my own journey...

Maybe I should make this blog private at this point.  My journey has some ups and downs that might be easier to share with myself vs. the entire world.

An Interpretation of Chapter 112 from the Quran

I repeat it as a Sufi each morning 11 times.  Feeling as though I am ready to do this as my teacher did.   This morning I also did as my teacher has done and gave a mystic-heart-rendition of the Surah.

In the Name of Ahura:

Who Reigns As Complete Mercy and Compassion,

In the Name of Mazda:

Who Reigns As Complete Wisdom,

Say, "She Is Ahura Mazda! She Is One!"
"Eternal Source of Refuge"

"Nothing Like Her"

"Nor Equal to Her"

Sheikh Nur (Lex Hixon) is my teacher along the Way.  For some of us, the heart exists as a temple of worship where Light shines through many colored windows.  It is certain that Zoroastrianism is a Path for me, but there are many other equally beautiful sacred parallel paths as The Good Religion recognizes.  Sheikh Nur and I are traversing them in unique ways and he has introduced me, I believe, to Meher Baba also.  I knew of Meher Baba before, but I recognize his guidance is so perfect right now and recognize why I was 'coincidentally' led to explore his life and work.  One thing that I can't wait to read are the prayers he wrote based on the 101 Names of Ahura Mazda. 

Meher Baba was born a Zoroastrian.  As he progressed on the Path, he saw God beyond the labels of religions yet spoke in the language of religion beautifully as needed.  For many years he "spoke" silently. He kept silence because he felt God had already said all there was to say and now it was time for humanity to listen.  In the silence, he gave his devotees the opportunity to take the words of God into their hearts.

A Zoroastrian is called, through acts of goodness, to live the life of faith by their heart and this is what Ahura Mazda called humankind to do.  The dogma hardens around the teachings sadly when a Prophet leaves the earth and we are left with people who argue over ritual and prayer and belief.  Rather than just engage in sincere loving prayer and true belief in the Divine, the only part that matters disappears.

God gets lost when spirituality is overcome by dogma.  This much I know.  If laws stand in the way of being a believer, there is something wrong.  Some might need that kind of structure, but it was wringing me dry of what I needed.  Trust in Love, Mercy and Compassion.  Knowing I was able to turn to Mazda as a friend and need not fear every move I made would be rejected.  This is what I have found in Restored Zoroastrianism.

From the Avesta...

In the name of The Almighty One!

I praise and utter Almighty One!

Full of Glory!  Full of Radiance!

All-Knowing!  Preserver of All!

God of all gods!  Ruler of rulers!

Protector of all! 

Creator of all things created!

Bestower of bounties

and Giver of sustenance to all!

The One who reigns over nature!

Almighty One!  The Ancient One!

Forgive us!  Bestower of Grace! O Merciful One!  

O Omnipotent One! O Omniscient One!  

O One who Reigns over all!

O Nourisher of Purity!

-from the Avesta-

101 Names of Ahura Mazda (Ruler of Wisdom)...

Meher Baba said to his devotees:

 "If you repeat this prayer with love, no other prayer remains to be said... 

Anyone can repeat these names with love, irrespective of the religion he belongs to."

