Duty
From Aryez
Book 50 of the Marfat
50: Duty
1. Never just sit somewhere and
2. allow yourself to be taken advantage
3. of or beaten or humiliated. In such cases,
4. defense, or even offense for the sake
5. of ultimate victory and peace is required.
6. Justice must be done. Therefore, one
7. must fight back. One must do
8. their duty and fight for their ideals,
9. friends, and families, fight fiercely if they must.
10. There are few restrictions on a just war or a war
11. for survival, but do not kill innocent people or
12. turn good land into deserts. One must do their
13. duty without any qualms to the contrary. If you
14. cause someone trouble or kill them, pay a weregild
15. to them or their family to compensate for the loss, more as a symbol
16. of accepting responsibility for the loss.
17. What is but one human? The glory and survival of
18. the whole human race matters more
19. than just the survival of a few, so the sacrifice
20. of a few to preserve the survival of the many is
21. glorious and noble. Do not limit your love to members
22. of one group or sect, nor do not single out any one group or sect
23. to hate. In this line of reasoning, remember that the power
24. of love cuts across all races and barriers, so marriage with
25. a member of any race [as well as people of different width, height, stature, and social standing] is acceptable.
26. Be careful when choosing your lords and rulers. Make sure they
27. are good and wise. If they do not serve you correctly or act
28. in a cruel manner, remove them, God aiding you, but while they
29. are your ruler, and they are just, you should follow them and
30. respect them. Rulers should be those with the most merit; God
31. does not favor one system of government over others as long as
32. they govern effectively for the benefit of their people. Sometimes
33. people’s freedoms must be restricted for this to happen. Sometimes
34. people must be allowed complete freedom for the benefit of their
35. society. Different situations apply in different times. Only the law
36. of this book is absolute and eternal unless God inspires a change in it. Rulers must never act like they are above
37. the people they rule, for their power comes from God through the people.
38. Rulers must not be greedy. As the prophet Zoroaster said:
39. “Do not hold grain waiting for higher prices when people are hungry.”
40. Remember what the prophet Zoroaster said of duty:
41. “Doing good to others is not a duty, it is a joy, because it increases one’s health
42. and happiness. He who sows the ground with care and diligence acquires a
43. greater stock of religious merit than he could gain by the repetition
44. of ten thousand prayers. Suffer no anxiety, for he who is
45. a sufferer of anxiety becomes regardless of enjoyment of the world and
46. the spirit, and contraction happens to his body and soul.” Do this
47. and you can do your duty. God is great.
Commentary: This book, while discouraging random violence and aggression, encourages fighting for the sake of self-defense. This means that if a person’s home, family, or community is attacked, the person should physically defend those things. The philosophy of forgiving one’s enemies and turning the other check is a good philosophy, but only in situations where it will work, usually in social situations. However in cases of actual war, one must fight as hard as possible for the triumph of good; the person is even allowed to go on the offensive if necessary for the victory of justice. There are some restrictions on war though: pillage, civilian losses, and rape are forbidden. The point of this book is duty. One cannot forget his duty (including the duty of war) for the sake of comforts or sentiments. Other lessons are to be found in this book. One is that the good of the entire race, the abstract ideal of humanity must supersede the good of individual humans. Another lesson is that we must love everyone; along this line of reasoning, marriage and relationships with any kind of person is acceptable. People should look what a person is on the inside, not the outside. The book then discusses government and politics. It states that people who respect and support their rulers, but if their rulers cease to be just, then the people have the right to demand change or a new ruler. It also states that the rulers should be those who are most able to rule for the good of the people; birth, popularity, and status should have nothing to do with the selection of the ruler. This concept is in fact, known as ‘meritocracy.’ The founder did not appear to favor one form of government over another because he believed different forms of government were needed to suit different people in different situations at different times. Along this line of reasoning, it is impossible to propose one perfect, eternal form of government that is the ideal government for all situations. However, some ideals are necessary in all governments such as the idea that the governments are meant to serve society and the people and improve their lives; governments should not steal, act corrupt, or serve their own ends. People must act in a calm, composed fashion in order to defeat chaos and win control over themselves.
