On this matter
William Judge explained the following:
KARMA IN THE DESATIR
The Desatir is a collection of the writings
of the different Persian Prophets, one of whom was Zoroaster. The last was
alive in the time of Khusro Parvez, who was contemporary with the Emperor
Revaclius and died only nine years before the end of the ancient Persian
monarchy.
Sir William Jones was
the first who drew the attention of European scholars to the Desatir. It is divided into books of the
different prophets. In this article the selections are from the “Prophet Abad”:
« In the name of
Lareng! Mezdam (The Lord God) separated man from the other animals by the
distinction of a soul, which is a free and independent substance, without a
body or anything material, indivisible and without position, by which he
attaineth to the glory of the angels.
By his knowledge he
united the soul with the elemental body. If one doeth good in an elemental
body, and possesseth useful knowledge, and acts aright, and is a Hirtasp, and
doth not give pain to harmless animals, when he putteth off the inferior body I
will introduce him to the abode of the angels that he may see me with the
nearest angels.
And every one who
wisheth to return to the lower world and is a doer of good shall, according to
his knowledge and conversation and actions, receive something, either as a King
or Prime Minister, or some high office or wealth, until he meeteth with a
reward suited to his deeds.
Those who, in the
season of prosperity, experience pain and grief suffer them on account of their
words or deeds in a former body, for which the Most Just now punisheth them.
In the name of Lareng!
Whosoever is an evil doer, on him He first infiicteth pain under human form:
for sickness, sufferings of children while in their mother’s womb, and after
they are out of it, and suicide, and being hurt by ravenous animals, and death,
and being subjected to want from birth to death, are all retributions for past
actions: and in like manner as to goodness.
If any one knowingly
and intentionally kill a harmless animal and do not meet with retribution in
the same life either from the unseen or the earthly ruler, he will find
punishment awaiting him at his next coming. »
Certain verses
declare that foolish and evil doers are condemned to the bodies of vegetables,
and the very wicked to the form of minerals, and then declare they so remain,
« Until their
sins be purified, after which they are delivered from this suffering and are once
more united to a human body: and according as they act in it they again meet
with retribution. »
In the Desatir the doctrine is held that
animals are also subject to punishment by retributive Karma; thus:
« If a ravenous
animal kill a harmless animal it must be regarded as retaliation on the slain,
since ferocious animals exist for the purpose of inflicting such punishment. The
slaying of ravenous animals is laudable, since they in a former existence have
been shedders of blood and slew the guiltless. The punisher of such is blest.
The lion, the tiger,
the leopard, the panther, and the wolf, with all ravenous animals, whether
birds, quadrupeds, or creeping things, have once possessed authority; and
everyone whom they kill hath been their aider or abettor who did evil by
supporting or assisting, or by the orders of, that exalted class; and having
given pain to harmless animals are now punished by their own masters. In fine,
these grandees, being invested with the forms of ravenous beasts, expire of
suffering and wounds according to their misdeeds; and if any guilt remain they
will return a second time and suffer punishment along with their accomplices. »
(Path,
October 1891, p.221-223)
OBSERVATIONS
We see that the
Persian civilization adopted the concept of
karma from the ancient Hindu sages, but they adopted also the incorrect ideas, since the masters explained
that no matter how bad men are, they do not go back to the lower kingdoms
(animal, vegetable, mineral), and the animals do not generate karma because
they are not responsible for their actions.
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