When we say: humata, hūxta, and hvaršta, which is the same as good thoughts, good speech, and good deeds; Then this unspoken and inevitable question arises: which is the criterion and “standard” and measure by which one should define goodness in thought or character, speech, and action, and recognize the principle that whether and distinguish where to draw the line for good thoughts, words and deeds?
After hard work during the past 2 or 3 centuries, today’s researchers can clearly answer this question and tell us by which standard and measurement it is possible to find goodness in thought, words and deeds, and how to understand the meaning of humata, hūxta, and hvaršta. The answer is tvahmāt xratum (= illusions of Khartum), which in our modern language is: “with our wisdom. O Dadar Urmazd! with the wisdom and intelligence that you created!” In other words, it wisdom and the power of thought with which to measure and distinguish the “good” or “bad” thought, words and deeds. This is a rile for you and me and all other creatures on earth!
The tedious effort that has been made to read the ancient Iranian stone inscriptions, the text of Zoroastrian Avesta, and other surviving works from those times, has a long story and a glorious one too. An enlightening view of this vast world can be found in the book “Literature of Iran before Islam” by Shadarvan Ustad Ahmad Tafzali. There is no doubt that today we know much more and better than a hundred or eighty years ago about this world covered in the dust and darkness of ages, and about its events and history, and about the heavenly message of Zarathushtra, and we hope that others around the age of our reverend father can also be named and commemorated. The main point is that Mobed firoozgari and other fathers and, of course, elderly mothers, should be asked about their knowledge of ancient Zoroastrian traditions and what relics can be revived from then and recorded.
All along our aged history, and in the midst of severe hardships which we only know with a vague and far-away view of hem, our proud and honest ancestors have practiced those same teachings with the same highly ethical foundations; they have practiced “the divine wisdom” to make the world and its people happy and prosperous. This way of living by our anonymous ancestors is rooted in history and their words and deeds gained a good name all over the world. The people of the world were familiar with this culture of Iranians, and a few documents have remained for us to know.
To keep the land thriving and cultivated, planting wheat and barley, farming, building aqueducts, bridges over rivers, maintaining springs and rivers, gardens, cities, villages, and reservoirs are from this series of works. But, in practice and in the course of events, what were the manifestations and results of these good deeds in that ancient tradition? These, and probably other things, children should ask their fathers, and also ask their mothers, and record it.
Mobed Mehraban Firoozgari, the reverend father of our community, is a great treasure in this search and research. It is important and worthy to ask and record many secrets about the roots and dates of the old traditions of the Zoroastrian society from this benevolent and edear sage. Tools such as the film industry and many other new methods are available today. One should ask and know why Zoroastrians like Arbab Keikhosrow Shahrokh were pioneers in building schools in the modern Iran, or how Zoroastrians built public reservoirs in Yazd for the use of all peope, or modern hospitals with up-to-date equipment in Iran.
There are many records about culture, ethics, religious knowledge, and the laws in ancient Iran, which are worth discussing. But for more knowledge about the oral traditions, and the ways of acting and behaving in today’s Zoroastrian society, elders such as Mobed Firoozgari and other “fathers” of his age, should be approached so that a picture reflecting the good thoughts, words and deeds, in the living and dynamic traditions of the Zoroastrian society, from the ancient times upto now, can be recorded and remembered for later generations.
How and with what dimensions and in what form has the manifestation of this line of thoughts, in which the weight of modern morality is also observed, been found and emerged in the social traditions, is a subject for research and discussion. Maintaining “old” and ancient traditions, such as holding Gahanbar, is an example of this long line of reflection of mental concepts in social customs and traditions. It is mentioned in old texts that gahanbar or gah-anbar is when, in the ancient times, gahan was recited and was sung.
The emergence of the Gahan reading ceremony in the form of holding “Gahanbar” and “Ghanbar” today is only one example among many others where the thoughts show themselves in social behavior, rituals and ancient traditional ceremonies that are now being forgotten slowly. From this example, it is possible to recover the value of restoring the relationship between tradition, ritual and social customs with thoughts and ideas, which of course is only one case among many others and a multitude of such mixing and mixing of what is happening in mind, with social behaviors, rituals, and ancient traditional ceremonies that are now being forgotten little by little.
We should talk to the fathers and mothers who have witnessed the past and the old ages, and the ancient traditions of those times, and ask them as much details as we can, and record their knowledge and information about the history of social traditions in the society. The reflection of ancient thoughts and beliefs reflected in today’s rituals and behaviors open the way for anthropological studies. It will show a trend in which theoretical beliefs give shape to social behaviors and collective traditions, with their material and intangible dimensions. Such a rare and valuable experience and event should be recorded and discussed, because in it is a brilliant view of the reflection of thoughts and ethics in the society of ancient times in ancient Iran, and a pattern is revealed in the thoughts and behaviors, reflecting in social activities; in this regard, the knowledge and understanding of our honorable father, Mobed Mehraban Firoozgari, includes a rich knowledge about the ancient and unique traditions of the Iranian Zoroastrian society. Our children should know about it, be mindful and record them in their memories so they will always remain and be carried forward in the history of the thoughts and culture of Iranians and Zoroastrians.
