Zoroastrianism

barack obama

Its found in the Middle East, mostly in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. A smaller population exists in India. It was founded in Persia and after invasion from Muslims, some fled East into Pakistan, India, etc

According to our tradition, any influence was only in minor matters, since the followers of Zoroaster believed in two gods, not One (Talmud, Sanhedrin 39a). Also, there were times when the Zoroastrians persecuted the Jews.

Zoroastrianism is possibly the oldest continuing monotheistic religion. Like all religions, it underwent change over time, but an essential feature is the worship of one supreme god, Ahura Mazda. In ancient practice, Zoroastrians placed great store on honesty and commitment. As we find in the Bible, when the Jews told King Darius of a promise once made by his predecessor Cyrus, Darius unquestioningly fulfilled that promise. It would be hard to find evidence of any ruler, past or present, placing such store on keeping an assumed commitment. There are many striking similarities and many differences in beliefs and practice between Judaism and Zoroastrianism. Some of the ancient beliefs of Zoroastrianism that are found in post-Exilic Judaism include angels and Satan. However, the Jews seem to have baulked at Satan being an autonomous adversary to God, as he is in Zoroastrianism, instead seeing him as a loyal servant of God, whose role is to tempt and test the faithful. The modern Christian concept of Satan more closely reflects the Zoroastrian 'Hostile Spirit' Angra Mainyu. The four sacred elements of earth, wind fire and water are found in Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrian temples kept an eternal flame, and would protect it from invaders. Traditionally, Zoroastrians could neither burn nor bury the dead, because the soil and fire are both sacred; instead, they exposed the bodies of the dead, so that vultures could dispose of them without defiling the elements. The Jews went through a phase when the dead were exposed, but this was only to allow the flesh to rot, after which the bones were stored in an ossuary - once again to avoid defiling the elements. Judaism looks forward to the arrival of the Messiah, but Zoroastrianism teaches that the coming saviour, the Saoshyant, will be born of a virgin and lead humanity in the last battle against evil. The duality of heaven and hell are also found in Zoroastrianism.

Christian answer: They probably believe bad things happen for the same reason most other religion does. And this reason is because of what is usually called sin. There is a sort of master of all evil and his name is Satan or the Devil. He is responsible, in all three of the largest religious beliefs on earth (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam), for bringing sin into the world because he caused the first humans to disobey God and commit the first sin. And because of this act, sin is inherit in every human being and is often called man's sin nature.

