From sublime heights, our priests have descended to
becoming an underprivileged class
The diktats of imams and maulvis are faithfully
followed. Hindu priests rule the roost in most parts of India. Not only
archbishops and cardinals, even the parish priest is held in affectionate regard.
Buddhist monks are considered evolved souls. Bohris regard their head priest as
a direct descendant from the Prophet. Jains revere their maharaj sahebs and
mahasatijis. Sants rule Sikh hearts and Rabbis rock. Parsi priests, an underprivileged
class, are given only cursory respect.
Zoroastrian prayers reverentially refer to the
great dasturs of yore who sacrificed all to protect the holy fire and the faith
from the marauding Arabs. It was a dastur who secured us refuge in India by
convincing a sceptical king in power about our bona fides. Dastur Meherjirana attended
Emperor Akbar’s court and significantly contributed to Din e Ilahi, a new
secular faith conceived by the Emperor. For believers, even today, Meherjirana’s
image which has mystically surfaced on the marble wall opposite the sanctum
sanctorum in the Navsari Atash Behram is proof of his high spiritual status. In
more recent times, the many miracles of Dastur Jamshed Kookadaru, including
alchemically transforming a brick into gold to finance a fire temple, are the
stuff of legend. Our priests were giants of men, both spiritual healers and leaders
in thought.
From these sublime heights the priests descended
into unseemly factional strife, asserting territorial rights to perform ceremonies
and indulging in parish grabbing, and even violence. Since one had to be born
into a priestly family to become a priest, it became a calling by compulsion
and not choice. Even if a non-priestly behdin ("Of the Good Religion") had eminent qualities to be a
good priest, he was barred by the accident of birth. A non-merit based
hereditary calling often degenerates. Young lads dropped out of school to
practise as priests to feed families. Lack of education led to penury, poverty
and poor thinking. The priests began to be perceived by the behdin laity as
babblers for money.
There was reluctance on the part of behdins to
marry daughters of priestly families [Andhyaru ni dikri andharoo lavé (a priest’s daughter brings bad luck)] which resulted in intermarriage
amongst priestly families further aggravating the problem. While the priests
were in decline, the behdins prospered. A Brahmin elite elicits respect from
other economically superior classes provided the former possesses a sharp
intellect. Our uneducated priests could not provide leadership in thought.
Nor did their lifestyle inspire reverence. Unlike
Roman Catholics, Jains, Buddhists and some Hindu sects, our priests took no vows
of celibacy. Unlike the maulvis, they were not teetotallers. Personal sacrifice
and a spartan life dedicated to the faith inspire awe and respect. Our priests
are indistinguishable from the laity. Many overindulged in worldly pleasures.
There was no demonstration of a spiritual life. Neither was there any
centralized hierarchy whose commands were sacrosanct.
Instead of being able to galvanize the flock,
the priests often became objects of ridicule. Priests dozing during recitation of
prayers or taking short cuts by omitting stanzas are the butt of jokes. Of course,
there were a few who were highly educated, cultured, erudite, learned and pious.
But not enough to compensate for the rest of the mediocre army. Behdins pay
paltry fees for religious ceremonies. Poor income makes full-time practice of
priesthood difficult, compelling many to take day jobs and become part-time
priests, a contradiction in terms.
Crass commercialization displaces devotional fervor.
Priests have to appeal to charity for housing and hospitalization. A vicious
cycle is continually fed. Various mobed (cleric) amelioration schemes are inadequately funded.
A rich and prosperous community with huge charity funds has priests who live in
penury.
High priests, appointed by heredity and not
merit in most cases, have refused to adapt with the times. Some are unduly
orthodox and a few positively repugnant to the youth. The irony is that almost
all possess stellar intellect and an ability to impress. However, by toeing an
excessively conservative line, they are alienating the youth. We need to lift the
priests from this rut and turn them into an army of enthused preachers of the
faith. A flock which does not look up to its shepherd is doomed to dissipate.
Permitting behdins and women to become priests,
allocating liberal resources to educate and equip young initiates, providing
free and highest priority in community housing, medical aid and free life
insurance to full-time priests, investing in sprucing up our athornan madressas
and making the community conscious of the critical importance of priests, may
yet stem the rot. Non-resident Indian Parsis with large hearts are ready to help.
Our miserable punchayets are too busy squabbling to take the lead. The high
priests themselves have to uplift the priests. Sometimes, ridicule can rapidly
turn into reverence.
- Parsiana, September 2014
