غم و شادی و جلوه های آن در ایران پیش از اسلام (بر حسب متون مذهبی، مستندات تاریخی و آثار ادبی) (مقاله علمی وزارت علوم)
درجه علمی: نشریه علمی (وزارت علوم)
آرشیو
چکیده
این مقاله در پی آن است که نشان دهد در ایران پیش از اسلام چه اندیشه هایی در مورد غم و شادی وجود داشته و انگیزه و علل تبلیغ و نمود اجتماعی و عینی این اندیشه ها چه بوده است. برای این مقصود، با روش توصیفی تحلیلی و برحسب متون دینی، منابع تاریخی و آثار ادبی به مسئله پرداخته شده است. از حیث مذهبی، شادمانی امری قدسی و آسمانی به شمار رفته و حکم ابزاری را داشته است که با آن می توان بر مظاهر اهریمنی و اندوه غلبه کرد. بااین حال غم گرایی کارکردهای مثبتی از جمله تقویت حس انتقام و ایجاد شوق بازگشت به عالم معنوی(از طریق غم غربت) نیز داشته است. از منظر اسناد تاریخی شیوه مداراگرایانه و تساهل پادشاهان هخامنشی با ملل تحت سلطه خود، و در عهد ساسانی فرامین برخی پادشاهان چون بخشودگی خراج و رعایت عدالت موجب رواج جلوه هایی از شادمانی و دوری از اندوه جمعی در سراسر سرزمین بوده است؛ هرچند نظام طبقاتی اندوه عمیقی ایجاد می کرده است. در آثار ادبی، بزرگان راهکارهایی چون تاکید بر ناپایداری زندگی و توجه به قناعت را برای رهایی انسان از غم توصیه کرده اند.Sadness and Happiness and its Manifestations in Iran Before Islam (According to Religious Texts, Historical Documents and Literary Works)
This article seeks to show what thoughts about sadness and happiness existed in Iran before Islam, and what were the motivations and reasons for the propagation and social and objective manifestation of these thoughts. For this purpose, the subject of the article has been addressed with descriptive and analytical method according to religious texts, historical sources and literary works. From a religious point of view, happiness is considered a sacred and heavenly issue and it has considered as a tool that can be used to overcome sadness and demonic manifestations. However, tendency to sadness has also had positive functions, such as strengthening the sense of revenge and creating the desire to return to the spiritual world (through homesickness). From the perspective of historical documents, the tolerant way of the Achaemenid kings with the nations under their rule, and in the Sasanian era, the decrees of some kings such as the forgiveness of tribute and the observance of justice have caused the spread of manifestations of happiness and avoidance of collective sorrow throughout the land. However, the class system has caused deep sorrow. In literary works, elders have recommended solutions such as emphasizing the instability of life and paying attention to contentment to free people from sadness.
Introduction
Philosophers, psychologists, and intellectuals, in various fields, have had their own understanding of sadness and happiness and have proposed different approaches to it, which are very diverse and sometimes contradictory to each other. In pre-Islamic works, there are also different views on sadness and happiness. This article seeks to show what ideas about sadness and happiness existed based on these works. What strategies have there been to spread happiness and avoid sadness? What are the motivations and reasons for propagation of these thoughts and what behaviors are reflected in the objective aspects of sadness and happiness?
Research methodology
The methodology of this article is descriptive-analytical method based on library studies. The texts are examined in three fields including religious areas (Zoroastrian, Manichaean, and Mazdakian), historical texts and documents (inscriptions and petroglyphs, historical books) and pre-Islamic literary texts. It should be noted that the attention to happiness and sadness is not directly expressed in most cases; therefore, examples such as dancing and stomping, minstrelsy (singing), drinking, physical pleasures, advices of religious and political elders, and more general criteria such as the level of well-being, security, justice, freedom and peace were also considered.
