Watching the divo

We Zoroastrians don't really have 'meditation' the way my yoga friends mean it. But we do have fire, and we do have quiet.

In the evenings I light the divo: a little glass of water with a layer of oil floating on top and a cotton wick in a tin float. It sits on a steel thali on the kitchen shelf, nowhere near the curtains, and I never leave the room while it's lit. The cat has been informed.

Then I simply sit and look at it while my tea cools. For us, fire is a symbol of Ahura Mazda's light and of asha, truth and right order. Ten minutes with the flame and I remember which side I'm trying to be on.