Zoroastrianism and Jainism

Jainism is AGAINST the caste system. This is actually its main difference from Hinduism. So anybody can convert to Jainism. Which proves that you do not have to adher to the caste system to surivive in India (a common myth among Parsees). Jainism has managed to prosper in India outside of the caste system for 2,500 years. Jainism is by the way a Pantheistic religion, like Zoroastrianism and Taoism. But Jainism has a strong dualist streak, a kind of sophisticated new age belief. That's its main difference from Zoroastrianism.
Ushta
Alexander/is a great fan of Jainist cuisine, which is 100% vegetarian...

2010/3/13 rory12001

Thank you both Alexander and Yezad for explaining. Is this the case for Jains as well?
Frankly the only answer for a dwindling gene pool is out marriage and conversion. American Jews have finally woken up to this and finally actively support conversion. I am one, and I can tell you our gene pool is very small, riddled with birth defects & the only hope is for newcomers.

I wonder if Parsis who married out, had their spouses convert to Mazdayasna, if this couldn't be the modern trend. I'm going to look for the biography of Jamshedji Tata, that blend of ethical religion and industry is just what we need!
Courtney


I was wondering is this the case for Jains as well?


>
> The community is not stagnating. It is disintegrating in India!!
>
> Yezad
>
> On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 1:12 PM, rory12001 wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > I belonged to this group some time back & just returned. The article on
> > Jamshedji Tata was truly inspiring, a true antidote to the Madoffs etc.
> > Is the Parsi community truly stagnating or is it a case of '3rd generation
> > wealth' the 1st makes it, the 2nd enjoys it, by the 3rd generation its all
> > gone.
> > Courtney
> >
> >
> > >
> > > Dear Alexander,
> > >
> > > You should have written this bit in the past tense!! No longer is that
> > valid
> > > what you have written.
> > >
> > > Yes it is truly amazing what contributions Parsis have made in the past
> > and,
> > > to some extent, still continue to do today. To a large extent I attribute
> > > this to the philosophy of Zarathushtra. Unfortuneatly they have not moved
> > > with the times.
> > >
> > > They were the first in india to grasp the meaning of education,
> > particularly
> > > for women. I truly believe that we performed on the shoulders of our
> > mothers
> > > and grandmothers. When the other communities finally caught up with us we
> > > were dwarfed by the numbers.
> > >
> > > It is the relative economic backwardness of the community which is
> > > hindering progress.The elderly womenfolk prevail on their sons not to
> > leave
> > > them alone. The sons also have an attachment to Mumbai. They do not want
> > to
> > > work
> > > and study. Both my daughters told my wife and I "Find me a Parsi boy whom
> > > I can consider worhty of marrying!! " One married outside the community,
> > the
> > > other is still unmarried.
> > >
> > > Indeed, what a pity!!
> > >
> > > Yezad
> > > On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 12:42 AM, Alexander Bard wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Dear Yezad
> > > >
> > > > What amazes me and many foreigners with the Parsi success in India is
> > how
> > > > closeknit the families seem to be and how this is instrumental to their
> > > > success. It seems there is a formula at wor which both encourages
> > > > cooperation but also creative freedom and independence. I believe Parsi
> > > > culture has a lot to teach the world about how to create a successful
> > and
> > > > thriving family life.
> > > >
> > > > Ushta
> > > > Alexander
> > > >
> > > > 2010/3/11 yazed kapadia
> >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >>
> > > >> As one who lived and worked in Jamshedpur for almost 30 years I can
> > say
> > > >> that this a well written article. There are very few
> > Companies,worldwide,
> > > >> which survive for 100 years. Fewer still which achieve glory at that
> > age.
> > > >> Tata Steel is not the only instituition nurtured by Jamsetji which
> > falls in
> > > >> this category. The Indian Institute of Science, at age over 100, is
> > still
> > > >> the premier institute of its kind (even after the birth of the Indian
> > > >> Institutes of Technology!) in India,as is the The Taj Mahal Hotel in
> > Mumbai.
> > > >>
> > > >> Everybody knows what a great man Jamsetji was. But if you wish to know
> > how
> > > >> TRULY great he was please read J.N.Tata, a chronicle of his life by
> > Frank
> > > >> Harris. This is a tribute to Jamsetji paid by a British lecturer from
> > the
> > > >> London School of Economics. The book was written in the early 20s (at
> > the
> > > >> height of British rule in India and remains unsurpassed, by far, than
> > > >> anything written since.The book cannot be bought in any book store but
> > could
> > > >> be asked for from the Corporate Communications Department of Tata
> > Steel in
> > > >> Jamshedpur.
> > > >>
> > > >> Yezad