ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 12

PROGRESSIVE MENTALITY

Song 12.1 (Yasna 47.1)

To him who, through progressive mentality, performs his duties best in thoughts, words, and deeds in accordance with righteousness, the Wise Lord grants wholeness and immortality through sovereignty and serenity.              

The progressive mentality is the creative and promotive faculty endowed in our mind by Mazda Ahura, the Super-Intellect Being. It makes us renovate and promote our environment, our world. One, who performs his duties in the best righteous manner, is granted wholeness, perfection, immortality, and eternity through their sovereignty, independence, serenity and tranquility.

The Progressive Mentality (Spenta Mainyu - Holy Spirit) leads to Perfection and Immortality.

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Song 12.2 (Yasna 47.2)

He receives the best from the most progressive mentality who speaks words of good mind with his tongue, and performs, with his own hands, deeds of serenity because he has one perception: the Wise One is the creator of righteousness.

Here is a creative person who utilizes best his progressive mentality and then translates good thoughts into words and deeds—deeds that provide serenity and bestow tranquility. Righteousness, the Universal Law of Precision is the creation of Wisdom. One should always be right and precise in thoughts, words, and deeds.

The Progressive Mentality provides us the substance and capability to perceive God and comprehend the divine precision in existence.

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Song 12.3 (Yasna 47.3)

You are the promoter of this mentality which created the joy-bringing world for him, and have granted peace and serenity for his settlement, because, Wise One, he had consulted good mind.              

Wisdom is the promoter of the progressive mentality, the creative faculty. It fashions the joy-bringing world for human beings whom it gives serene peace and prosperity within settlements. All this happens only after humans consult their good mind.

The fundamental Progressive Mentality created our joy-bringing world and will drive it to perfection.

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Song 12.4 (Yasna 47.4)

Wise One, it is the wrongful, not the righteous, who continue to keep away from this progressive mentality. A person of very small means can be kind to a righteous person, and a person of great strength can be bad to the wrongful.              

It is clear that the righteous must consult the progressive mentality. The wrongful do not. As far as relations are concerned, a person of small means can be helpful to a righteous person and so can a rich person. Both can be bad for the wrongful. (note the poetic mastery: Poor is good to the righteous and rich is bad to the wrongful.)

As long as we follow the path of righteousness, we will benefit from the progressive mentality, regardless of our material wealth.

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Song 12.5 (Yasna 47.5)

Wise Lord, it is through this progressive mentality that You have promised the righteous what indeed is best. But the wrongful shares little from Your love, because he lives by the actions of his evil mind.              

The loving Wise God has endowed us with the progressive mentality. If utilized well and righteously, it leads to a life that is the best, but one who chooses to think evil, simply cannot continuously share the divine love. They have a wrong way of living.

The Progressive Mentality provides the best to the righteous, yet the deceitful care little for that which is truly best.

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Song 12.6 (Yasna 47.6)

Wise Lord, You grant good to both these parties through the progressive mentality by means of fire—light, warmth and energy— because with the growth of serenity and righteousness, it shall convert many a seeker.              

The Divine Fire symbolizes the progressive mentality. It means creativity and promotion through “light, warmth and energy.” It is the Fire that guides the righteous and the wrongful to light, warmth, energy—a blissful life. The righteous reach it sooner, the wrongful with painful delays. The progressive mentality promotes stability and righteousness—a perfect atmosphere to convert every wrongful who seeks to convert into a righteous person.

Seek the light of knowledge and truth so that you may become more righteous through the Progressive Mentality. 

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We invite your comments on these Gathas so that our insights might teach one another.

Next Installment: (WHEN PUBLISHED): The Gathas – Song 13

Previous Installment:  The Gathas – Song 11

Source: The Gathas - Zarathushtrian Assembly  See the index on the left of the page for the Song labeled in the title of this article.

ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 11

FROM SUFFERING TO SUCCESS

Song 11.1 (Yasna 46.1)

To what land should I turn? Where should I turn to go? They hold me back from my folks and friends. Neither the community I follow pleases me, nor do the wrongful rulers of the land. How can I please You, Wise Lord? 

