AN ANCIENT FAITH.

Lake County Press, Issue 2115, 26 April 1906, Page 7

AN ANCIENT FAITH.

Jl, is singular liow little is genera 1]y known about onn of the oldest j and most eid ighteued idi oils; .si ill existing in Ihe world, and still I'ol- ! lowed I)V people who have accepted most of the conditions of modern civilization. The tall "sugarloaf” hats of newly-arrived I’arsees are constantly seen in London and other rival, commercial centres. In more than one of onr parks onr ■ i'h i 1 d ren till t heir cups at heantifnl ■ fount a ins. trifled 1 o the public by wealthy I’arsee merchants. Two members of the I’ar.see community in Hritain have been chosen at different times to represent great const i I Henries in the 1 louse of Commons. Vet ! if one should ask any ordinary wellj educated person as to w hat was the special distinction of Parsec religion, and who was its prophet, he might mention I lie name of Zoroaster. lie l iniy hj t add that the I’a race believe jtha! two principles—one good and i one evil-nib- (he world, which the 1 best authorities among tic Parsecs j t IcniseJves assure ns is a mistake, jand he might further dub Parsees as I "fire-worshippers,” which is a still jmoie popular blunder. J<’nrther than j this he would scarcely go. : Till-'. Tin A Clll X(J S OF ZOHOASTFIL Zoroaster was a Persian who lived I and taiiy'hl nl.miit .'!,500 years ago. The 'void "Parsec," is really a cor- | nipt ion of I’ersian. Zoioater's tc-ach--1 iny, which was all directed to raise j the worship of one Cod above that, iof mere materialistic manifestations of deity, became the .Stale reliyion jof Persia and Western Asia, until I the Mohammedan conquest of these | prm inccs, A.P. til”, when such Parisians as were determined to adhere In their ancient faith, migrated to India, whither a certain number of j their fellow-worshippers had migrated centuries before. 'These exiles for i conscience’ sake were the founders of | the present "Parsec” com inn nit y. 1 lin i little is known of the personal ; history of Zoroaster himself, and I this is not. wonderful, since his mission lung preceded that of liuddhisui, | ('hnsl ianily, or Islam. After attain--1 iny manhood lie is believed to have ! lived qnitely in mountain reyio’ns for ■ thirty years before he came forth as | a l eaeher a,nil leader of his people. I Mi philosophy is remarkable at once i. i r lie width and depth of its ! hori/ons. and for the close, adaptation cl its P'achiny to the most ele- | men 1a ry of hmi ia n needs. So far from inenjeatiny Pnalisin. nr ihe eipml s( rnyyle of (loud and l-'.v i i m lhe ,•Plans of the universe, :I > r K a pad in . of the London Ini vef- ; .-it i himself a I’arseej, says in his i book. "Tic Te.achinys of Zoroaster,” a recent issue of Murray's "Wisdom !of Me The i" series, that Zoroaster I auyht Me aiis o! ij 1 e supremacy of the. Power of Moodies;;, who is the (’arise. ■ iitna 1 . in Ihe reei Ia I of his own aMributes. ncnlions tic following : "I am the ('realm' and the Mainlai'ii'i'. My name is the Ih-stower of II • ilt i i : tic Lord : tic All-knowing: : tic Liny who rules at his will ; onn who does noi deceive : lie who is not d.-ei-iwd ; who destroys nialaee ; who compers every! hint* ' lie who has . shajmii every I hiny ; the I lest of Sov- ! el'l'iyns : the \\ ise (>) ie . " Pc. Kapadia admits that Zoroaster lall yhj l tie e\ isi ence of a | lower of 0- ii. w hieh he called the Spirit, of I Cst met ion. but, which he declared to be so infeiior to the Power of • loodness that vviiiie it could control and destroy him. Ic was so "backward" that ho did not even know of the existence of the Power of CJood- ; less ' lie described the Mood power as i hat which was and is and ever will he, while the F.vil Power is he who will iml be. There is no "dualism" here. Massing over Zoroaster's eosmoy--1 oiiy which hr. Kapadia sets forth | very incidiy . we may dwell awhile on, lii; r;i! ■ s of spirit (in! life and his diri'ci imis for the well-being and hy - y mi ie ,11 Ids coiminin i ly. "lie Mire., lies! ihinys," says Zoroaster, "are good t bony hj Is. good words. and good deeds I ndec tic former lead he includes all endeavours for I he elevation, help, and ed ilea! inn of one's fel low-men. Tnder I lie second Ic puls honesty, in all relai inns of life, and scrupulous avoidance of hurting the feelings of oilers: and under lie t bird come a I msg iv i ng, lie establishment of pubic !. '■ 11 eTi t s i such as fountains'), and works of irrigation, and the bestowal 111 llll’.Vel'irS Zoroaster encouraged marriage, and among the Parsees through all line lhe si.a( ns of women has been ii'nie and divorce is almost unknown Me give;, a special ordinance that fa l tiers must look after the sp ii!l na 1 ai nl tempo ra I Inca ti on of I heir children, and see that, they are well fori Pied, physically and morally, to light tic ii.it l I.• of life, with perse-, era ice. diligence, honesty, and integ rily . T, i lea nee of the religion of otters has always been a striking ■■ha rart erist ie of the Parsees. one of whore pray ers js "for tic souls of pure men in all religions." Mow they rariy mil this feeling is evidenced by I tie fnl low ing 1i I tie incident : A young Pa i see resident in a licit ish household voluntarily desired to join lin its ia niily worship, and joined wild great heartiness in their recital ion of Me 1.0 cd' s I 'ray er. Nor did ihe philosophy of Zoroas■l o' (i, e, |, mk ilc animal c recti ion : - special regulations are laid down . I her, -i n for tic kind Ireatiiienl of If. me erea l u res I f l hey are to be slam for human use, it must he dote m Me most humane and c.\pe,i,l unis methods, such as. says Pr Kapadia. "are now recommended and , adll[,t ed m i Ins eolln iry by public an I hold I ies. Ail needless slaughter Zoroaster forbids, and killing for spo i I i;, wholly co mien 1 1 cd. 'The Pa I'm vs ic j t Ice bn ry nor burn 1 l heir dead, thinking P wrong to pollute Muller K;i rt hj with 1 lies, ■ remains of 11 iorl ali Iy . They build lowers railed Towers nl Silence—on w hnse smnniil corpses are exposed to Me hunger oi wild birds and the nrlinn n f Me , del Help s, I 1 11 only the whitened Poles ren ia ill to fa 11 into the interim' of Ihe lower. They keep nn animal icsl i\a i, si thing 1 i kill .e I'hrisi i. 1 n \ll Si 111 Is' Pay . w Icn I icy nil I Ill'll' houses with (lowers, ha.l,! ;:im Ia I w nod Tires, and chant hj - .in iis of e. Imy In (I m I aml re men iI .’rill „ e nl Me dead. The Zmna siri aii rules m' I y gene are i 1.-e la i , I in sue, g, - a I lemi, s and 1- .■ rules f,ii- Me pivs.-rv at ion m |n.ld i,• health, which, while t holism, P u ■' f • ears old. seem mdy recen I - I v In have tea e! i ,■( I the praet ice of iw , *lll cl Ii i e11 1 111 y Wes i cruel s. I hiring reeen I yea rs I Icir ol iserva nee of i liese rides is known lo have practical ly saved lie Pa rs,-e eotn mu nll y in 1 ton 1 1 ,a v 1 1 ai in tic fur ies of bubonic plague.