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I am forwarding to you an article written by a 13 year old
girl from California. Thought I should share it with you all.
With love and blessings,
Adi
The History, Philosophy & Culture of Zoroastrianism
By: Anahita Amalsad
Mary Boyce said, "Zoroastrianism is the oldest of the revealed
world-religions, and it has probably had more influence on mankind,
directly and indirectly, than any other single faith." [1] The
history of Zoroastrianism dates back to anywhere from 600 B.C.E. to 6000
B.C.E., with the most recent studies pointing to the Bronze Age, about
1800 B.C.E. to 1200 B.C.E. The main philosophy of Zoroastrianism is
based on good thoughts, good words and good deeds. The Zoroastrian culture
embraces many customs and rituals that may or may not be directly part of
the religion. In this paper, I will be focusing on these aspects of
Zoroastrianism: the history, philosophy and culture.
There is no
confirmed date that tells us when the history of Zoroastrianism started.
The Gathas, hymns, suggest that Zoroaster lived at the time when the
Bronze Age developed. According to this, we suppose that Zoroastrianism
flourished at about 1800 B.C.E. to 1200 B.C.E. The Persian prophet,
Zartosht, (later named as Zoroaster by the Greeks), which means the Golden
Light or the Shining Star, founded Zoroastrianism. This religion prospered
through the rise and fall of many civilizations. For 1,000 years, (558
B.C.E. to 652 C.E.) it was the main religion of three Persian Empires: the
Achaemenians, the Parthians and the Sassanians.[2] This religion spread
across Asia, from Greece in the west, to the Hindu Kush in the east, up
into southern Russia and down into Egypt. Zoroastrianism had millions of
followers. This religion then spread through Persia, and became the main
religion of the Achaemenian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great in 558
B.C.E. In 330 B.C.E., Zoroastrianism suffered many complications
when Alexander the Great conquered Persia, burned Persepolis, and burned
much of Zoroastrianism with it. The religion got rejuvenated during the
Parthian and the Sassanian Empires. In 652 C.E., Zoroastrianism suffered
another setback when the Muslims invaded Persia. At this time, a large
number of Zoroastrians converted into Muslims. They got scattered due to
massive persecutions, and today they are left with about 250,000 people
across the world. A few shiploads of devoted Zoroastrians migrated
to India in the 10th century and were given shelter. The major
concentration of Zoroastrians is presently in Iran and India. There are
approximately 25,000 Zoroastrians in North America, 7,500 in the United
Kingdom, 4,000 in Europe, 2,000 in Australia and 3,000 in Pakistan. Some
of the theological concepts shared by Zoroastrianism with Judaism and
Christianity are: the belief in one supreme and loving God and that good
ultimately prevails when one follows strict moral and ethical codes. The
exchange of Zoroastrian thought or teachings with the Jewish and Christian
beliefs first took place when Cyrus the Great defeated the Assyrians and
released the Jews from Babylonian captivity. Therefore, the
Zoroastrian philosophies have played an important role in the development
of western religions and history.
The main
belief of Zoroastrian philosophy is based on good thoughts, good words and
good deeds. Zoroastrians follow their faith by thinking good thoughts,
speaking good words and by doing good deeds. The teachings of Zoroaster
are mainly preserved in 17 hymns, known as Gathas, which are in the Yasna,
part of the sacred Avesta scripture. This pocket book of Gathas has divine
songs, filled with inspiring philosophies called the Manthra. Avesta, the
holy book of the Zoroastrians, is a collection of prayers for daily use by
the followers of this religion. When Zoroaster lived, the Persians were
not familiar with writing. Therefore, for many centuries, all their
religious works were handed down orally.[3] In the 5th century C.E., it
was the first time that the Avestan alphabet was invented to actually
write the Avesta. The simplest and most powerful prayer of the
Zoroastrians is the Ashem Vohu prayer. This twelve-word prayer means:
there is righteousness in the divine creation. Happiness comes to those
who use their consciousness to be on the path of righteousness.
Zoroastrianism is a religion of honoring the Wise Being, Ahura Mazda.
Zoroastrians consider Ahura Mazda as their God. Zoroaster was the first
prophet in the world who truly believed in monotheism. According to him,
there is only one God, Ahura Mazda, the creator, maintainer and promoter
of life. There are no assisting gods and goddesses. Mazda means supreme
wisdom. Since God is a divine being, Zoroaster added Ahura to Mazda.
Later, these two components were combined as Ahura Mazda, which translates
as the Wise Lord. The concept of good and evil in Zoroastrianism has
somehow been misunderstood and misinterpreted. In the Gathas, Zoroaster
tells people that they have to choose between following the effective
(righteous), or the ineffective path. This is different from believing
that there are two equal and powerful opposing sources in the universe,
whose constant struggle defines life and destiny. Zoroaster also believed
in the freedom of choice through responsibility. He indicates in the
Gathas to "Hear the best with your ears and ponder with your bright
mind. Then make the choice between right and wrong, and accept complete
responsibility for the consequences of your choice."[4] Based on
Zoroaster's teachings, the reward and consequence of our actions are
realized in this life. He emphasizes the individual's role in making this
world a better place for everyone.
Zoroastrians
follow a culture that consists of different customs and rituals, which
show respect and reverence for their religion. Most cultures hold customs
and rituals that may or may not be directly part of their religion. Many
of the rituals and customs that the Zoroastrians follow are not described
in the Gathas. But these rituals and customs are actual events that are
symbolic to Zoroastrians. They exchange meaning and have real strength to
influence us. There are many different customs that Zoroastrians follow.
