WarYoga: Zurxane

The Indo-Aryan migration produced two distinct, yet related cultures in the Indian and Iranian peoples. Though similarities abound in their respective traditions, many notable differences reside.

Perhaps the most striking is the strict dualism at the heart of Iranian religion. Even prior to Zarathustra, a Cosmic struggle between light and dark delineated bounds of acceptable conduct, reflecting a radically moral understanding of the universe and man’s place at the heart of a holy war.

The zurxāne (also spelled “zurkhaneh”) serves as an acutely physical expression of this spiritual ethos. Like the Indian akharas, these Houses of Strength engender a profoundly heroic quality in the training and conduct of their adherents.

Pahlavānān train and fight as a means of reflecting outwardly the inner conflict pitting one’s higher self against a lower, Ahrimanic impulse. Their external victories mirror internal triumphs necessary to become a renowned warrior of both material and spiritual dimensions.

Master WarYogin Tom Billinge has again immersed himself in the subject matter of his work, becoming a Western steward of this ancient Indo-European tradition by testing himself in the zurxāne system of today.