The Zoroastrian Religion
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Some time in the history of the universe, no one is quite sure when, there was born a man. This man would eventually be the first to found a monotheistic religion. The name of this man is Zoroaster. Zoroasters birth date, along with whether his religion is actually monotheistic, is a subject of great debate. The opinions concerning his birth, and consequently about the beginning of this great religion, range from as early as 6000 years before Plato to as late as 500 B.C. In any case he was born somewhere in Iran, although whether in the East or West is also arguable. In the early writings, the people belonging to this religion are called Zarathustra; the system he taught is called Mazdaism. The present day followers are called Parsees. Zoroaster removed the multiplicity of deities from religion and created a faith in which there were two, or perhaps, one God. All other higher beings were regarded as demons, or evil spirits. No one knows for sure the different stages of popularity that Zoroastrianism experienced. We do know that at the time of Darius I, royalty protected it. Later, however, Zoroastrians were continually chased by the members of the Islamic religion through Kathiawar in India, and Surat, and finally they settled again in Bombay. The universe is the battleground. The opponents are Mazda Ahura, later to be known as Ahura Mazda, and Anra Mainyu, later called Ahriman. Ahura Mazda is the good force and the bad is Ahriman. The battle will last till Ahura Mazda defeats Ahriman in the year 12,000 (we are now presumably around 11,500). This is the world and its future in accordance with Zoroastrian beliefs.
Zoroaster had a very non-conforming mind and was forced to flee his parents house without his parents consent because of the rebuking he gave to those who sacrificed cattle or drank intoxicating haoma. He fled to the mountains and gave himself to God. Sometime between the ages of thirty and forty, an angel appeared to him and brought him to the throne of the highest God, Ahura Mazda. After this occurred, the prophet tried for twelve years to convert people, but with no luck. During this period, many visions were revealed to him. A milestone in the progression of the religion occurred when Zoroaster converted Vishtaspa, the king of Persia. He also converted the kings son, brother, and counselor. Zoroaster was killed at the age of seventy-seven by Ardshataspa, a neighboring prince, who invaded Vishtaspas capital. Another view holds that Zoroaster lived 258 years before Alexander the Great; he would have therefore lived between 570 and 500 B.C. The Greeks tend to place him six thousand years before Plato. Ahura Mazda, while not necessarily discovered by Zoroaster, was found on an inscription dating around 714 B.C.
In ancient Persia, before Zoraosters reforms, religion was polytheistic. Zoroaster objected to these deities and referred to them as demons. Many of the rituals and Gods that he removed were later reinstated due to the fact that the people were still emotionally attached to them. Temples and images of God were also introduced into the religion at a later date.
The Zoroastrian religion is based on the fundamental concept of a constant battle of good against evil. The good is represented by Ahura Mazda while the bad is represented by Ahriman. Ahura Mazda created this world as a trap for Ahriman. Human beings draw Ahriman into this world; he will jump at any chance to cause others to do evil. He will then be entering Ahura Mazdas world, and when people choose good over evil voluntarily this will weaken Ahriman to the point where he can be destroyed. It is hard to reconcile the two opposing views on the deities in the Zoroastrian religion. The claim is made that the religion is monotheistic; it is also alleged that two equal gods represent the opposing forces in the world, both good and evil. Modern day Parsees resolve the contradiction by explaining that Ahura Mazda has always and will always stand above all. Ahriman was only created due to an evil thought that once entered Ahura Mazdas head. The real opponent of Ahriman is Spenta Mainyu, the good spirit.
The world is divided into three sections. The upper world is bathed in light, the earth is divided into seven sections, and the underworld is a dark place. The forces of good and evil will do battle for the twelve thousand years of the worlds total existence. In the beginning, as Ahriman attempts to kill Ahura Mazda, he is stopped and pulled away. Both of the Gods agree to a period of peace that will last 9,000 years. During the first three thousand years Ahura Mazda creates angels, good spirits, and Fravashis. These Fravashis are the original heavenly images of men living in the upper world. During the next three thousand years the Fravashis come down to earth. There they lead a perfect sinless life. Anra Mainyu is angry because of the advantage he sees Ahura Mazda has gained over him in preparation for the final battle. He tries to bring evil to the world, but he is rendered powerless by the sacred Ahuna Vairya formula that Ahura Mazda utters. In the next three thousand years Anra Mainyu invades the world. He kills the early man and animal and disperses demons throughout the world. However a human couple arises from the seed of the early man and a cow from the seed of early animal. These beings are mixed and must choose between the good and evil that now inhabits the world. The final three thousand year period begins and Ahura Mazda sends Zoroaster down to the world. Zoroaster had been in fravashi, or spiritual, form since the beginning of the second period. After Zoroasters death, every thousand years till the end of this three thousand year period, a prophet will arise. This prophet will come from a virgin who is fertilized by remnants of Zoroasters seed, which is preserved in a lake. The prophet will bring about an improvement in society for a short period of time. The last of these prophets, Saoshyant, or “helper”, will bring about a resurrection of the dead. The final fight will occur and the death of Ahriman will take place.