THE TWO GREAT SERMONS OF ZARATHUSTRA AND MORAL CHOICE
TWO WHOLE CHAPTERS OF THE GATHAS are dedicated to sermons addressed by Prophet Zarathustra to the multitude. The lesser sermon, so named because it is a sermon only to his own people, is contained in Chapter 30, which is the third Chapter of the Ahunavaiti Gatha. The greater sermon, that is addressed to persons who have come from both nearby and from afar, is contained in Chapter 45, which is the third chapter of the Ustavaiti Gatha. Both sermons deliver the central message of the Gathas and must therefore be understood both fully and correctly.
Chapter 30 begins by saying that every person must decide for himself as to what moral choice he or she is to make so that life’s onward journey is either towards light and happiness or towards darkness and misery. The sermon begins by speaking of the twin spirits created by Almighty God at the beginning of time. They were equal in every respect except that one spirit chose to be good in thought, word, and deed, whereas its twin chose to be evil. Together they created life and its destruction so that creation’s purpose may be fulfilled – the best for the followers of truth and the worst for the followers of evil. Those who believed in the old faith – those who believed in many gods – have deluded themselves and polluted life through anger and hatred born of evil thoughts. The path of truth, on which people continually progress, is likened to going through molten metal. God’s law will be revealed to all sinners only when retribution comes to them for their sins, at which point they actually achieve their real, innermost desire, i.e. to be at one with God and his archangels. The sermon ends by stating that moral choice created by God leads either to happiness or to misery, which is either upward progress towards illumination and hence happiness, or age-long punishment for sins committed and hence misery.
AHUNAVAITI – Yas. 30.1
To those who wish to hear, I shall speak of the two created by God – this teaching is to instruct the wise. I shall praise God and the Pure Mind, pray to Truth, so that you all may grow spiritually to attain light.
AHUNAVAITI – Yas. 30.2
Listen with your ears most attentively. Consider, clearly, what I have to say. Choose before deciding – man for man, each for himself, before this great new age is ushered in. Each one of you, awaken to this message.
AHUNAVAITI – Yas. 30.3
Now, in the beginning there were two spirits. They were twins (equal in all respects) and got on well among themselves. In thought, word, and deed, they reveal themselves as good and evil. Those who are of greater understanding choose to be upright; not so those who are of lesser understanding.
AHUNAVAITI – Yas. 30.4
In the beginning, when these two spirits worked together, one fostered life and the other destroyed it. So it will be: the worst to those who are evil, and the best to those who are good.
AHUNAVAITI – Yas. 30.5
Of those two spirits, one chose to do its worst, whereas the Holy Spirit chose to live by truth. The Holy Spirit clothes itself in light imperishable and pleases God by willingly doing good deeds from good motives.
AHUNAVAITI – Yas. 30.6
Of the two, the believers in many gods chose wrongly. They were deluded when they argued among themselves concerning what is correct. They chose to have the worst of motives combined with deeds done in anger, which had baneful effects on mankind.
AHUNAVAITI – Yas. 30.7
Unto such will come God’s power, a mind which is pure, and truth. Right-Mindedness will grant continued spiritual progress, and they will be triumphant in the ordeal that is life – as if they have successfully gone through molten lava unscathed.
AHUNAVAITI – Yas. 30.8
But when retribution comes to those who indulge in violence, God’s judgment will be clearly revealed. It is then that the lie will be delivered into the hands of truth.
AHUNAVAITI – Yas. 30.9
Those who make life worth living for others have real companionship with truth. Such persons are clear-minded and free from doubt, and are able to withstand falsehood whenever reason sways in doubt.
AHUNAVAITI – Yas. 30.10
When the short-lived triumph of those who are evil is destroyed, they will get their just desserts. After this, they will reach the abode wherein dwell the Pure Mind, God, and Truth, and they will constantly strive to do good.
AHUNAVAITI – Yas. 30.11
If you understand these principles which God has laid down for man – happiness and misery, punishment of a long duration for those who are evil, and upward progress for those who are good – happiness will be your lot.
The greater sermon contained in Chapter 45 is in some ways an emphatic reiteration of the smaller sermon, but with greater intensity. It begins with a reiteration of the theme of the twin spirits and states how they are exactly opposite in every possible respect. Having stated that, the twin concepts of Hu Urva Tat and Amere Tat are then spoken about. Hu Urva Tat is nothing more and nothing less than a state of being by which each soul is ‘Hu’, which is ‘good’, which is whole or perfect, being rid of all evil. When this state of being occurs, Amere Tat also happens – which is that such a soul will be in a state where death is permanently removed.