For example: First, they celebrate Novrooz, or Persian New Year, which is
celebrated on the first day of spring. Khordad Saal, the birthday of
Zoroaster, is celebrated on March 27th. Next, they celebrate
Ghanbars, or seasonal Thanksgiving festivals. Finally, one of the most
important ceremonies in the Zoroastrian religion is called Navjote, or the
initiation ceremony.[5] A Zoroastrian child is officially initiated
into the faith with the Navjote ceremony. During this ceremony, he or she
is provided with the sacred Sudreh and Kushti, accompanied with recitation
of prayers from the Avesta. The Sudreh is an undershirt of pure white
muslin with a small symbolic pocket in front, reminding the wearer to fill
it everyday with good thoughts, good words and good deeds. The Kushti, a
woolen cord, signifies that the wearer has committed himself or herself to
practice the teachings of Zoroaster. These customs often reflect their
belief in the purity of the environment and their hopes for prosperity.
Zoroastrians believe that cleanliness is next to Godliness. Therefore, in
most of their rituals, they use fire as a symbol of cleanliness and are
mistakenly labeled as fire worshippers by non-Zoroastrians. Zoroastrians
are not fire worshippers. They just respect fire and light because they
believe that life would be difficult without fire and light. Therefore,
when they pray, they face the sun or a light source. In the Gathas,
Zoroaster considers Atash, or fire, as mental light, warmth, and energy,
three qualities that help one to transform good thoughts into good words
and good deeds. Zoroaster also regarded Atash as a symbol of purity
because it is the only element of nature whose sanctity is not affected by
any kind of impurity because the energy radiated from fire destroys all
impurities. For this reason, Zoroastrians consider fire as a sacred
element, and have Fire Temples to worship Ahura Mazda. There are three
grades of Fire Temples: Atash Bahram, Atash Adaram, and Dar-e-Meher.
"The oldest existing Atash Bahram in the world is in the village of
Sharifabad in Iran. Here the holy fire has been kept perpetually burning
for over 2000 years." [6] (Roshan Rivetna) Another old Fire Temple in
Iran, is situated in the city of Yazd, which is called the center of
Zoroastrianism. The holiest Fire Temple in India is the Atash Bahram at
Udvada, about one hundred miles from Bombay, where the Sacred Fire brought
by Iranian refuges from Iran has been continuously burning since 1741. In
India, Pakistan and Iran, many Zoroastrians have built a special fireplace
for prayers in their homes. This fire is called Atash Dadgah. Another
symbol used by Zoroastrians is a Fravahar, a guardian spirit, or an inner
voice. The Fravahar is a daily reminder to follow good thoughts, good
words and good deeds, to keep promises, to respect the elderly and to
choose the path of righteousness. As you can see, Zoroastrians have many
different rituals and customs to show respect and admiration for their
religion.
In the last
few pages, I have researched the history, philosophy and culture of the
Zoroastrian religion. Most people do not know very much about this
religion because it is the oldest monotheistic religion in the world. Most
of the vital books and information about Zoroastrianism were first burned
during the attack of Alexander the Great, and later destroyed by the
Muslim invasion. Zoroastrian history was founded and taught in eastern
Iran in about 1800 B.C.E. to 1200 B.C.E. This religion spread all over the
Persian Empire by the 6th century B.C.E. Zoroastrianism flourished during
the Achaemenians, the Parthians and the Sassanians Empires. The
Zoroastrian kings, such as Cyrus the Great, were known for their tolerance
and kindness towards other religions and races. Zoroaster, the founder of
this religion, preached his main philosophy of good thoughts, good words
and good deeds. The Zoroastrians holy book is called the Avesta; and their
psalms are called the Gathas. Zoroastrians are supposed to respect other
religions and choose the path of righteousness. The Zoroastrians follow
certain customs and rituals to show love and respect for their religion.
In most of their rituals, fire is used as a symbol of cleanliness and
purity. Therefore, when they pray, they are to face the sun or a source of
light. The most significant ritual in this religion is the Navjote, or the
initiation ceremony, through which a child is officially accepted into the
Zoroastrian faith. Most people have either not heard about this religion
or have had misconceived concepts about its philosophy. I hope that my
research paper on the history, philosophy and culture of Zoroastrianism,
has clarified some misconceptions and brought more knowledge and
understanding about this religion.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT: I like to acknowledge the guidance, patience and
support of my parents.
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[1] Roshan Rivetna, The Legacy of Zarathushtra
(Hinsdale: FEZANA, 2002), 22.
[2] Roshan Rivetna, The Legacy of Zarathushtra
(Hinsdale: FEZANA, 2002), 59
[3] Mary Boyce, Textual Sources for the Study of
Zoroastrianism. (London, Manchester University Press, 1984), 1
[4] This is my parents' understanding of the
Gathas.
[5] Lorraine N. Moos, My Simple Book of
Zoroastrianism. (New Delhi, Business Communicators, 1996), 36
[6 ] Roshan Rivetna, The Legacy of Zarathushtra
(Hinsdale: FEZANA, 2002), 40.
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Bibliography
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Boyce, Mary. Textual Sources for the Study of Zoroastrianism. Manchester:
Manchester University Press, 1984.
Braden, Charles S. The World's Religions. New York: Abington
Press, 1976.
Jagadeesan, J. Unity of Faiths. Kuala Lumpur: Sathya Sai Central Council
of Malaysia, 1997.
Moos, Lorraine N. My Simple Book of Zoroastrianism. New Delhi: Business
Communicators, 1996.
Rivetna, Roshan. The Legacy of Zarathushtra. Hinsdale: FEZANA, 2002.
Roberts, Paul W. In Search of the Birth of Jesus: The Real Journey of the
Magi. New York: Riverhead Books, 1995. |