Discussion
In Zoroastrian teachings, joy prevails over sadness and mourning. Crying is an abominable act that serves the evil forces, and avoiding it is mentioned many times in Zoroastrian texts. It is stated in Bundahishn that after creating the sky, Hormuzd created happiness with the help of the sky so that in the period of fusion and conflict, the creatures are happy: "He created happiness with the help of the sky. In this way, he created happiness extensively that now there is a fusion, the creatures deserve happiness" (Faranbagh,2020: 40). Perhaps it can be expressed that besides the abstract teachings, the practical solution of Zoroastrian religion in fighting against sadness and spreading happiness was the prevalence of various celebrations. Due to this point of view, joyous celebrations are abundantly seen in Iranian culture. It is doubtful whether all celebrations are dedicated to happiness. One of them is the Foroudegan festival, which was held on the last five or ten days of the year dedicated to the dead, as Taghizadeh stated: "In fact, it was a day of mourning, not celebration of happiness" (Taghizadeh, 1937: 76-77).
In the Manichaean religion, happiness is a praiseworthy and religious affair, and it is the same opinion about happiness and sadness that Zoroastrians have. It means that happiness is created by light and sadness is a sign of darkness. However, the happiness that comes from the enjoyment of physical pleasures is not desired by the spiritualists, rather, sadness belongs to the material body, and happiness belongs to the soul and should not be given to physical pleasures.
Mazdakians apparently wanted to achieve inner peace and happiness through physical and material pleasures, but with a religious and moral justification. Mazdak's opinion was that the private and personal nature of women and property leads to the domination of envy and greed, which are demonic creatures, and the way to destroy them is to share these two assets. In the eyes of Mazdakians, there is a connection between heavenly happiness and worldly happiness, and in this way Mazdak has given a sacred and heavenly aspect to music.
Historically, one of the oldest remaining documents, showing a part of the happiness of the people in the land of Iran, are the images of dancing. It seems that some of these dances were intended for fun, some of them clearly show the popularity of recreational dances for pleasure and entertainment (refer to: Zakah, 1978:2).
The most important surviving texts from the Achaemenid period are stone inscriptions in which emphasized on happiness. Darius considered happiness as a blessing created by Ahura Mazda: "The Great God Ahura Mazda who created this earth, who created people, who created happiness for people and Darius King" (Norman Sharp, 2009:85). Achaemenid kings considered the cause of happiness with spiritual and religious affairs, from this point of view that happiness is created by Ahura Mazda; therefore, obeying him and religious orders causes happiness to descend on man. The tolerant way of the Achaemenid kings, who gave religious freedoms to the nations under their influence, is also considered as the promoter of collective happiness.
The Sasanian era is the prominent period of attention to happiness and avoiding sadness and the prosperity of these ideas that both kings were happy, and they provided platforms for people to be happy, and popular religions invited people to be happy. In addition to the happiness that most of the kings have been busy with, some have also tried to bring happiness to the people and reduce their suffering with measures such as tax remission and justice.
In literary works, the deepest factors of sadness that affect people is the understanding that life is unstable. Another solution that can be seen in these texts is the acceptance of the discussion of appreciation and satisfaction, which causes the removal of sadness.
Conclusion
In religious texts, sadness is considered a demonic thing, and Zoroastrian religion has warned its followers against sadness and lamentation, and happiness has been considered as a tool to be used to overcome the demonic force. In the Manichaean and Mazdakian religions, aspects of happiness such as music are considered sacred and heavenly. However, grief also has uses, including to strengthen the sense of revenge. According to historical sources, one of the oldest surviving documents that shows a corner of people's happiness are the images that show dancing and stomping, some of which were intended for enjoyment. In the Achaemenid inscriptions, Ahura Mazda is said to have created happiness.
They have seen happiness in connection with spiritual and religious matters. The tolerant way of these kings with the nations under their rule has caused the spread of manifestations of happiness and avoidance of collective sadness throughout the land. Attention to happiness and sadness in the Sasanian era is very impressive. Some have tried to create happiness for the people with actions such as paying tribute and observing justice. However, the class system of the Sasanian era is considered to be the cause of collective grief, especially among the lower classes. In the literary texts, there are propositions and teachings that have been given advice about sadness and happiness by the elders. Among the solutions given in these texts to get rid of grief is emphasizing the instability of life and paying attention to contentment.
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