Purpose... Part Two

Those that know me know that I am not patriotic in the traditional sense of the word; but that I am a very patriotic earthling and human. I am extremely emotionally reactive and passionate (read 'patriotic') when it comes to human beings. All human beings. All life really. Regardless of country of origin. The observation reminds me of what was once said of the great Greek warrior Achilles: "He is a man who fights for no flag. A man loyal to no country." Though in the end this would turn out to be not so true of the hero, I have never found this to be such a terrible human attribute when looked upon in the grander scheme of things.

For some reason I have never found myself too forcefully or formally attached to any particular country, just as I have never found myself too adamantly opposed to any particular country or people. I am a proud American. To be sure. I have had my moments. Sickening to others at times. Times when all I would read for months at a time was American History etc. But I am also a proud Italian. I am a proud Greek. A proud Jew. A proud English man. A proud German. A proud Hindu, a proud Muslim, and a proud Christian. I am just damn proud to be human.

This of course is where it gets tricky with some. I am lucky to receive very little hate mail. I read the occasional vitriolic rantings of a few on YouTube or MySpace or coming through to our poor webmasters about my allegiance to humanity over my supposed obligation to have more allegiance to the country I was born in. But I find this kind of patriotism very difficult when I find so much to like about all of the countries of the planet and all its peoples.

One could say I am an idealist in the fact that I look forward to a day when there was no such thing as countries being used as a means of war and separation but only as tools of learning and culture sharing. One big massive earth orgy of cultures colliding -- creating multiple global orgasms one after another. Metaphorically speaking of course.

Which leads us of course to the legend of the famously revered Jewish orphan Hadassah who later became Queen Esther from the Book of Esther in the Christian and Jewish Bible -- from exiled Jewish orphanhood to Queen of Persia; and in the end she succeeded in saving the lives of thousands of Jewish people living in Persia -- in what we now call Iran. Yes... we are onto something here... after all why would any of us venture from our relatively safe homes in the United States to Iran if there was not some great purpose? Why would we spend the money? Why would we spend other people's money? Why would we spend the time or the effort?

Again, I cannot speak for any of the other delegates on the trip, but I know that my heart longs suffers aches rejoices and celebrates as equally with the Iranians as it does with the Jews or the Palestinians or the Americans or the Romanians or the Africans or the Venezueleans or the Cubans for that matter.

One of my mentors, a man without whose influence I would be much less of the person I am today, gave me some rather sage advice when hearing about my latest adventure. Something to the effect of 'This might afford a very valuable and life-transforming learning experience if you let it Fishy. What I would do if I were you is say very little. About anything. But use the opportunity to do a lot of listening. And learn as much as you can." This of course is why he stands so influential in the lives of so many. His name is Stephen Bauman.

So yes, there is a mission. In the biggest picture, like Esther, Queen of Persia, our mission is no less than to save human lives and to end human suffering. To prevent war. To prevent innocent lives from being needlessly snuffed out too soon and for no purpose. No small feats. To foster more peace and harmony and understanding among peoples and nations. To share smiles or handshakes even. The 'how' of it remains to be seen still. But I believe that this takes us closer to understanding our purpose and perhaps will satisfy a few who have emailed me recently with questions as to 'why would you ever want to go to such a place?' I hope so at least.

Zoroastrianism

O.k. check it. while studying Iran, and then Persia, I came upon the old religion of Zoroastrianism. This is the original religion of Iran/Persia; before all the invasions from other countries/religions/armies --- for a while they were forced into Christianity because of the Roman invasions, and then the final Muslim/Arabian invasion that turned almost the entire country into believers in Islam. But before this they were Zoroastrians. don't pay attention to the details if you don't want to. just read this. you're not going to believe it: This is from 1700 BC, long before the formal religions of Judaism, Islam, or Christianity were developed:

”In his writings Zoroaster speaks of an ethical and moral opposition between Asha (“order”), which he equates with righteousness, and Drug (“confusion”), which he equates with evil and the lie. Zoroaster personifies this dualism in a pair of spirits called Ahura Mazda (“Wise Lord,” known as Ohrmazd in Middle Persian), and Angra Mainyu (“Evil Spirit,” known as Ahriman in Middle Persian). See also Persian Language.

According to Zoroastrian doctrine, Ahura Mazda is a perfect, rational, and omniscient (all-knowing) entity. Thus, Zoroastrians believe that Angra Mainyu created sin, disease, death, and similar evils. Ahura Mazda is said to have created six Amesha Spentas (“Holy Immortals”), who represent aspects of material creation, in addition to other minor spiritual beings who assist in protecting the world and all creatures. Angra Mainyu is said to have produced numerous Daevas (demonic spirits), who represent aspects of pain, suffering, and death, to attack Ahura Mazda’s creations.

Zoroastrians believe that Ahura Mazda created humans as allies in the cosmic struggle against evil and that humanity will be resurrected and granted immortality once evil has been defeated. They further view the material world as a trap into which evil has been lured and in which evil will undergo defeat by divinities and humans working together. Zoroastrianism preaches that when someone dies his or her soul undergoes individual judgment based on actions while alive. If the soul’s good deeds are greater than its evil deeds, it enters paradise. If the soul’s evil deeds outweigh the good done while alive, it is cast into hell to await the day of universal judgment. In cases where a soul’s good deeds equal its evil deeds, it is consigned to limbo.

Close to the end of time a savior will resurrect the dead, Zoroastrianism claims. Ahura Mazda will descend to earth with the other good spirits. Each sinner, having already suffered in hell or limbo after death, will be purified. Thereafter, immortality will be granted to all humans. Ahura Mazda, the holy immortals, and other divine beings will annihilate the demons and force Angra Mainyu to scuttle back into hell, which will then be sealed.

The Zoroastrian doctrine of heaven, hell, and limbo influenced the other faiths. Islam absorbed not only the ideas of heaven, hell, and limbo, but also the scheme of individual judgment at a celestial bridge and the notion of final, universal judgment. Christianity further assimilated the Zoroastrian belief of heaven, hell, purgatory, individual judgment, the soul’s afterlife and the appearance of a savior, resurrection, and eternal life at the end of the world.”