ZAF RELIGIOUS CLASS JANUARY 2015 ZOROASTRIAN PRAYERS

REVIEW OF OUR LAST CLASS HOW MANY PARTS TO THE SADREH? 9 CAN YOU NAME THE PARTS? Side seam, side seam, Sleeve seam, Sleeve seam Neck seam, Girdo, Gireban, Straight Tiri, Triangular Tiri WHAT IS THE KUSTI MADE OF AND HOW MANY TARS/STRANDS/TASSELS? It is made of sheep’s wool and made up of 72 tars which stand for the 72 chapters in the Yasna (the Book of Worship). The Kusti ends in 24 strands or ‘Lar’ which suggest the 24 chapters of the Visparod.

DO’S & DON’T AT THE FIRE TEMPLE 1) A fire temple may not be entered without covering the head. 2) Wash hands before entering usually with well water. 3) Perform the Kushti facing the Sun during daylight hours. 4) Shoes are removed before entering the inner hall. 5) Only the priest enters the chamber where the fire is kept. 6) On entering in the presence of fire one bows to it with respect and offers a gift of sandal wood. 7) One may place a pinch of the ashes of the fire on one’s forehead. These ashes are kept on a ladle on the ledge of the door or window of the room in which the fire is kept. 8) On leaving the presence of the holy fire, one bows to it once more and walks out without turning ones back to the fire as a sign of respect.

ZOROASTRIAN PRAYERS In our religion there are 7 different kinds of prayers. 1) MANTHRAS These are prayers in poetic form. They have a deeper meaning than what we can understand just by translating the Avesta words. Manthras have the power to help a person but to be fully effective the words must be pronounced clearly and properly. Examples of Manthras: Yatha Ahu Vairyo and Ashem Vohu

GOOD Vs EVIL 2) PRAYERS TO HELP AGAINST EVIL The first duty of a Zoroastrian is to fight against evil both from outside and from within us and to work towards Good. The prayers of the Kushti ritual the Kemna Mazda and the Ahura Mazda Khodai prayers are such prayers. A Zoroastrian who wears the Kushti and Sudreh and performs these prayers is protected from evil by Ahura-Mazda. 3) PRAYERS OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE RELIGION In these prayers we recite what the religion teaches us, what we believe in as Zoroastrians and how we should live our lives. By reciting these prayers we remind ourselves that we are Zoroastrians, we always speak the truth, we work for the good, we fight evil, we learn the difference between good and evil and we try to perfect ourselves. Examples of these prayers are Jasa Me Avanghe Mazda (recited at the end of the Kushti prayers).

IN PRAISE OF AHURA MAZDA 4) PRAYERS OF PRAISE In our religion we have a large number of prayers in praise of Ahura Mazda, the Amesha-Spentas and the Yazatas who are in charge of his creations. Some of these are very long and some of them are used in our ceremonies. These are: The Yashts: These are very long prayers. Examples are: Ahura Mazda Yasht in praise of God Khorshed Yasht in praise of sun-light Haptan Yasht in praise of the Amesha-Spentas. And there are many more. The Nyaeshes: These are shorter than the Yashts Examples are: Atash Nyaesh in praise of fire The 5 Gahs: These are prayers in praise of the five Beings in charge of the 5 different periods of the days.

CEREMONIAL BLESSINGS 5) PRAYERS ASKING FOR BLESSINGS The Tandorosti prayer is recited for the good health of a person, it can be recited for the good health of oneself or for the good heath of another. There are four short prayers , the Ahmai Rascha, the Hazangaram, the Jasa Me Avenghe Mazda, and the Kerfeh Mazda, which are recited at the end of the longer prayers such as the Yashts and Nyaeshes. They ask for various kinds of blessings for the person who has recited the longer prayers. 6) RITUALS & CEREMONIES These are groups of prayers which are recited in a particular way for a definite purpose. Examples: Navjote Ceremony: To accept a child into the Zoroastrian religion. Marriage Ceremony: To join a couple in marriage Jashan Ceremony: To celebrate happy and sad occasions, by inviting the Fravashis of all good Zoroastrians to be with us and bless us and to help us lead our lives as true

LANGUAGES OF OUR PRAYERS 7) THE GATHAS These are the songs of Zarathushtra in which our prophet taught us the principles of our religion. These are recited on the last five days of the Zoroastrian calendar, the five Gatha days. To understand what our religion as taught to us by our prophet, we must study the Gathas as well as recite them. LANGUAGES OF OUR PRAYERS GATHIC. The oldest language is the one in which the Gathas are written. It is the language that our prophet Zarathushtra used when he was alive. It is a sister language of Sanskrit, an old Indian language in which the religious literature of Hinduism and Buddhism is written. AVESTA. It is a later form of Gathic. It is the language in which the Jasa Me Avanghe Mazda prayer is written. It is the language used by the Hakhamanian kings Cyrus and Darius (Old Persian). PAHLEVI. The prayers written in the Sasanian period, are in this language. This language is the precursor of modern Persian or Farsi. The Ahura Mazda Khodae and the Doa Tandorosti prayers are in Pahlevi.

TAKE AWAY FROM TODAY’S CLASS HOW MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF PRAYERS DO WE HAVE? 7 WHICH CATEGORY DO THE NAVJOTE PRAYERS FALL IN TO? RITUALS & CEREMONIAL PRAYERS GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A PRAYER THAT PLEDGES ALLEGIANCE TO OUR RELIGION JASA MAY AVENGAY MAZDA

QUESTIONS? Hamā Zor, Hamā Asho Bēd May we be United, May we be United in Righteousness Any questions: hovess@aol.com