The opposition to Zarathushtra’s mission mounts. He is isolated from folks and friends; the community is hostile and so are the rulers of the land. The person who had prayed and asked “for support through progressive mentality [so that] I may perform all my actions, based as they are on the wisdom of good mind, precisely according to the laws of righteousness so that I please You and the soul of the Living World” (Song 1.1), now does not know what to do next. A frustrated Zarathushtra seeks guidance from God as where and how to go.

Those who fight for Truth and justice may find themselves cast away by society, reminding them of the necessity of their actions.

ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 10

Each stanza of this song contains the translation in italics, a brief commentary, and a closing thought to ponder.  

Try reading on stanza each day and pondering upon its meaning.

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PROCLAMATION

Song 10.1 (Yasna 45.1)

Now, I shall proclaim, hear and listen,

you who have come from near and far as seekers.

Now, clearly bear these in mind.

Let not the evil teacher, the wrongful,

with his evil choice and perverted tongue, 

destroy life for a second time. 

Feeling fully confident about how to spread his message, Zarathushtra calls a conference. People flock in from far and near to hear him. As he addresses them, he wants to make one point clear: they should bear in mind that evil teachers have chosen evil and will thus use perverse language to seduce them back—a trick that would destroy their life, now being built on a new, fresh standard.

A wise person recognizes manipulative teachers and educates others on their deceitful nature.

ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 9

Each stanza of this song contains the translation in italics, a brief commentary, and a closing thought to ponder.  

Try reading on stanza each day and pondering upon its meaning.

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ANSWERING QUESTIONS

Song 9.1 (Yasna 44.1)

This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord. 

How shall I reverently pay [homage to You]?

Teach this to a friend like me, Wise One.

Let us all be given help, through loving righteousness,

so that it comes to us through good mind.

Enlightenment through meditating on questions that turn into answers.  In the first stanza, he asks as to how he should pay his reverence and homage to Ahura—“The Being”. He wants Wisdom to teach a friend like Zarathushtra; he wishes for help through the Universal Law which is made of “loving” rightousness, the help comes only when one uses his or her good mind. The answer he recieves is that this very stanza is the best loving homage one can pay. No rule for performing rituals, no directive for dramas.

Commune with Lord Wisdom by meditation and consult the Good Mind for the right answers.

ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 8

Each stanza of this song contains the translation in italics, a brief commentary, and a closing thought to ponder.  

Try reading on stanza each day and pondering upon its meaning.

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REALIZING-SELF, NATURE, GOD

Song 8.1 (Yasna 43.1)

May the Wise, Ruling-at-will Lord

grant radiant happiness to the person

who radiates happiness to any other person at large.

I pray for steadfast strength and courage

in order to uphold righteousness.

Grant me through serenity

the blessings of a rich life of good mind. 

The Wise God rules at his will, a will that grants radiant happiness to whosoever gives radiating happiness to others without discrimination. All joining to create a healthy healthy and happy happy world. Zarathushtra wants steadfast strength and courage not for physical power but to serve righteousness. And he wants stability that produces a rich life based on good mind—a blessing to live, a life to spread happiness, a happiness that is shared by all.

True happiness radiates happiness onto others and enriches all lives.

ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 7

Each stanza of this song contains the translation in italics, a brief commentary, and a closing thought to ponder.  

Try reading on stanza each day and pondering upon its meaning.

RENOVATION

Song 7.1 (Yasna 34.1)

The deed, the word, and the veneration 

by which I give immortality, righteousness,

and the motive for wholeness to the people,

are very much offered by us,

Wise Lord, to You. 

The message of Zarathushtra leads to mental veneration of the Divine. Words and deeds that give righteousness, and power to move towards wholeness, and immortality. This mental veneration, words and deeds are what Zarathushtra and his companions offer to Mazda Ahura.

No sacrifice, intoxicating substance, or other material offering is needed to please the Divine One. Only our good thoughts, words, and deeds should be offered to promote a good life.

ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 6

Each stanza of this song contains the translation in italics, a brief commentary, and a closing thought to ponder.  

