The meaning of Mazda

Dear Ardeshir and Bahman

I believe the correct way of understanding Zarathushtra is to twist the whole issue around 180 degrees. Foirget abolut Cartesianism and Platonism, think Zarathushtra!
His point is that the human mind/consciousness is a MANIFESTATION of Mazda (St Paul actually stole this concept 100% from the Zoroastrians when he said that The Christian Congregation is the Manifestation of The Holy Spirit; The Holy Spirit is a theft from the concept of Ahura Mazda).
This does NOT mean that Mazda is Human Mind only, Mazda can take many other manifestations in The Universe.
For example, there can be no-human minds (although we do not know of them yet, although it is possible that both large whales or civilizations on other planets have minds, even The Universe itself could be mindlike). Zarathushtra is cool enough to LEAVE THAT OPEN.
What is important to him is the fact that we do have minds and that THIS is the evidence that there is MAZDA.
This way Zarathushtra elegantly avoids becoming another pathetic Platonic dualist, keeping his monism, and can celebrate Mazda as the core of divinity in creation. Mazdayasna indeed!

Ushta
Alexander

2010/1/21 ardeshir farhmand

Dear Bahman,

Mazda accordingly IS not a human faculty. however, zoroastrianism teaches man to be god-like.

On Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 3:01 PM, Bahman Noruziaan wrote:

Hello Ardeshir,

It is not clear here yet to me from this what are you concluding here, when you say?

"In short, MAZDA means insight, superior understanding, sagacity, and GREAT GENIUS. Zarathushtra declares that WISDOM, VISION and GREAT GENIUS is the POWER SUPREME or MAZDA AHURA as he calls it."

Is Mazda according to the Gathas, whatever meaning one gives to it, a human's faculty?
Or is Mazda or Mazda Ahura above and beyond human's being?

Bahman
To: mehrdad.12@gmail.com
CC: Ushta@yahoogroups.com
From: ardeshir72@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:19:09 -0800
Subject: [Ushta] the true meaning of mazdá


i alluded in my ahün-var article to this, the very name "mazdá," not only suggests inherent wisdom and intuitive understanding, but it is connected to thoughts, memory and brilliant ideas, Lith. mintis "thought, idea, and vision; greek mantis "one who divines, prophet, seer.

more interestingly the word is related to Skt. mahan/mahas "the great world of possibilities."
"this is strongly confirmed by the ancient exegesis. accordingly, this shows most interesting connection to O.E. mæg (inf. magan, pt. meahte, mihte), from P.Gmc. root mag-, O.N. mega, Ger. mögen, Goth. magan "to be able"), from PIE *mogh-/*megh- "power to realize." O.C.S. mogo "to be able," mosti "power, force," ." "mazdá" is not only vision and wisdom, but also the power to realize that vision and make it happen and möglich.

Furthermore, "shyaotha-na- nám" in ahünvar or Yasna 27.13 refers to the manifesting act of "spentá mainyü " or the auspicious spirit of ahurmazd.

In short, mazdá is all the wisdom/meta-knowledge we have to acquire, all the wondrous powers we have to obtain, all the new, amazing and awesome possibilities that we must aspire to realize.

ü ö á

mazdá is the same as Greek "Metis" and Sanskrit "Medha," they all seem to point to learning, wisdom, intuitive understanding, skill/craft via superb mental/spiritual powers.

The Lithuanian "mandras" "wide-awake," O.C.S. madru "wise, sage," Goth. mundonsis "to look at, all come from the same root. There seem to be also a germanic "mntr" meaning "awake, lively,intelligent." We also encounter "medhira," described in Rigveda 8.6.10 as the "insight into the truth of things."

The Zoroastrian tradition translates Maz-da, as "mas danaki" or "mas danai," "great vision," "great wisdom;" or the "greatly wise" and of "superb understanding/insight."

In the vedas we have three supreme worlds whose names are not given. But in the vedantic books the greatest of all these supreme worlds is MAHAS, the great world. The principle of MAHAS is "vi-jnana or gnosis, superb knowledge as well as insightful understanding of things which leads upwards to MAYAS or awesome powers to make and create. See O.E. macian, from W.Gmc. "to build, make," O.H.G. mahhon, Ger. machen.)

In short, MAZDA means insight, superior understanding, sagacity, and GREAT GENIUS. Zarathushtra declares that WISDOM, VISION and GREAT GENIUS is the POWER SUPREME or MAZDA AHURA as he calls it.

Notice the deliberate and beautiful indo-germanic word-play that suggests "mazdá," wisdom and vision, mental/spiritual abilities is the "ahura par excellence or "ahura maximus."