The Parsi Religion

The Religion of the Parsis is substantially the same, in its general principles, at the present day that it was in the ages of antiquity. It is pre-eminently the religion in which good deeds are held up as the best and most acceptable offering to God. Religious merit consists, according to the teachings of the Master, not in austerities, not in sacrifices and offerings to the power of the evil, not in the cultivation of fugitive virtues, but in the daily exercise of the positive virtue and the diffusion of the good deeds. Zarathushtra’s outlook on life was one symbolic of the essential unity of the universe.

Not surprising, therefore, that some of the sterling qualities of the Parsi community, which strike the other communities most, are its vitality, which has enabled it to Withstand the vicissitudes of centuries; its adaptability to the changing circumstances; its loyalty; its industry and spirit of citizenship; and above all its philanthropy. These pages provide an insight into the fundamental principles of this religion and its code of ethics. Written by an eminent Orientalist, the book has remained a standard classic for a long time.