adarbad

[Hannah Shapero]

When a person causes the killing of a camel (for food), then it so
happens that it is as if he (the person who eats the meat) has
killed the camel with his own hands, >and when he eats the meat
then he becomes a sinner. (My comment: Adarbad Mahraspand seems to say in epistles 14 and 15, that
just because a person >only eats the meat and someone else butchers the
animal, does not absolve the consumer of meat from the thought and act
of killing the animal, and therefore the consumer of meat is >a sinner)


Readers:

If Adarbad Mahraspand lived during Sassanian times, was vegetarianism
already part of Zoroastrian custom?. I didn't know that not eating meat was
recommended to Zoroastrians even before the Parsi emigration. I had always
assumed that Zoroastrian vegetarianism was borrowed from Hindu vegetarianism
which came with the Parsi contact in Gujarat. Even in the Vendidad, which
has a late date at least for its written form, meat eating is not forbidden
so how did Adarbad Mahraspand come up with his recommendation for
vegetarianism.

Yours, Hannah M.G. Shapero

[Guest]

Dear Hannah, Dear All;

Glad you came up with the answer/correction. Good or bad, in the real world,
there are many meat eaters, and adding ONE MORE RESTRICTION (a perceived one
especially) to the great religion will help no one. Although I very much respect
differing points of views, but I am especially sensitive to these things because
the religion has come to a point that most non-Zartoshtis- at least
Persians-PERCEIVE it as belonging to a special group and so do not even spend
time to find more about it. It is incumbent upon this group and similar ones to
follow ZA and WZO's path to bring about INCLUSION and ACCESSIBILITY.

Thank you all

Rassoul Yazdipour

Los Angeles, CA

[Hormuzd]

Dear Hannah,

The question of Zoroastrians being vegetarians or non-vegetarians is an interesting one.
In my opinion, if you were to ask any Zoroastrian, be they, traditionalists or reformists,
their answer will be 'yes', most of us eat meat and there is no restriction, so long as they are with cloven hoofs. With due respect, dare I say, there are bound to be some who are strict vegetarians by choice, but then, Zoroastrianism is basically an open and democratic religion resulting in a community which enjoys regaling in feasts with drinks and merry-making within limits.
So long as nobody hurts an animal or human being, he or she is welcomed with open arms. With this subject in mind, we are very partial to dogs and all domestic animals.
Dogs especially, rule supreme in a Zoroastrian home. To me, a dog is a useful animal, it guards your home and its contents, amuses and plays with you and gives you his life and dedication unreservedly.
Good wishes to all of you,
Hormuzd