YOU ARE BEYOND WHO YOU ARE

Moterassed conducts an exploration of the philosopher Zarathustra’s teachings in this nonfiction work.

In this slim volume, the author interprets the philosophy of the ancient prophet Zarathustra. (Before Muslims took over Persia in the seventh century, Zarathustra’s teachings, known as Zoroastrianism, served as Persia’s state religion.) The author notes that people strive for contentment, but the Western world presents challenges; Westerners primarily value their bodies, desires, emotions, and minds, none of which, per Moterassed, leads to enlightenment. Psychological counseling seeks to heal the ego, but the author, who is a psychotherapist himself, suggests that personality should be dropped entirely. The author asserts that personality is a construct of our environment, a mask obstructing the true self, “a dark cloud that blocks the sun.” Only when we embrace nothingness can we reveal our pure essence. Moterassed’s slightly humorous parables often center around this theme—in one of them, a mystic places himself above God, because he’s been told that nothing is higher than God (the mystic considers himself to be nothing). The author argues that developing certain attributes can help readers attain this higher state, noting that it’s important to keep an elevated quality of thoughts, stay balanced, and practice inner discipline; when at last we fully know our true selves, we will grasp eternity. (Moterassed describes eternity as one wave that rejoins the vastness of the ocean, or a circle that has no discernible beginning or end.) One of the most attractive qualities of Zarathustra’s teachings for a modern audience is the way they embody gender parity—masculine (Ahura) and feminine (Mazda) attributes are evenly split, and every person contains the principles of both sexes. Moterassed’s book may be short, but the length works to his advantage. There is no filler, so every idea hits with great force, and the book is easy to reread. With less time to get distracted, readers can engage in the book’s ideas with the full consciousness that the author suggests as a way to practice meditation.

A brief but satisfying encapsulation of Zoroastrianism.