Try reading on stanza each day and pondering upon its meaning.

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DEVOTION TO DUTY

Song 6.1 (Yasna 33.1)

According to the Primal Principles of Life

the leader shall do full justice

to the wrongful and to the righteous,

as well as to the person

whose falsity is combined

with his probity. 

The leader, chosen by people, should be impartial. He should base his justice on the Primal Principles of Life and then deal with the wrongful, the righteous, and the person who is both. It is this impartiality that brings true justice and wins others over to righteousness.

We must choose impartial leaders who will judge ALL according to their behavior.

ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 5

Each stanza of this song contains the translation in italics, a brief commentary, and a closing thought to ponder.  

Try reading on stanza each day and pondering upon its meaning.

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ABERRATION

Introduction: This song is an exposure of the fraud and aberration practiced by the priests and princes of the old Avestan religions. The worship of daevas, a listing of false gods, were the creation of a mentality of harm and deceit by the priestly profession. Superstitions direct a person away from Divine thinking. They can, however, become a good source of income for the cunning and unscrupulous, who continue to hoard what they can extract from simple people. 

These cunning persons are the ritualistic priests, called the karapan by Zarathushtra. The word actually means “arrangers of rituals”, but it also means “chatterers” and “mumblers” which they indeed were. They were the only priests that Zarathushtra knew of; in his Songs, he does not refer to any good priest. 

The karapans were not alone. There were also the rulers, turned into luxury lovers through the spoils they had accumulated. The two, having a common vested interest of exploiting the people, had joined hands to enrich themselves. They kept the people in darkness and ignorance through their increasing lust for wealth.  They had become tyrants, an action that earned them people’s hatred. However, they forgot that the Divine was watching them and a day would dawn when a thought-provoker would rise and lead the people out of their exploitation and darkness and to divine light. 

This was Zarathushtra's desire.

ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 4

Each stanza of this song contains the translation in italics, a brief commentary, and a closing thought to ponder.  

Try reading on stanza each day and pondering upon its meaning.

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ON GUIDANCE

Contemplate deeply each stanza over the next week.

Song 4.1 (Yasna 31.1)

Keeping the two principles of Yours in mind,

we shall teach the hitherto unheard words 

to those who destroy the righteous world 

by their wrongful doctrines.  

No doubt, the two principles will prove the best for those 

who are devoted to the Wise One. 

With the two principles of Good and Evil in view, Zarathushtra and his companions embark on teaching an entirely new doctrine, never heard before. The teachings are particularly meant for those who prove destructive to the life based on righteousness. For those who are already on the right track, the two principles should prove highly useful.

The Zarathushtrian Doctrine is novel, it leads to progress by steps, and aims to guide the wrongful toward the Laws of Existence; it reaffirms that the ethical are on the right path.

ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 3

Each stanza of this song contains the translation in italics, a brief commentary, and a closing thought to ponder.  

Try reading on stanza each day and pondering upon its meaning.

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Of Beneficence and Harmfulness (Good and Evil)

Song 3.1 (Yasna 30.1)

Now I shall speak to those who wish to hear of the two principles, which are of importance even to the wise. I shall also, with reverence for good mind and the good consideration of righteousness, have praises for the Lord, so that you may see brilliant happiness.              

Zarathushtra opens a new chapter in his Divine Doctrine—Good and Evil, two important principles that have even perplexed the wise. To understand the problem he keeps in view 1) good mind and 2) the approach to the problem through the Universal Law of Righteousness of precision—two important points for problem solution. 

And as usual, he has his praises for God, the guide who leads us by means of our good mind and righteousness to radiant happiness.

The perplexing duality of Good and Evil—the two ever-posing choices in life—can be realized by understanding the Universal Law of Righteousness that governs precise regulation of all matters physical and spiritual.

Contemplate deeply each stanza over the next week.

ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 2

Each stanza of this song contains the translation in italics, a brief commentary, and a closing thought to ponder.  

Try reading on stanza each day and pondering upon its meaning.

