An Excerpt from “Zarathushtra: The Transcendental Vision”

By Phiroz Mehta

Many people shy away from religion because they feel that to be religious means to be solemn, to shun the legitimate joys of everyday life, to spend one’s life praying and fasting; in short, to be miserable.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Religious living simply means living the daily secular life virtuously. It can well include prayer and worship, for these are spontaneous expressions of man’s tenderly growing awareness of Transcendence, and of the fact that he is primarily a religious being and only secondarily everything else. Zarathushtra as a man of action and as a Prophet of God was a very practical man with sound psychological insight. He well knew that men will of course run away from a misery agent, but incline favourably towards a happiness bringer. So he affirmed that not only God but also this physical world is good. Thus one of the outstanding features of Zarathushtrian religion is its joyousness.

Zarathushtra says:

O far-seeing Lord of Life, reveal to me for my joy your priceless gifts of Khshathra which are the blessings of Vohu Manah.

Ys. 33.13

Tell me truly, O Ahura for whom didst Thou fashion this joy­giving Earth?

Ys. 44.6

Tell me truly, O Ahura. How may I walk in beatific joy with you, in full companionship?

Ys. 44.17

Of this (Holy) Spirit, Thou art indeed the Holy Father; Thou didst create this Earth for our joy.

Ys. 47.3

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