Removing the Sheen from Zoroastrianism

[Meluhhan]

In the "Removing the Sheen from Judaism" thread, we blamed Judaism for all of our problems, since it was the original Abrahamic religion. Maybe we were wrong, and our problems actually come from Zoroastrianism.



It is well-known that the Jews adopted concepts from Zoroastrianism when Cyrus the Great liberated them from the Babylonian captivity. Before the captivity, Yahweh was merely a tribal god who came to the rescue whenever the Jews got in trouble. After the captivity, Yahweh became more universal. Before the captivity, Satan was merely an angel who tempted men to disobey Yahweh's laws. After the captivity, Satan became an all-encompassing force of evil.



There is some evidence that the enemies of the Vedic Aryans were Persians. From [url="http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv07006.htm"]Book 7, Hymn 6[/url] of the Rig Veda:

3 The foolish, faithless, rudely-speaking niggards, without belief or sacrifice or worship,—

Far far sway hath Agni chased those Dasytis, and, in the cast, hath turned the godless westward.

The term "Dasa" corresponds with "Daha(e)", the name of a Persian tribe.



According to [url="http://voiceofdharma.org/books/rig/ch6.htm"]Talagheri's analysis of the Vedas[/url], the Dasas belonged to the Bhrigu clan and rejected the worship of the Vedic gods:

The characteristic feature which sets the BhRgus apart is “open hostility to the gods themselves… One of the greatest of the BhRgus is everywhere said to have served as the priest and chaplain of the asuras, the demon enemies of heaven and of order (dharma).”

During the Raj, the British favored the Parsis over the natives when doing business.

Recently, I came across a website called [url="http://parsikhabar.net/"]Parsi Khabar[/url] where they post anti-India/anti-Hindu articles.

[G.Subramaniam]

It is well documented that in Zorastrianism, the devas are the devils and worshippers of the devas ( hindus ) were exterminated by Zorastrians



An irony that they now need to take shelter with deva worshippers and away from their monotheist cousins.



The Zorastrians also exterminated buddhists in Iraq



Much of the jewish old testament is written after contact with Zorastrians



Also, Zorastrianism is the first to introduce the concept of the devil



And yes, they are still surprisingly anti-Hindu

[Meluhhan]

[quote name='G.Subramaniam' date='17 January 2012 - 10:08 PM' timestamp='1326855629' post='114233']

The Zorastrians also exterminated buddhists in Iraq

[/quote]



Can you provide a link for this?

[Meluhhan]

[quote name='G.Subramaniam' date='17 January 2012 - 10:08 PM' timestamp='1326855629' post='114233']

And yes, they are still surprisingly anti-Hindu

[/quote]



If they hate us so much, they should go back to Iran.



BTW, in the New Testament, Jesus criticizes a Jewish sect called the Pharisees that adhered to a strict interpretation of Jewish law. The name sounds very similar to "Parsi".

Does Christianity represent a rejection of Persian thought in favor of Hellenistic thought?

[G.Subramaniam]

[quote name='Meluhhan' date='18 January 2012 - 08:50 AM' timestamp='1326856333' post='114234']

Can you provide a link for this?

[/quote]



http://www.ranajitpal.com/ranajitpal_Parnaka.htm



The learned Al-beruni wrote that Isfendiyad, son of Gushtasp, drove away the Buddhists from Iran. Al-beruni's data shows that Isfendiyad or Sphendadata was also a name of Darius-I.



--



http://www.infinityfoundation.com/ECITal...ameset.htm



Some of the reasons of Hindus' repugnance of Muslims are complete banishment of Buddhists from countries from Khurasan, Persis, Irak, Mosul and Syria, first by the Zoroastrians and then by Islam.

[G.Subramaniam]

[quote name='Meluhhan' date='18 January 2012 - 09:21 AM' timestamp='1326858237' post='114236']

If they hate us so much, they should go back to Iran.



BTW, in the New Testament, Jesus criticizes a Jewish sect called the Pharisees that adhered to a strict interpretation of Jewish law. The name sounds very similar to "Parsi".

Does Christianity represent a rejection of Persian thought in favor of Hellenistic thought?

[/quote]



No



Can you give me some links on anti-Hindu articles by parsis

[G.Subramaniam]

Why do Parsis in India, live in muslim colonies, keep muslim names and make little effort to separate themselves

[G.Subramaniam]

http://www.caravanmagazine.in/Story/1315...owned.html



Godrej called on Modi to use the mandate from his victory to ensure the safety and security of all Gujaratis.

--



“The evening I was leaving to meet Modi [to deliver the letter of apology], my wife accosted me, ‘You just can’t do this....’ Among our close friends are Anu Aga, Azim Premji, Jamshyd Godrej and several from the Parsi and Muslim communities. My answer was that I had two options: I could quit and say I will not do this. Else, I had to look after our members.”



