosophy behind it. Zarathustra was awaiting the reply from the knowledge andawareness but these answers were not known in those days but through the passage of time scientists and scholars after him each revealed them to the people.

In these verses Zarathustra asks Mazda Ahura (the knowledge and awareness of the world): What is the foundation and a correct way of living?, What is the origin of creation?, What force has laid the foundation for the path of the sun and stars?, How have water and plants along with the earth and sky emerge?, How do light and darkness appear? And so on.. With these querries, Zarathustra does not recognize Ahura Mazda as an amazing and miraculous being? He has found that through knowledge and wisdom, one can achieve knowledge and awareness and thus can get closer to God.

O’ Ahura Mazda, May it be so that I approach thee with the grace of Vahuman (Good Thought). Bestow upon me the prosperity and reward obtained through the path of Asha in the two material and heavenly worlds (Gatha, Zarathustra’s Hymns, Yasna 28, Vverse 2, Page 63       

In my oppinion, the correct translation of the word Ahura Mazda will be as such: Ahura (Hastimand) meaning the owner of the world, blended with the world, along with the world

Mazda (unlimited knowledge and awareness): The knowledge which is unlimited in the world.

Therfore Ahura Mazda means “Owner of the World with Unlimited Knowledge and Awarness”

1. Religion (in Farsi Din) is from the word “Daena”, meaning Knowledgable and Aware Conscience. Religious is a person who has achieved knowledge and awareness and chooses the best way of life for himself and for others.

In the Gatha, Yasna 51, verse 21 it has been said:

He who praises Armayeeti (love and pure ideal) is pure and devout

By his Thought, Word, Deed and Religion

He develops Trutfullness and Good Thought

The One who Ahura Mazda favours.

I long to be such

And ask for its good reward (Sasanfar, The Gatha translation, page 1079)

1. In his hymns, Ashoo Zarathostra recognizes himself as Sushiyant (reliever) and Mantran (Thought provoker) and Teacher. Though according to the Haat 29 of Yasna he is choosen with the advice of Honesty, Good Deed, the Spirit of the World and Unlimited Knowledge and Awareness (Mazda), yet we should not consider him as other Sami prophets whom God has selected and have been inspired from heaven.
2. The two monotonous and antithetical natures in Zarathustra’s insight are one of his philosophical masterpieces which prove that Ahura Mazda is all good and evil does not originate from awareness, but the human in whom the result of thinking after the blending of the two monotonous natures is Angara Minoo (evil) will create evils in life and the world.
3.  Zarathustra’s recommendation for life is Truth, Happiness, Wisdom, Construction, Revival, Equality, Kindness and Reconciliation of the people of the world and does not refer to a particular race or tribe.
4. According to Zarathustra Heaven and Hell with the human’s good and evil deeds are heavenly and in this world and we should not scare others of going to the fire of hell. 
5. Zarathustra views human’s happiness in the happiness of others and values the material life and thus does not recommend hurting oneself, starving and mortification.

Zoroastrians’ current traditional festivals in Iran are festivals like NowRuz (the New Year), Sadeh, Mehregan, Tirgan, Esfandgan and ..... , the Gahanbars (ceremonies for giving away charities), special rituals for the departed souls, Nozooti (Sedreh Pooshi) and marriage ceremonies (Gavah Giri) which are held in every city and village. The Parsees in India have also taken some of the ceremonies and rituals of the Sassanid era with them as a memorial which has been blended with the style of Indian traditions and have added other ceremonies to them.

 The Religious Challange faced by the Youth

The Dissimilation of Riligious Teachings with some Traditions

One of the reasons that has caused the teachings and spread of religious knowledge and the holding of ancient rituals and tradition to lose their novelty for the youth and the religious acceptance to be difficult for the youngsters of the current generation, is being away from our true culture and teachings for many years. The number of Mobeds who take help from Zarathustra’s insight and become the teachers of truth have also decreased over time. The Mobeds mostly perform rituals and recite the Avesta and consider this as their profession. Therefore, it has happened so that we don’t have any method of following the religious teachings in a coordinated manner for the people of the Zoroastrian Society.