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ZARATHUSTRA’S SELECTION

Introductory commentary: The second song of the Gathas is a play. The play is not only the oldest Indo-Iranian play on record (approximately 3700 years old), but one can even go further to state that it is the oldest dramatic poem in the world which survives in the very words of the author—Zarathushtra Spitama [zara-THOO-stra spi-T'AH-mah].

While it is generally believed that "might makes right" in the living world, it SEEMS that the strong more regularly oppress the weak and deprive them of their legitimate rights. It seems that ours is a world of the survival of the strongest rather the most fit, or suitable. 

While this law is perhaps good for the jungle, man has outgrown being a mere animal. He is a creator now. He has discovered how to make fire. He has discovered metals and learned how to mold them into instruments. He has invented many articles. These discoveries have made him very powerful. He can make wonderful things and, equally, he can destroy wonderful things. His destructive aspect poses a great threat, not only to his own existence, but to life on the  Earth.

ZARATHUSHTRA'S WORK: The Gathas - Song 1

Each stanza of this song contains the translation in italics, a brief commentary, and a closing thought to ponder.  

Try reading on stanza each day and pondering upon its meaning.

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HUMBLY I PRAY

Ideal are the thoughts, ideal the words, ideal the deeds

of the Righteous Zarathushtra.

Let the ever-living promulgators present the Gathas.

Homage to the righteous Gathas!              

This introductory salutation was, most probably, composed by an early reciter of the Gathas who was, himself/herself, a devout promulgator of the Sublime Songs and a preacher of the Divine Doctrine. 

There is only one path in life, and that is the path of Righteousness.

ZARATHUSTRA’S WORK: The Gathas - Yatha Ahu (Principle of Choice)

This second introductory passage, the Ahuna Vairya, commonly called by the two words in the beginning, the Yatha Ahu, is the Principle of Choice. 

It is the Zarathushtrian master formula for a spiritual and material policy making system in which one is free to choose a person as his or her lord and leader.

Both the lord and the leader are to be chosen

because of their righteousness.

These two appointments are made with good mind

so that acts of life are done for the Wise One,

and the dominion of the Lord is well established,

in which the chosen person becomes

the rehabilitator of the rightful who are oppressed.              

ZARATHUSTRA’S WORK: The Gathas - Ashem Vohu (Truth, Righteousness, Cosmic Order)

This second introductory installment of the Gathas establishes the main principle of Zarathustra’s teachings.  Ashem Vohu is the central concept representing truth, righteousness, cosmic order, and the right way to live.  

This portion of the Gathas is translated and presented as:

Righteousness is the best good. 

It is radiant happiness.

Radiant happiness comes to the person to whom

righteousness is for the sake of the 

best righteousness alone.              

Righteousness is the universal law that stands for order, evolution, progress, and perfection as established by the Creator for creation. One becomes righteous by doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, and with the right means to obtain the right result. 

ZARATHUSTRA’S WORK: The Gathas (An Introduction)

Here we look at the introduction to Zarathushtra’s work.  The Gathas are a set of 17 philosophical songs, or poems, composed by Zarathushtra Spitama roughly 3,500 years ago, comprising 241 stanzas of roughly 5,500 words (or ~9,000 in English).  They encode large amounts of knowledge in each stanza inviting many different interpretations and nearly infinite applicability.  

These are the thoughts and teaching of Zarathustra woven into poetry in order to honor the divine and enlighten the listener.  For those of us who do not speak the "dead language" of Old Avestan, we, undoubtedly loose some of the nuance of the original, but there is enough scholarly work that we can "get close".  Which is what this series seeks to do. 

The Gathas were composed by one person, Zarathushtra Spitama. They have been translated by many – Zoroastrian and non-Zoroastrian priests, philologists, professors, litterateurs, “translators”, adventurers, and sheer admirers. The resulting translations are so diverse that one has to imagine as many Zarathushtras as there are translators of his songs.  

Rather than devise lengthy sermons or a list of prescriptions on how one should live their life, Zarathushtra decided to gift humanity with a guide to attaining the divine in oneself.  He trusted each person to actualize this desire according to their own understanding and circumstances.