--



“At first, when Bajaj, Godrej and others spoke out, people noticed it was mostly the Parsis coming out against Modi. Everyone perceived it as the Parsi minority feeling insecure—that was how people interpreted the resistance against Modi. Modi realised it, and he got Ratan Tata to take an award from Vajpayee at one of the Vibrant Gujarat summits—that was it.



--



So why are the Parsis so anti-Hindu and pro-muslim

[Meluhhan]

In numerous Persian languages, the term "Hindu" has become synonymous with "slave", thanks to the medieval slave trade.

Pakistanis are starting to adopt Persian culture in increasingly large numbers.

Maybe our problems with Pakistan are not the result of "Islamic fundamentalism", but are instead the result of the spread of Persianized culture within Pakistan?



Go on any forum dominated by Pakistanis, and they talk about partially-cremated bodies floating in the Ganga.

Zoroastrians refused to bury or cremate their dead, because they thought it would pollute the earth/water/fire, so they would let vultures eat them in "Towers of Silence".

[Meluhhan]

[quote name='G.Subramaniam' date='26 February 2012 - 09:00 PM' timestamp='1330307537' post='114518']

Why do Parsis in India, live in muslim colonies, keep muslim names and make little effort to separate themselves

[/quote]



Subcontinental Islam is dominated by Persian culture, and not Arabic culture.

Maybe they want to live among communities where they'll have the most influence?

[G.Subramaniam]

From Bharat-rakshak forums -



The Avesta speaks of the struggle between the worshipers of Ahura Mazdā and the daevas. This opposition in the Zoroastrian texts is expressed as one between the Mazdayasnas and the Daēvayasnas. It is a conflict in which Zoroaster wished to defeat and convert the worshipers of the daēva religion. The Yašts speak of legendary heroes and kings who participated in this struggle. The wars against the Daēvayasnas by Vištāspa (Yt. 5.109, 113; 9.30-31), Jāmāspa (Yt. 5.68-70), and Vistaru of the Naotara family (Yt. 5.76-77) represent this ongoing conflict in the historical period.



In the Vendidad, the Zoroastrians are encouraged to take possession of the lands, waters, and harvests of the daēva worshipers (Vd. 19.26). Elsewhere (Vd. 7.36-40), it is recommended that the art of medicine should be first tried on the daēva-worshipers and if they survive then it should be attempted on the Mazdayasnians.



Although the Zoroastrian heresy triumphed in Iran and the great Persian kings of the middle of 1st millennium BC followed the religion of Ahura Mazdā, the daēva worshipers survived, especially in the West, in the Mesopotamian religion.



Whether Zarathuštra belonged to the second millennium BC or later, it is clear that the Vedic gods survived for a pretty long time in corners of Iran. The evidence of the survival of the Vedic gods from the daiva- inscription of Xerxes (ruled 486-465 BC). The revolt by the daēva worshipers in West Iran is directly referred to:



Proclaims Xerxes the King: When I became king, there is among these countries one which was in rebellion. Afterwards Ahura-mazda bore me aid. By the favor of Ahuramazda I smote that country and put it down in its place.



And among these countries there was a place where previously daiva were worshiped. Afterwards, by the favor of Ahuramazda I destroyed that sanctuary of daiva, and I made proclamation:



'The daiva shall not be worshiped!' Where previously the daiva were worshiped, there I worshiped Ahuramazda at the proper time and in the proper manner. And there was other business that had been done ill. That I made good. That which I did, all I did by the favor of Ahuramazda. Ahuramazda bore me aid until I completed the work.



The analysis of early Persian history has shown that the Māzandarān, the region south of the Caspian sea and the Alburz mountain range, remained for long a centre of daēva worship. It has been suggested that the Xerxes inscription refers to the suppression of these people.



Burrow takes the daēva worshiping people to be proto-Indoaryans and sees them as the remnants of a population that stretched from West Asia to India. The Iranians coming down from the northeast drove a wedge between this belt, leading to the eventual assimilation of the western daēva worshipers in the course of centuries.

[Meluhhan]

[quote name='G.Subramaniam' date='04 May 2012 - 08:29 PM' timestamp='1336180868' post='114801']

In the Vendidad, the Zoroastrians are encouraged to take possession of the lands, waters, and harvests of the daēva worshipers (Vd. 19.26).[/quote]



A minor correction. The [url="http://www.avesta.org/vendidad/vd19sbe.htm"]verse[/url] in the Vendidad is telling Zoroastrians to take donations from everyone, whether they worship Daevas or Ahuras:

26. Zarathushtra asked Ahura Mazda: 'O thou all-knowing Ahura Mazda: Should I urge upon the godly man, should I urge upon the godly woman, should I urge upon the wicked Daeva-worshipper who lives in sin, to give the earth made by Ahura, the water that runs, the corn that grows, and all the rest of their wealth?'



Ahura Mazda answered: 'Thou shouldst, O holy Zarathushtra.'