101 Names of God

 Meher Baba's translation
***

1. Yazad  :: Worthy of Worship

2. Harvesp-tawan :: All Powerful

3. Harvesp-Agah :: All Knowing

4. Harvesp-Khoda ::  Lord of All

5. Abadeh ::  Without Beginning

6. Abi-Anjam :: Without End

7. Bun-e-stiha ::  Root of Creation

8. Frakhtan-taih :: Endless Bliss

9. Jamaga  ::  Primal Cause

10. Prajtarah  :: Exalted One

11. Tum-afik  :: Purest of the Pure

12. Abaravand  ::  Detached from All

13. Paravandeh  :: In Touch with All

14. An-ayafeh :: Unattainable

15. Hama-Ayafeh :: Attainer of All

16. Adro :: Most Righteous

17. Gira :: Upholder of All

18. A-chem :: Beyond Reason

19. Chamana  :: Sovereign Reason

20. Safana  ::   Bountiful One

21. Afza  :: Ever Prolific

22. Nasha  :: Reaching Equally to All

23. Parwara :: Nourisher

24. Ianaha :: Protector of the World

25. Ain-aenah  :: Never-changing

26. An-aenah :: Formless

27. Kharoshid-tum  :: Most Steadfast Among the Steadfast

28. Mino-tum  :: Lord Invisible

29. Vasna :: All-pervading

30. Harvastum :: All-in-All

31. Hu-sepas :: Worthy of Our Profound Thanks

32. Har-Hamid :: All-embracing Goodness

33. Har-naik-faraih  :: All-embracing Holy Light

34. Baish-tarana  ::  Remover of Affliction

35. Taronish  ::  Beyond Affliction

36. Anah-aoshaka :: Immortal

37. Farasaka  ::  Fulfiller of Holy Desires

38. Pajohdehad :: Creator of Holy Attributes

39. Khwafar :: Compassionate Judge

40. Avakhshiaea   ::  Merciful Giver

41. Abaraja   ::  Bountiful Giver

42. A-satoha :: Unconquerable

43. Rakhoha :: Freest of the Free

44. Varun  :: Deliverer from Evil

45. A-farefah :: Never Deceiving

46. Be-farerftah :: Never Deceived

47. A-dui   ;;  One Without a Second

48. Kam-rad :: Lord of Desire

49. Farman-kam :: Decreer of Sovereign Desire

50. Aekh Tan :: Soul Supreme

51. A-faremosh :: Never forgetting

52. Hamarna  :: Just Accountant

53. Sanaea :: Knowing All Things

54. A-tars :: Fearless

55. A-bish :: Devoid of Pain

56. A-frajdum :: Most Exalted One

57. Ham-chun :: Ever the Same

58. Mino-satihgar :: Invisible Creator of the Universe

59. A-minogar :: Creator of the Profoundly Spiritual

60. Mino-nahab :: Hidden Within the Spirit

61. Adar-bad-gar :: Transmuter of Fire into Air

62. Adar-nam-gar :: Transmuter of Fire into Dew

63. Bad-adar-gar :: Transmuter of Air into Fire

64. Bad-nam-gar :: Transmuter of Air into Dew

65. Bad-gail-gar :: Transmuter of Air into Earth

66. Bad-gerd-tum :: Supreme Transmuter of Air into Dust

67. Adar-kibritatum :: Supreme Transmuter of Fire into Divine Sparks

68. Bad-gar-jae  ::  Spreading Air Everywhere

69. Ah-tum :: Creator of Lifegiving Water

70. Gail-adar-gar  ::  Transmuter of Dust into Fire

71. Gail-vad-gar :: Transmuter of Dust into Air

72. Gail-nam-gar   :: Transmuter of Dust into Water

73. Gar-gar  :: Master Craftsman

74. Garo-gar :: Rewarder of Sincere Desires

75. Gar-a-gar :: Creator of All Humanity and its Actions

76. Gar-a-gar-gar :: Creator of All Human and Animal Life

77. A-gar-agar :: Creator of All the Four Elements

78. A-gar-a-gar-gar :: Creator of All the Planets and All Other Worlds

79. A-guman :: Never in Doubt

80. A-jaman :: Ageless

81. A-Khuan  :: Eternally Awake

82. Amast :: Ever-Alert

83. Fashutana  ::  Ever-Protecting

84. Padmani :: Recorder of Man's Actions

85. Firozgar :: Victorious

86. Khudawand :: Lord of the Universe

87. Ahuramazd :: Lord of Life and Wisdom

88. Abarin-kuhan-tawan :: Preserver of Creation

89. Abarin-nao-tawan :: Renewer of Creation

90. Vaspan :: Embracing All Creation

91. Vaspar  :: Giver of All Things

92. Khawar  :: Infinitely Patient

93. Ahu :: Lord of Existence

94. Avakhshidar  ::   Forgiver of Sins

95. Dadar :: Divine Creator

96. Raiyomand :: Rayed in Glory

97. Khorehmand :: Haloed in Light

98. Davar  :: Lord of Justice

99. Karfaigar  ::  Lord of Just Rewards

100. Bokhtar :: Liberator

101. Farsho-gar :: Awakener of Eternal Spring

the Path of the Good Mind...

