zoroastrianism ancient and modern - Hindu Temple of Greater ...

122 ‘ASHEMAOGA’ i.e. A HERETIC re RULES OF CEREMONIAL.
"the drinking of the consecrated Haoma moreover brings destruction to the demons."
as quoted from Yacna X § 6.
We have thus seen that the writer's attempt to do away with the
Haoma ceremony from the Zoroastrian teachings is made without any
logical argument and is quite fruitless. It is no doubt a strange device to
cut at the foundation of a thing in order that the thing may not seem to
exist. Such device has been noticed by us in the first chapter in the
treatment of the division of Avesta scriptures into periods,-in the second
chapter in the treatment of the advocacy of proselytism,-and even in this
third chapter in the treatment of Zoroastrian rituals. He seems to regard
the Haoma ceremony as one not upheld by Zoroaster in order to enable
himself to say that all rituals which have as their basis the Haoma
ceremony have not been taught by the prophet himself. Moreover the
writer himself calls one who teaches wrongly about the rules of
ceremonials by the name of Ashemaoga, i.e. an -apostate, for he says on
p. 166 that-
“Ashemaoga seems to be a theological and ritual designation of one who
deviates from the prescribed teachings of the established church and who preaches
heresy both as regards the doctrines of the faith and the rules of ceremonial."
Having thus determined to establish a Zoroastrian religion void
of any ceremonial, the writer has his message to that effect in the
various parts of his book. While taking side of the so-called reformers
he speaks irresponsibly against Zoroastrian rituals on pp. 346 to 348 of
his book. He says on p. 346.
“The reformers urged that a vast structure of formalism and ritual had
replaced the edifice of the simple faith, and religion had simply turned into
ritualism…………Religion they urged does not consist in laying up merit by
ceremonials.”
On p. 348 he continues that-
“No amount of ceremonials performed by the living could either mitigate
the sufferings or improve his condition in the spiritual world.... The rituals do not
affect its position.”