The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1894-12-29
HEPARSEES OF INDIA
A PEOPLE OF MANY STRANGE
SUPERSTlTlONS.
Dr. Talmaee Writes OF His Visit to
Bombay-Dead Bodies Carton for the
Vultures-Christianity and Zorasterism
Compared.

THE Fire Worshippers," the text
selected being: There came wise men
from the east to Jerusalem.
Thest wise men were the ParseeS or
the so called fire worshippers, and
found their descendants in India last
October. Their heathenism is more
tolerable than any of the other false
religions, and has more alleviatlons'
and while in these ''Round the World
series / have already shown you the
worst forms Of heathenism, to-day
show you the least offensive.
The prophet of the Parsees was
FORESTER of Persia. He was poet
philosopher and reformer, as we'll as
religionist His disciples thrived at
first in Persia, but under Mohammedan
persecution they retreated to India
where met them. and in addition to
what l saw of them at their head
quarters in Bombay, I1f'ia, had two
weeks of association with one of the
most learned and genial of their
people on ship board from Bombay to
Brindisi.
The Bible of the Parsees, or fire
worshippers as they are inaccurately
called, is the ZendAvesta, collection
of the strangest books that ever came
into my hands. There were originally
twenty-one volumes, but Alexander
the Great, in a drunken fit set fire to
q palace which contained some OF
them, and they went into ashes and
forgetfulness. But there are more OF
their sacred volumes left than most
people would have patience to read.
There arc many things i'll the religion
of the Parsees that suggest Christian
ity, and some of it's doctrines are IN
accord with our own religion. Zoroas-
ter, who lived l,AOo years before
Christ, was good man, suffered perse-
cution for his faith, and was assassin
ated while worshiping at an altar. tie
announced the theory "He is best who
is pure of heart" and that there
are two great spirits in the world
Or1nuzd, the good spirit, and Ahrlnan
the bad spirit, and that all
who do right are under the influ-
ence of Ormuzd, and all who do wrong
are under Ahriman; that the Parsee
must be born on the ground floor OF
the house, and must be buried from
the ground floor; that the dying man
must have prayers said over him and a
sacred Juice given him to drink; that
the good at their decease 60 into eter-
nal light, and the bad into eternal
darkness; that having passed out OF
this light the soul fingers near the
corpse three days in paradisaic state
enjoying more than all the nations on
earth put together could enjoy or in a
pandemoniac state suffering more than
all the nations put together could
possibly suffer, but at the end OF three
days departing for its final destiny;
and that there will be resurrection
of the body. They are more careful
than any other people about their
additions, and they wash and wash
and wash. They pay great attention
to physical health and it is a rare
thing to see sick Parsee. They do
not smoke tobacco for they consider
that a misuse of fire. At the close
of mortal life the soul appears
at the Bridge Chinvat where
al angel presides, and questions the
soul about the thoughts, and words,
and deeds OF it's earthly state. Moth
ing, however, is more intense in the
Parsee faith than the theory that the
dead body is impure. A devil is sup.
posed to take possession OF the dead
body. All who touch it are unclean
and hence the strange style OF obse
quies. But here l must give three OF
four questions and answers from one
of the Parsee catechisms:
O.-Who Is the most fortunate man in
the world?
Ale who is the most innocent.
Q.-Who is the most innocent man in
the world?
Ale who walks in the path OF God
and shuns that of the devil.
(Which is the path Of God, and
which that of the devil?
A.-Virtue is the path Of God, and
vice that of the devil.
Q.-What constitutes virtue, ano
what vice?
A.-Good thoughts, good words, and
good deeds constitute virtue, and evil
thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds
constitute vice.
Q.-What constitute good thoughts
good words, and good deeds, and evil
thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds;
A.-Honesty charity, and truthful
ness constitute the former; and dis
honesty, want Of charity, and falsehood
constitute the latter.
And now the better to show you
these Parsees, ] tell yon of two things
saw within short time in Bombay
India. 1t was an afternoon OF con
! trast.
We started for Malabar Hill, or
which the wealthy classes have thcil
empowered homes, and the Parsee,
their strange temple of the dead. Al
we rode along the waters edge the
sun was descending the sky, and q
disciple of Zorcaster, a Parsee, was in
lowly posture and with reverential
gaze looking into the sky. He would