The prophet then goes on to say that the soul of the righteous becomes immortal, but ever renewed are troubles and tribulations to the evil soul. Verse 8 in Chapter 45 is arguably the single most important verse in the entire Gathas for it is here that Zarathustra, having seen God with his mind’s eye, lays down the holy trinity of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and goes on to say that anybody who follows these three will surely land up in heaven, which is described by two words – Garo Deman. Interestingly, both words are words in common usage today – the first in the Gujarati language, and the second in English itself. This is because Avesta is an old language belonging to the Indo-European group of languages, of which Gujarati and English are younger languages, belonging to the same group. ‘Ga’ in Gujarati means ‘song’, which is the same in Hindi ‘gaana’, while ‘deman’ is the English ‘domain’, which leads to heaven being described as the ‘domain’ or abode of song.
Two other important gifts which are cerebral in nature are spoken of. These two gifts, namely ‘Tevishi’ and ‘Utayuiti’, are the gifts spoken about in the second part of the Yatha Ahu Vairyo prayer. ‘Tevishi’ means strength of character, and ‘Utayuiti’ means life renewed. When one follows the path of truth, one finds that it is a path filled with difficulties. When those difficulties are overcome, two things are assured – first, strength of character, as that alone has enabled the person to overcome those difficulties, and secondly, that life takes on a new meaning and direction. Whereas, earlier, one may have been cowardly and greedy, one now becomes strong and giving. It is with these two gifts and the two concepts of Hu Urva Tat and Amere Tat that this magnificent sermon ends, giving the listener great hope and instructing her/him about what happens when the path of truth is followed, both here in life and after death.
USTAVAITI – Yas. 45.1
Now will I explain – give me your ear and listen, those who have come from nearby, and those who have come from afar. And please try to understand what I have to say and keep it clearly in mind. Never again will the preacher of evil destroy life. He has become evil and speaks evil because he has gone astray and chosen to be evil.
USTAVAITI – Yas. 45.2
I will explain about the two spirits at life’s beginning, of whom the holy one spoke to the evil one thus: Between us, neither thoughts nor teachings, nor understanding, nor moral choice, nor words, nor deeds, nor way of thinking, nor souls, are alike.
USTAVAITI – Yas. 45.3
I will explain the first thing that should be known about life – this was revealed to me by God. Those among you who do not put into practice these hymns as I understand and speak them will only land up in misery at the end of life.
USTAVAITI – Yas. 45.4
And I will explain about the best there is in life, because of following the path of truth, God has revealed it to me. He is the Father of the active and good mind and his daughter, Right-Mindedness, makes us do good deeds. God, who is all-seeing, is never deceived.
USTAVAITI – Yas. 45.5
I will explain what the holiest has revealed to me. What He says is best for mortals to hear. Those who obey and revere it, will attain perfection and immortality, and through deeds done from the loftiest motives, God Himself.
USTAVAITI – Yas. 45.6
And I will explain about the greatest of all, praising His wisdom and truth. Through the holy spirit, may God listen to us. Through the Pure Mind, may I become devoted to Him. May He in His wisdom guide me onwards to the highest.
USTAVAITI – Yas. 45.7
To all seekers of salvation, past, present, and future, I have this to say: the soul of the righteous will be victorious and will gain immortality. Ever renewed are times of trouble for those who are evil. This is sent by God through His power.
USTAVAITI – Yas. 45.8
Him do I seek to praise, in all humility. Indeed, I have seen him with my mind’s eye. By good thought, deed, and word, and by knowledge brought by the path of truth, have I perceived God Himself. Let us, therefore, offer songs of devotion to him in the abode of song where God dwells.
USTAVAITI – Yas. 45.9
God and the Pure Mind do I seek to worship, who, in his plan, has made for us both good and, its opposite, evil. God’s power has made us serve our human flock so that they advance to the highest truth and wisdom.
USTAVAITI – Yas. 45.10
Him, through devotion to Right-Mindedness, will I seek – who is forever known as the Lord who is the Great Creator. For, through Truth and the Pure Mind, He has promised that His power, perfection, and immortality will be given to all persons, as also strength of character and life renewed.
USTAVAITI – Yas. 45.11
Who, in the future, opposes ‘the gods’ and their followers; who despises them and opposes them, they being so different from Him; and he who thinks with reverence of Him, is a saviour, a wise father, a holy thinker, a friend, a brother, and a father, O Lord.