Although we have automatically forgotten most of the past traditional rituals like using the paajaaw (the cow’s urine used for disinfection), Noshwa (ceremony for washing the the body withthree types of cleansers), Barshnoum (another form of washing the impurity of magic), Zandashtan (keeping the menstruous women in a separate place during their period), the timming nails had to be done on special days of the month, it was followed by reciting the Avesta, Dakhmeh- the tower of silence (placing dead bodies on the hilltops and the like, yet some of our traditional beliefs are identified with those of other religions. The Mobeds don’t believe that Zarathustra’s message about heaven and hell, penance, eating and dressing, freedom of choice and many demands of Zarathustra’s followers at present don’t agree with this teachear’s message and it is needed to be coordinated based on Zarathustra’s true insight.

Simplifying and shortening of religious rituals and traditions in this period is of special importance so that the youth will accept it. Some traditions from the Sasanid era have yet remained unused, whereas peoples’ life after one thousand and five hundred years has no similarities with each other. Perhaps there were times when it was possible to say the five time prayers of the day and the Zoroastrians continually wore the Sedreh and Koshti. Considering the various professions ot the youth in countries, does the possibility still exist and should these rituals still be recommended and persisted to them?

In case we want to have an outlook at the Avestaean sentence about the Youths’ Place in the Avesta, and urge them to follow Good Thought, Good Word and Good Deed in order to have a correct religion and insight in the current time; we should hold special meetings and ask the Scholars, Mobeds, Religious leaders (The Hirbads) and the Young Zoroastrians to investigate about the true religion of Zarathustra and its coordination with various traditions, and with another renaissance add a new and perfect leaf based on Zarathustra’s insight to his followers’ book of thousands of year culture and belief and hand it to the new generation, or else in the near future hand over what we have inherited with lots of suffering and pain from the ancestors so far, to the Museum of History of Religions.

Conclusion

In the present day, like the other people the Zoroastrian Youth is encountering religious confusion and at times dislikes religion because he or she doesn’t have correct information about it. In adolesence, he or she has religious motives with no reason, but because he or she puts behind the period of youth, his or her mind and wisdom needs to understand the philosophy of Zoroastrian rituals and if in this period they don’t get a reasonable answer, they will believe some of the religious rituals to be superstitious and will end up with religious indifference.

The Zoroastrians in the world have been clasified as the Zoroastians of Iran, The Parsees of India and Zoroastrian new converts, each of which has their own characteristics, over their history of thousands of years they have protected their religion and culture with difficulty and now also they are facing many challanges.

If the Zoroastran Youth in the world achieve their religious identity and behave on the basis of Ashoo Zaratustra’s true insight, on the one hand the ancestors’ religion and rituals will be passed to the next generations and on the other hand the people of the world will recognize the lost glory of such a long-standing culture.

In this regard there is the need for religious meetings so that the intellectuals and Mobeds of the world gather and refine Zarathushtra’s insight from concuptual beliefs and superstitions so that a similar and sutible procedure and strategy will be chosen for the youth to follow.

Mobed Koorosh Niknam

Paris. 1396 Solar year, 2017 A.D.

Reference:

This is a field research, and the below sources have also been used:

The Gatha, Ashoo Zarathushtra’s Hymns – Translated by Dr. Abtin Sasanfar – Tehran, Behjat Publications. Second Print 2014

The Zoroastrians of Iran, After Islam until Today – Dr. Katayoon Namiranian – Tehran, Kermanshenasi Center 2002 

Struggle and Compromise, Conquered Zoroastrians and Predominant Muslims in the early Centuries of the Islamic Society in Iran – Jamsheedgar Shab Choksy, Translated by Nader MirSaeedi – Tehran, Ghoghnoos Publications 2003

The Zoroastrians, Their Religious Beliefs and Rituals - Mary Boyce, Translated by Askar Bahrami - Tehran, Ghoghnoos Publications 2002

The Story of Sanjan, Story of the Iranian Zoroastrian’s Migration to  India – Bahman Keyghobad – Tehran, Faravahar Publications 1971  

The History of Iranian Zoroastrians, The Zoroastrians’ Political, Social and Economical Situation the Era of Qajar – Hashem Razi, Tehran, Behjat Publications 2015 

The Khordeh Avesta – Translated from Dindabireh – Rashid Shahmerdan - Tehran, Faravahar Publications 2001