Zoroastrianism in everyday life

Dear Parviz

I have no problem at all being a sect.
I spent last night with some young homosexual men in Cairo, Egypt and I realise the hardships they live under. The only thing that enables them to survive is their sect-like organisation. Without their lifestyle sect they would have nowhere to go (and still their neighbors in nearby Saudi Arabia live under even worse conditions).
Having said this, I believe we can both be a sect and blend in with other Zoroastrians. We are not alone in our thinking at all. We are just unique in that we try to formulate our ideas so we can present them others.
But Dino's question is great: How do we LIVE like Zoroastrians in our every day lives? For myself, being interested in others (like the young homosexuals in Cairo) and their perspective, and giving priority to art and creativity in my life, those are two things that I regard as Zoroastrian values that I practice.

Ushta
Alexander/is meeting with a lot if Islamic Liberals at the Cairo conference and really hope they can take over the Islamic agenda in the next two decades; they already more or less control countries like Malaysia and Indonesia...

2009/10/30 Parviz Varjavand



Dear Dino,

There is a contradiction in what you say in this your post. You talk about discovering Zarathustra's Philosophy, that is "concepts and terms". Then you say that you do not want concepts and terms and you want to talk about what goes on in Zoroastrians everyday life. About your life, I know all about why you like Berlin and not Zurich, but who cares! I want to know if you ARE a Zoroastrian and if so, what is your life's philosophy that you call Mazdayasna or Zoroastrianism so that I or others may learn it and convert to it. Converts do not want to move to Berlin or Zurich. Our Moobedyar Mehran is a fine Zoroastrian in Kerman and can tell you all about his wonderful life there illustrated with photos and all. It is the Philosophy behind what he calls Zoroastrianism that does not work for me, otherwise I love him as a person. When I do not care about a persons philosophy of life, why should I bother about knowing how he/she spends her hours and days.

Please do not post an answer in retort and just to get even with me (you often do that). Think about what I am saying. For a while now, Alex and you keep making declarations about Zoroastrianism this and Zoroastrianism that while it is not clear what the parameters of your sect of Zoroastrianism is. Yes, I said SECT, because if we do not resemble the rest of Zoroastrians, we are a Zoroastrian SECT. Alex talks as if it is a sin to be a SECT within a religion, it is not. If the Quakers where not a Christian SECT, the Catholics would swallow them whole. Alex and you and I have work to do in order to make the platform of our SECT of Zoroastrianism solid. We are not doing this and instead we "Just want to blend in". This is like blending oil and water, it will not work, it will just pollute both.

Ushta te,
Parviz Varjavand


--- On Thu, 10/29/09, Special Kain wrote:


From: Special Kain
Subject: [Ushta] Zoroastrianism in everyday life
To: Ushta@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 12:58 AM



Dear friends,

Rather than brooding on concepts and terms, I'd like to start discussing Zoroastrianism as a practice in everyday life: how Zoroastrians employ such concepts in different situations, how problems can be solved, if there was any significant change in one's conduct of life after having discovered Zarathushtra' s philosophy etc.

Ushta, Dino