THE SPEAKING TREE: Balance the spiritual and the material

There are two aspects to human life: One that relates to the physical body, the material, and the other that relates to the inner self or the soul, the spiritual.

Materialism is a tendency to lead a life of worldly pleasures. Spirituality means to keep in mind the awakening of the soul even while remaining active.

Material characteristics in-clude greed, attachment towards worldly objects and people, and egoism. We generally engage our time and effort in satisfying our material requirements.

The mind is different from the rest of the senses in that it is always dissatisfied. New hopes and ambitions arise once the old ones are fulfilled. The worth and importance of a well-mannered, disciplined person is obviously more than that of an egoistic person.

No circumstances or individuals can challenge a person who is dominated by ego, whereas examples of egoistic people suffering and coming to ruin can be seen all around us. The ego-less person is respected while an egoistic person is not.

The inner self or the soul is called Antaratma. Looking after the soul results in eternal peace, satisfaction, bliss and the acquisition of both material and spiritual benefits. Here, priority is given to the soul compared to the body.

Bodily requirements are kept to a minimum and the principle of "simple living and high thinking" is adopted. This means a person who takes care of his soul has to practise restraint over the senses and remain satisfied with minimum resources.

If, for example, food intake is kept low, it has the double benefit of enabling longevity and protection from diseases. The consumption of too much sugar, salt and fat can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis respectively.

An excess usage of other senses also causes problems. For example, watching too much television or too much exposure to computers damages eyesight. Listening to loud music affects hearing. Overindulgence in sexual activities is unhealthy.

People who practise res-traint never experience financial crisis. nor do they remain in debt. They maintain a healthy body and healthy mind. They are called people of character; they are respected.

We should consider the whole world as family, by adopting the principle of vasudhaiva kutumbakam. Why spend valuable time and effort for the sake of a few family members only?

When the feeling of vasu-dhaiva kutumbakam develops, a person exhibits love and compassion towards everyone and offers his services for the welfare of humanity.

On the other hand, if one person or a group of persons is showered with excessive love and caring, it becomes a cause of suffering for every-one concerned.

Thinking about the welfare of the soul prevents wastage. Those who remain satisfied achieve peace. Everyone around them become their friends, admirers or supporters.

They always remain blissful. Nothing remains to be achieved by a person who follows the path of the welfare of the soul.

The writer is chancellor, Devasans-kriti Vishwa Vidyalaya, Hardwar.

 

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Greet the New Year as An Ethical Person
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We have several responsibilities to fulfil for the good of self and the well-being of all of Ahura Mazda's creations. The most important is to follow the path of Asha or purity, at many levels.

Asha is expressed as wisdom, righteousness and truth. Living in a physical-material world means to begin the course of purification on that plane.

Personal cleanliness and that of your surroundings form the basis on which the ethical human being functions. Maintaining this purity is further extended to maintaining purity of the environment — the concept of ecology becomes a reality in daily life.

A pure body or tanu and environment, provide the perfect home for a pure soul, urvan.

Urvan determines the direction of your life: The three-fold path of the soul, as expressed through humata, good thinking, hukata, good words and feelings and huvarashta, good deeds, is expected to be followed by Zoroastrians who take their life on earth as a means of achieving higher holistic development, and of contributing to evolution that could transform the earth.

Through agriculture, life is brought out into the sunlight from the depths of the earth, and this acts as deterrent to forces of evil represented by Ahriman, the spirit of darkness and death.

The power of Ahura Mazda, the Spirit of the Sun, signifies all that is bright, good and true, and is invoked through prayers, rites and rituals of the Holy Gathas and the Zend Avesta.

Each moment on earth is seen as an opportunity to give back something good in return for the Gift of Life, the highest gift. You have the gift of logical thinking and clear reasoning — to differentiate between good and evil — determining the nature of your actions.

You have the power of free will to make the right choice. If you choose to do evil, then you have succumbed to Ahriman, receding from your innermost ethical nature, setting in motion a series of changes which perpetuate evil.

When you choose the path of the pure, you act in the light of Ahura Mazda, bringing world evolution a step forward. Purity of spirit, Fravashi is always untainted.

This purity is enhanced when you live consciously, in accordance with the laws of the universe, best accomplished by gaining know-ledge of the worlds in which we live — the physical, natural and spiritual — because knowledge dispels the darkness of ignorance.

True knowledge leads you to the knowledge of higher realms, the worlds of the Yezatas and Amesha Spentas.

The seven Amesha Spentas or the Bounteous Immortals, likened to the archangels, have two roles to play: bequeathing virtues to the ethical human being, and as guardians of the seven creations of Ahura Mazda: sky, water, earth, plant, cattle, human beings and fire.

The virtues, which the Amesha Spentas represent, are to be realised and developed, giving you insight into the workings of Ahura Mazda with firm resolve, moral strength and courage to overcome adversity in the struggle against Ahriman.

The ethical human being approaches the goal of being a true Ashavan, one who has realised Asha, the highest purity.

Each year on Pateti, the last day of the Zoroastrian calendar, followers of Zarathustra take stock of their conduct in the year gone by, rejoicing for the good and repenting for all wrongs done, their own as well as of others.

They then resolve to better themselves. After introspection and soul-searching, the following New Year day is spent at the Fire Temple, resolving to make the best of the coming year. Tomorrow is New Year's Day for Parsis and Iranis.