A Brief Look At Zoroastrianism
...he horse was cured, and Zarathustra was given great control over the kingdom. Crusading followed for the next twenty-five years, and is described as the happiest days of his life. His death came at the age of seventy-seven, but the faith he had created continued to grow. For the next 1000 years, from 559 B.C. to 652 A.D., the religion grew to mighty proportions. At the time of Christ’s birth, there were more Zoroastrians, or Parsis as we call them today, then any other religious group. It is believed that Zoroastrianism influenced post-exile Judaism, Christianity and even Islam. Zarathustra introduced an entirely knew way of thinking and philosophy of life. His concept of having only one god was a new one. This god, named Ahura Mazda, is the creator of all life in the universe, possesses super intelligence and infinite wisdom. This perfect god is friend to all, and no man should ever fear him. He is all-seeing, and knows even of this essay. Interestingly enough, Mazda is not all-powerful. He is indeed extremely powerful, but not so powerful that he can vanquish the forces of evil. God’s opponent in this eternal struggle is named Angra Mainyu, the hostile spirit. To battle this evil spirit, Mazda requires humankind to give him power through good words, good deeds and good thoughts, eventually bringing about the withdrawal of evil. Following these three important rules will bring about great rewards while breaking them brings terrible consequences. The Ashem Vohu, a prayer that shares the name with the archangel seen in Zarathustra’s vision, is said by most Parsis upon awaking in the morning, and is translated to “Righteousness is good. Best it is. Radiant it is. Happiness comes to the one who for the sake of virtue itself is virtuous which is best.” It is not hard to see that lying, cheating and hurting others through greed and cruelty cannot bring happiness. Mazda does not however give a very specific code of conduct. It is up to each generation to form their own code, with the ultimate intention of making the world a better place, though the three beliefs seem to be consistent throughout the ages. Fire plays an important role in the religious ceremonies of t...