ANCIENT WISDOM: A Brief History of Zoroastrianism

Gathic Era

Continued from Ancient Wisdom: Beginnins of Zarathushtra’s Mission

At over 40 years of age and with the full backing of a powerful chieftain, Zoroastrianism enters what is termed the Gathic Era.  This period, named for Zarathushtra's Gathas writing, spanned from c. 1500 to 1000 BC.  The Gathas, which we will review in future articles, is a set of 17 sacred hymns composed by Zarathushtra in Old Avestan (Ancient Iranian) language.

This period marked a radical religious revolution in the ancient Iranian world as polytheism transitions into one of the world's first documented monotheistic faiths.  

The Gathic Era emphasized human reason, free will, and the ethical responsibility of the individual in their choice between truth and falsehood.  Zarathushtra condemned the worship of the Old Iranian nature deities and gods of war.  He instead focused attention on the worship of the "Wise Lord" the singular, uncreated, supreme creator.  He encouraged his followers to act as "co-workers" of the Wise Lord by utilizing good thoughts, good words, and good deeds in their struggle to choose between two possibilities – Holy Spirit or Destructive Spirit.

ANCIENT WISDOM: Beginnings of Zarathustra's Mission

Around 1200 BC Zarathushtra was born into a spacious home of a local chieftain.  His father was Pourushāspa Spitama, a hot-headed and braggadocios man who was the lord of a village and its surrounding land, as well as a wealthy horse owner.  Zarathushtra's mother was Dughdova, a mysterious figure who seems to have had a significant impact on her son’s life.

Not Dughdova

Dughdova was known for having a bright and remarkable character, with legend even attributing to her a luminous glow that dazzled all around.  When she was young a serious of disaster in her home region caused the people to blame these events on her practicing witchcraft, and they informed the priests.

Seeking to preserve his daughter, but fearing reprisals from the priests and the people, her father sent her to a neighboring land to live in the house of Padiragtarāspa, a local chieftain.  It was here where she met, and eventually married, his son Pourushaspa, who fathered  Zarathushtra.

ANCIENT WISDOM: Zarathustra, (Zoroaster) and Zoroastrianism (An Introduction)

Many have often heard OF, but few know anything ABOUT this ancient philosophy/religion.  This series of articles begins to look at a very “high level” overview of this “religion of the Magi”, for the term magi refers to the hereditary, priestly caste of ancient Persia who served as the spiritual, ritual, and philosophical backbone of Zoroastrianism.

Zoroastrianism is an ancient religion based on the teachings of Zarathushtra (ZAH-raa-THOO-struh) Spitama (spih-TAH-muh) [Zarathushtra Spitama] as detailed in his written works the Gathas. The Gathas are the central texts of Zoroastrianism and are often attributed to Zarathushtra himself.  

ANCIENT WISDOM: Writings of Faith

This installment looks at the oldest recorded system of faith and notes that there are some common elements that are exhibited.

Hinduism is one of the principal faiths in the modern world and is the world’s oldest religion with complete scriptural texts that date back 3000 years to c. 975 BC.  

One of the core beliefs of this system is the importance of the search for a One that is the All.  In this system, like that of the hunter/gatherers, adherents accept their status as beings of lesser power that are dependent upon the divine.

Nearly 6000 Year Old Texas Rock Art

From the news story 6,000-year old West Texas rock art influenced Mesoamerican cosmology we learn that new research, conducted in part at Texas State University, has dated Pecos River rock art to 6,000 years ago and identified complex metaphysical concepts in the imagery that influenced the belief systems of multiple Mesoamerican cultures.

Researchers say “We have securely dated one of the most distinctive rock art traditions in the world—the Pecos River style murals of Southwest Texas, with 57 radiocarbon dates from 12 sites, we’ve learned that Indigenous communities began to paint these sacred, polychromatic murals almost 6,000 years ago. But it didn’t stop there. Using the same graphic style, symbol system and rules of paint application, they continued to create these visual manuscripts for more than 4,000 years.”