It is the Path of the Good Mind
which Thou hast manifested to me, O Ahura! 

Whereby the well-doers, in accordance
with the teaching of the Spiritual Guides, 

acting in harmony with Truth alone,
Shall pass onward to the assigned reward 

of which Thou art the bestower, O Mazda!

This precious reward of Thine, O Mazda,
 Thou givest by way of the Good Mind, 

Thou givest to those who perform actions
through knowledge and pure thought;

 who attempt for the progress and development
of the world; fulfill God's desire 

and try for the progress of God's Will
 through truth and righteousness.

--Yasna 34, Verse 13 and 14 --

Good Thoughts....

You are wherever your thoughts are.

Make sure your thoughts are where you want to be.

Reb Nachman of Breslov

Good Thoughts (Humata) do not always come naturally.  It can take work. Fear and greed, I recently heard, are the usual culprits if we are led away from the Good Thought. Yet it is obvious that once we have a sincere longing in the heart for Goodness, we begin to continually plant the seeds of good intention. This will, no doubt, bring about the desired results.  It is important to remember that when we feel we fail to live up to the Goodness we seek to express in the world.

The moment it began....

It ended with the sip of a soft drink at 5pm.  I never fasted the entire length of the day knowing it would be too hard on my body (and even harder on everyone watching me, LOL).  It only took that one minute to shift from one faith to another if its possible to do that.  It is perhaps the first lesson I have learned in that last afternoon. Faith is not about religion. My leaving one religion for another was changing lanes, nothing more.  And again this morning as I begin the day.  Every soul has its way with its Creator and there is truly no way to be an apostate from that relationship because the soul is always in contact with Ultimate.

So it should have been so simple when I sat down on the couch at my therapist's office, I took a sip of soda and prayed a Fatiha honoring the end of Ramadan.  Then I was totally overwhelmed with feelings I probably should have expected.  My eyes filled with tears.  I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing and I felt sad as if I was about to lose a friend. Thankfully my immediate response was to keep my eyes closed and I prayed and asked for help.  I opened my eyes and tried to tell my therapist what was going on, but couldn't.  We talked about other things for half an hour until I was ready to share, but by then I was feeling joy again.

I had a chance to remember that this is not about being locked in a box again yesterday afternoon. The site with the online fire temple refers to Christianity and other religions and I was reminded to remember sacred parallel worlds.  This is important, especially since Zoroastrianism did influence so many other religions.  I see that, but I also see how many of them were led away from Asha by the people who lost the way.  This is why Islam felt foreign to me, I believe, and Zoroastrianism feels like a soul-friend.  I am grateful and I should be.  And I should be giving thanks all day today!  May I remember to do so!

This morning I had a twinge, just a few seconds, of discomfort (call it growing pains) and then excitement.  Rather than obsess about prayers and details, I relaxed,  I suspect that is what I need and that I do not need to obsess about being on time for prayers or doing a correct ablution or following particular laws if I follow the path of Restored or more liberal Zoroastrians.  That is the healing balm.

And I think I needed to recognize that there will still be guidance from my teachers.  Perhaps it was Shaykh Nur who led me to the Gayatri Mantra then and how perfectly it works as a Zoroastrian prayer!

“OM BUHR, BHUVA, SWAHA

OM TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI
DHIYO YONAHA PRACHODAYAT”

We meditate on the glory of the Creator;
Who has created the Universe;
Who is worthy of Worship;
Who is the embodiment of Knowledge and Light;
Who is the remover of Sin and Ignorance;
May He open our hearts and enlighten our Intellect.

The Brahman of Hinduism is the Ahura Mazda of Zoroastrianism and the Waheguru of Sikhism and the Hashem of the Jews and the Alaha of the Christians and the Allah of the Muslims.  While Islam works for many and Sufism is still filled with practices I will engage in, being Zarathustrian is like getting my heart in synch.  As if I have had a near death experience and come out purely alive and aware of who I am and what my purpose is in life.