WHAT IS ZOROASTRIANISM

A Persian religion founded in the sixth century BC by the prophet Zoroaster, promulgated in the Avesta, and characterized by worship of a supreme god Ahura Mazda who requires good deeds for help in his cosmic struggle against the evil spirit Ahriman.

Zoroastrianism is arguably the world’s oldest monotheistic religion. It centers on the words of the prophet Zarathushtra, called Zoroaster by the ancient Greeks, and focuses worship upon Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom. It also acknowledges two competing principles representing good and evil: Spenta Mainyu (“Bounteous Spirit”) and Angra Mainyu (“Destructive Spirit”). Humans are intimately involved in this struggle, holding off chaos and destruction through active goodness.

Origins of Zoroastrianism

The prophet Zarathushtra—later referred to by the Greeks as Zoroaster—founded Zoroastrianism about 3500 years ago. According to texts from the period, Zoroaster may have been born in 628 B.C., in Rhages, Iran, and may have died on or near 551 B.C. These dates, however, are very rough; some researchers believe he may have lived as much as a millennium earlier or later.

Indo-Iranian religion in Zarathushtra’s time was polytheistic (meaning that people worshipped multiple gods). While details are scarce, Zoroaster probably elevated an already existing deity into the role of supreme creator, thus creating the world’s first monotheistic religion (a religion worshipping one creator). Zoroastrianism therefore has some similarities with ancient Vedic beliefs; for example, the ahura and daevas (agents of order and chaos) in Zoroastrianism compare to the asuras and devas who compete for power in Vedic religion.

Zoroastrianism expanded to become one of the most important religions in the ancient world. From 600 B.C. to 650 C.E. it was the official religion of Persia (ancient Iran). Today, there are only about 190,000 Zoroastrians around the world.

RELIGIOUS HATS WORN BY ZOROASTRIANS

Zoroastrian Customs

While there are Zoroastrians temples and many events during which believers worship together, most Zoroastrian worship takes place in the home. Worship focuses on the central ethical values of Good Words, Good Thoughts, and Good Deeds. Many Zoroastrians pray several times a day, always facing a source of fire or light. Though it is not required, some practitioners wear a knotted cord called a kusti; the kusti is knotted three times to symbolize the three Zoroastrian values.

Zoroastrian temples keep a fire burning at all times to represent Ahura Mazda’s eternal power. Fire is also recognized as a powerful purifier and is respected for that reason. The holiest temple fires take up to a year to consecrate, and many have been burning for years or even centuries. Visitors to fire temples bring an offering of wood, which is placed in the fire by a masked priest. The mask prevents the fire from being desecrated by his breath. The visitor is then anointed with ash from the fire.

The Zoroastrian coming-of-age ceremony is called The Navjote, or Sedreh-Pushi. Children between the ages of 7 and 12 participate in ritual washing and perform rituals on their own for the first time.

Zoroastrian weddings include a marriage contract and celebrations which can last as long as seven days. Married female relatives hold a white scarf over the couple’s heads while cones of sugar are rubbed together to sweeten the marriage. The ends of the scarf are later sewn together to symbolize the unity of the married couple.

These are the basic beliefs of Zoroastrianism:

There is one God, called Ahura Mazda. He is the one Uncreated Creator. Zoroastrians worship only him.

Ahura Mazda created everything. There is a conflict between order (which he created) and chaos (or disorder). Everything in the universe is part of this conflict, including humans.

To help fight the chaos, people need to:

• Lead an active life;
• Do good deeds; and
• Have good words and good thoughts for others.

People also need to do these things in order to be happy. This active life is the basis of what Zoroastrians call free will. They do not believe people should live on their own to find God (for example, in monasteries).

The conflict will not last forever. Ahura Mazda will win it in the end. When this happens, everything that Ahura Mazda created will be together with him again - even the souls of people who died or who were banished.

All bad things in the world are represented as Angra Mainyu, the "Destructive Principle". All good things are represented by Spenta Mainyu, the good spirit which Ahura Mazda created. Through Spenta Maniu, Ahura Mazda is in all humans. In this way, the Creator interacts with the world.

When Ahura Mazda created everything, he made seven "sparks", called Amesha Spentas ("Bounteous Immortals"). Each of them represents a part of Ahura Mazda's creation. These seven sparks are helped by many "lesser principles", the Yazatas. Each Yazata is "worthy of worship" and also stands for a part of the creation.

Some historians believe that The Three Wise Men (Magi) who visited Jesus after he was born were Zoroastrian priests.

ZOROASTRIANISM ANCIENT RUINS
Zoroastrianism is a religion. Zoroaster, who lived in eastern ancient Iran around 1000 BC, created Zoroastrianism. Other names for Zoroastrianism are Mazdaism and Parsiism.

Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion. The Zoroastrian god is called Ahura Mazda. The holy book of Zoroastrianism is the Zend Avesta.

Zoroastrianism is also dualist. Zoroastrians believe Ahura Mazda created the good spirits (Spenta Mainyu), and Angra Mainyu the demons. Zoroastrians believe people are free to choose between good and bad. Choosing good will lead to happiness, and choosing bad will lead to unhappiness. So it is the best to choose good. Therefore, the motto of the religion is "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds".

Zoroastrianism was the state religion of Persia starting in the 6th century BC, including the Sassanid dynasty. In the 7th century AD, Persia was conquered by Islamic Arabs, and most Persians became Muslims. There is no boy circumcision in Zoroashtrianism.

Nowadays, there are about 2.6 million Zoroastrians in the world. Most of them live in Iran, Pakistan or India, where there called Parsi. In Pakistan and India, they are called Parsis. Many Zoroastrians now live in the United States.

ZOROASTRIANISM FIRE TEMPLES
Zoroastrianism is not the purely ethical religion it may at first seem. In practice, despite the doctrine of free choice, Zoroastrians are so constantly involved in a meticulous struggle against the contamination of death and the thousand causes of defilement and against the threat, even in sleep, of ever-present demons that they do not often believe that they are leading their lives freely and morally.

Apart from this attitude, the belief in the power of destiny sometimes culminates in fatalism. The latter is easily associated with Zurvanism, itself sometimes tainted with materialism. In the Mēnōk-i Khrat it is stated that “though one be armed with the valour and strength of wisdom and knowledge, yet it is not possible to strive against fate.” On the whole, however, as the eminent historian of religions R.C. Zaehner notes, “The theological premises” of Zoroastrianism “are based on an essentially moralistic view of life.”

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: The first entry is “Abracadabra,” which at one time was an ancient code used by Egyptian priests, and ends with “Zoroastrianism.” There are fewer than 120,000 followers of Zoroastrianism, with the greatest number concentrated in India.

THINGS YOU WANT TO SAVE: FIRE TEMPLES OF ZOROASTRIANISM...THESE FIRE TEMPLES HOLD MANY SECRETS OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS AND ARE A PLACE OF WORSHIP.

ZENTRAVELER SAYS: Give me that old time religion. IT'S SO SIMPLE A  CAVEPERSON CAN DO IT: GOOD DEEDS AGAINST EVIL SPIRITS.

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