“Zarathustra: The Man and the Message,” by Meheryar N. Rivetna. Published in 2021 by the author, Zoroastrian Association of Houston, 8787 W. Airport Blvd., Houston, TX 77071, USA.
Meheryar Rivetna offers a refreshing alternative to the ongoing debate between the so-called orthodox and reformist points of view in the Parsi community. A retired sales manager of a multinational pharmaceutical corporation, he dedicated his retirement years to studying Zarathustra’s teachings. In the process, he realized that, like himself, his co-religionists were unaware of the underpinnings of Zarathustra’s teachings and was motivated to share his learnings. He states: "It is with the hope to spark an interest in Zarathushtra, the man, and his wondrous message, that I write this book.”
Besides a listing of historical facts, Rivetna references the work of many prominent research scholars, writers, and commentators of the past two centuries.
The starting premise of the book is that modern-day followers of the religion of Zarathustra, which influenced similar faiths, do not have access to basic knowledge and understanding of its teachings, history, and its mythology. With thousands of years of extraneous influences on the teachings, the followers have often adopted some of the very practices the Prophet eschewed. Today, the Parsis of India and our 21st-century diaspora across the world practice the faith by watching priests performing rituals and reciting prayers with little understanding of either.
Rivetna takes the reader on a unique journey, deciphering the origins of myths that have crept in. He is constantly searching for the truth. While he helps the reader separate the ritual from the teachings, he does not dismiss the rituals. Instead, he attempts to interpret their origin.
The fundamentals of the faith are that laws of nature supersede all laws. We gain the knowledge of nature through observation, experience, and positive mind power that the Prophet termed Vohu Mana. Hence, a good life is one that follows nature’s rules, while habits that violate these rules, termed Aka Mana, throw one’s life into chaos and misery. Thus, the basic tenets of the faith emerge — good thoughts, words, and deeds.
The teachings of Zarathushtra do not fall under the exclusive ownership of either the "orthodox” or "reformist” camp. Very early in the book, one realizes the author’s claim that there is only one unquestionable set of Zarathustra’s teachings that defies any alternate interpretation. By the same observation, all disputes between the two camps relate to social and ritual traditions and not to Zoroastrian scripture, or to any practices propounded by the Prophet.
Labeling any point of view as "orthodox Zoroastrianism” or "liberal/reformist Zoroastrianism” is very disrespectful to the fundamental teachings of Zarathushtra that need no caveats. So, Parsis will be proper followers of the faith by living a life with no qualifiers, adjectives, or labels to describe their adherence to Zarathustra’s Gathas.
Much after the time of Zarathushtra, the pre-Zoroastrian Magi, with the support of Atharvan Zoroastrian priests, designed rituals to manage the faith. These were documented as Zarathustra’s teachings in the Younger Avesta, which includes the Vendidad. However, many of these dictates have no basis in the Gathas.
For example, the book discusses the disposal of the dead via "dakhmanashini" (sky burial). The pre-Zoroastrian Persians had adopted a method of burying the deceased encased in wax. While they can acknowledge the scientific reasoning that the body should not defile the earth, it is important to note that the practice of sky burial has no mention in the Zoroastrian Gathas.
The book also highlights several other issues that have been barnacled on to Zoroastrian teachings and are not mentioned in the Gathas and are in fact contradictory to them. For instance, the unacceptable premise that the religion of Zarathustra is exclusive to those born in the faith. Such a position hinders the dissemination of the teachings and is contradictory to the concept of universality of the faith.
To separate the grain from the chaff and to present the faith in all its simple purity, the author probably hopes that readers will take away a better understanding of the teachings of Zarathustra, and boldly resist getting caught up in the meaningless orthodox/reformist quagmire.
Rivetna is donating 100% of the sale proceeds to the Library Committee of the Zoroastrian Association of Houston, Texas, USA, where he serves as a member. The committee’s mission is to promote and advance the teachings of Zarathushtra — a religion for all humankind.
This review was published in "Parsiana" November 2021 and posted here with permission. Reviewed by YEZDYAR S. KAOOSJI, a retired professional and management consultant to national and international non-governmental and non-profit organizations. He lives in California, USA.
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
