Manifestations of Mazda and the Pathos of Mazdayasna

Dear Ardeshir

I totally agree!!!
This is also why "modern concepts" like the equality between all humans and an ecological approach towards nature are not new or "modern at all, these were always Zoroastrian concepts and have been so for at least 3,700 years. This is what we need to teach the world about Zoroastrianism!

Ushta
Alexander

2010/1/22 ardeshir farhmand

Alexander,

u got it right and u put it very well, every spark of "wisdom, insight, vision and genius" is a MANIFESTATION of MAZDA; be it human or non-human, here on earth or elsewhere in this amazing web of existence.

i think it is of paramount importance to realize that the gathas of zarathushtra are NOT earth -centric or human centric. they are centered on wisdom, insight, genius; and passion, awareness and spirit with an emphasis on the GREAT CELEBRATION of the MATERIAL LIFE.

human centrism or earth centrism are church dogmas not ours.

ardeshir

On Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 6:47 AM, Alexander Bard wrote:

Or to take an example from the best part of Christianity and twist around to re-Zoroastrianize it:

"Wherevere two of you gather, Mazda is present."
I would be a bit careful to say that this or that IS Mazda. I prefer to say that this or that is a MANIFESTATION of Mazda.
Zarathushtra was smart enough not to limit Mazda only to what he and his contemporaries knew or took for granted.
Because Mazda is likely to be present in many other forms and places in this wonderful universe. Our divine minds is just one manifestation among possibly millions.
Ushta
Alexander

2010/1/22 Special Kain

Dear Alexander

The internet is both: Ahura (infrastructure and technology) and Mazda (user- and talent-generated content). Ahura is the simple fact that both you and I are alive and communicating with each other online. Mazda is whatever text we're about to co-write together and the ideas and identities emanating from such a creative process. «Yahoo!» is Ahura to us, «Ushta» is Mazda.
In this sense Mazda is the total sum of all wise minds on our dear planet that contribute constructively and creatively to civilization and have learned to cope with their existence creatively and intelligently.
Freedom is entangled with our surroundings (civilization) and intelligence (education). So rather than repeat classical liberalism and see people as opposed to an oppressive society, we see that there's no Mazda without Ahura - and that Mazda has the potential to reshape Ahura, which will affect Mazda - and so on, and so forth.
Zoroastrian philosophy has always understood freedom in terms of civilizationism and social evolutionism. This is exactly why Zoroastrianism has become so tremendously relevant!

My ten cents,
Dino