Theos-Talk Archives (September 2008 Message tt00025)

 Although he left us so suddenly a year ago, on 14 September 2007,
leaving the Theosophical movement poorer for his absence, the
anniversary of Dara F. Mirza's passing provides an opportunity for us
to remember him both as friend as well as a very dedicated Theosophist.

Born in a Theosophical family, Dara imbibed the timeless principles of
the Wisdom Tradition from a young age. He brought to its study a mind
which had, in the words of St. Paul , "the breadth, and length, and
depth, and height". He was a Theosophical scholar par excellence.

But true to the teachings he espoused so wholeheartedly, he combined
critical and accurate scholarship with deep compassion, particularly
for stray animals. He personally took care and helped to nurse many
stray dogs and cats in his home city of Karachi in Pakistan .

The words of the Mahachohan, in his communication to A. P. Sinnett in
1881, found profound resonance in the life of selfless service lived
by Dara Mirza:

"For our doctrines to practically react on the so-called moral code,
or the ideas of truthfulness, purity, self-denial, charity, etc., we
have to popularize a knowledge of theosophy. It is not the individual
and determined purpose of attaining oneself Nirvana (the culmination
of all knowledge and absolute wisdom) which is after all only an
exalted and glorious selfishness?but the self-sacrificing pursuit of
the best means to lead on the right path our neighbour, to cause as
many of our fellow-creatures as we possibly can to benefit by it,
which constitutes the true theosophist."

In his concluding remarks of his lecture at the 1987 International
Convention of the TS at Adyar (`Muslim Theosophists of the Middle
Ages'), Dara left a clarion call for us to move forward in our common
work:

"In the life and work of these three men [Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi and Ibn
Sina], we have convincing evidence of the continuity, through the
Middle Ages, of the theosophical movement, the light of which is never
extinguished although at times the flame burns low. Like the
quenchless lamps of the fabled alchemists, the undying light of this
great movement burns steadily throughout the centuries, however
unaware of that fact the world may be.

It is up to the Theosophists of this era to keep the lamp alight."

In this the first anniversary of his passing we remember our Brother
and Friend, Dara Feroze Mirza, someone to whom we do not say good bye
but till we meet again.


Pedro Oliveira