Zoroaster was the prophet of Zoroastrianism, much like Mohammed is with Islam, which makes sense, as both of them are believed by Arabs & Persians, especially in Iran and Iraq, as Zoroastrianism is still quite strong there. By Ray McIntyre What is Zoroastrianism? Simply put, Zoroastrianism is the name given to the religion and beliefs based on the teachings which are attributed to the Persian religious leader Zararthushtra ( in Greek Zoroaster, in later Persian Zartosht). Mazdayasna (worship of Ahura Mazda) is the name of the religion that recognizes the divine authority of Ahura Mazda, the creator who Zarathushtra discovered by studying nature and who was proclaimed by Zoroaster to be the one uncreated Creator of all (God). "Mazdaism" is a transliteration of Mazdayasna, which means " Worshipper of Mazda." Most followers of Ahura Mazda call themselves Zoroastrians or Behdini (followers of the Good Religion.) Who was Zoroaster? Zoroaster is generally accepted as an historical figure, but dating just when Zoroaster lived is fraught with difficulty. The most widely accepted calculations place him near to 1200 BCE thus making him a candidate for the 'founder of the earliest religion based on revealed scripture' while there are other estimates that date his life anywhere between the 18th and the 6th centuries BCE. The Gathas and the chapter known as Yasna Haptanghaiti are all written in Old Avestan and the language used in these passages is much older than the language used in other parts of the Zoroastrian writings which are called the Avesta and which are written in what is called Young Avestan. Old Avestan and Vedic Sanskrit are both descendants of the Proto-Indo-Iranian language and the Gathic Old Avestan is still quite close in structure to the Sanskrit of the Rig-Veda in language usage. However the Sanskrit of the Rig-Veda is somewhat more conservative in outlook and structure than the Avestan of the Gathas and so, based on the changes in the languages, scholars date the Gathas to around 1000 BCE, give or take a couple of centuries. ** But note also that the issue lies with how old is the Rig Veda, which no one seems to know with anything approximating certainty. There are also those who think the Gathas are older than the Rig Veda, Dastur Dhalla, and some other linguists see the Gaathic language as more complex and archaic. Most of what we know about Zoroaster comes to us from a variety of sources, the Avesta, the Gathas, Greek historical works, archaeological evidence and oral history. Zoroaster was born on the cusp as societies shifted from being mainly nomadic to a more settled agrarian lifestyle. He lived in an area of the Middle East then known as Chorasmia ( An area roughly occupying present day Northern Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan) He was married, he had three daughters and three sons and it was at 30 that he received enlightenment. He preached for many years before his wife and children converted with the first convert being a cousin. These statements are all based on legends that have been woven in traditions. They probably contain some truths and facts, but there is no way of ascertaining them and thus cannot be taken as historical. The later Avestan writings make Zoroaster a kind of 'superman', wrestling with demons and being tempted by Ahriman. The Gathas, however, show him an ordinary mortal, perplexed by his call, utterly certain of Ahura Mazda and bewildered by his lack of success. Eventually he converted King Vistaspa who reigned in eastern Iran and with the king's conversion, Zoroastrianism became a force in the region and there, as well in India among the Parsees, it still survives. Who is Ahura Mazda? For Zoroastrians, God (called Ahura Mazda) , is the beginning and the end,the creator of everything visible and invisible. Although it is recognized that the concept of "God", like many others, is slightly different in Zarathushtrian thought. Zarathushtra might best be considered, if we are to use modern terms to describe his doctrines, a Panentheist, that is he perceives a Supreme Being Thus this Creator is immanent in Creation but also transcends it . In fact as has been said one can see Mazda Ahura as containing creation in a way. Moreover, the very concept of Lordship and Sovereignty are different, Ahura which is often translated as lord was the name of a set of old arya Gods which were totally abstract lacking any form, they can best considered as energy since they have no body, yet they are personal. In addition Mazda does not into impose Her/His will but rather teachs, persuades etc. Thus Mazda's relationship with mortals is one of a partner, an ally, a friend and even a soul mate ) This being who is source of all that exists. The name Ahura Mazda contains both masculine and feminine elements. (Ahura, the Lord, is masculine while Mazda, Most or Super Wise or Knowledgeable, and Most or Super Giving or Generous One, is feminine.) Ahura Mazda, according to Zoroastrian belief, is the Eternal, the Pure and the only Truth. In the Gathas, which are the oldest texts in Zoroastrianism and which are considered to have been written by Zoroaster himself, the teacher gives devotion to no other divinity besides Ahura Mazda. What are the Gathas? The Gathas are scripture written in an ancient Indo-Iranian verse form. Gatha means 'Song.' There are 17 Gathic hymns, they exist both on their own and as part of the much larger Avesta. They are the earliest of the Zoroastrian writings. What about Dualism? Perhaps the most well-known of later Zoroastrian doctrines is the doctrine of Dualism or Ditheism. This posits that Ahura Mazda has two 'emanations' called Spenta Mainyu (Good Mind) and Angra Mainyu (Bad or Evil Mind.) These became in later Zoroastrian belief Ormazd and Ahriman. This doctrine, however, is purely a product of later thought. In Zoroaster's revelation,there is only Ahura Mazda who will ultimately triumph over the 'lie'(Yasna 48.1.) But not here and not now. For now human beings must choose which of the two 'forces' they will serve, Truth or the Lie, this choosing is a life-long affair but righteousness begins by making the first choice for Ahura Mazda and for the Truth. Quote:"…Listen to the best things with your ears, reflect upon them with an unbiased mind. Then let each man and women for him or her self choose between the two ways of thinking. Awaken to my doctrine, before this great event of choice comes upon you…" [Avesta: The Gathas: Song 3:2 (FreeTranslation)] What about Converts?There are two main groups who can be considered 'cultural' Zoroastrians, they are the Zoroastrian community in Iran and the Parsee community in India. The Parsees (refugees in India from the invasion of Iran by the Muslims) do not allow conversion at all. The Iranian community does but quietly and carefully for conversion from Islam is considered a crime in Iran. But as well as these groups there are groups of 'Gathas-only' Zoroastrian converts by choice springing up throughout the world with the major centres for such groups being the US and South America. So it is indeed possible to convert to Zoroastrianism. See also the article at: http://tinyurl.com/svs5k What does Zoroastrianism teach? This part of the article I have struggled with, the teachings of Zoroastrianism are deep and wide but I think the following quote from: http://www.zoroastrianism.cc/universal_religion.html is perhaps the best definition I have read. Quote:"… Zarathushtra's is a message about a spirituality that progresses towards self-realization, fulfillment and completeness, as a good creation of a totally good God. It is a message of freedom - freedom to choose, freedom from fear, freedom from guilt, freedom from sin, freedom from stultifying rituals, superstitious practices, fake spirituality and ceremonials. The God of Zarathustra, is not a God of "Thou shalt" and "Thou shall not". God in Zoroastrianism does not care what you wear, what and when you eat or where and when you worship. God instead cares how righteous, progressive and good you are. 1. God is not about fear guilt and Condemnation. 2. God is Wisdom Love and Logic. 3. God does not have favorites and does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, sex, race or class. 4. God treats humans with dignity and respect. 5. God is not a slave master, or despot, among his serfs. 6. God is man's Soul Mate and Partner. 7. God is not Jealous, Wrathful or Vengeful.8. Man is not sinful, fallen or depraved. 9. God has no opponent and heaven and hell are states of mind and being.10. Man was created to progress to God-likeness and eliminate wrong from the Cosmos in partnership with God. The Zoroastrian Religion pictures humanity as the growing and evolving creation of a God that respects it, and wants it to collaborate in the task of preserving, nourishing, fostering and refreshing this Living World and all it offers. A Zoroastrian is supposed to progress towards God (Ahura Mazda) by their own choices. Choosing to do good, and to avoid choosing to do wrong or evil. Zoroastrianism is thus the first truly ethical religion of human-kind and teaches that mortals achieve their goal of god-likeness and spiritual completeness by fighting evil through good thoughts, words and deeds. …"

Ahura Mazda is the deity and his prophet Zoroaster

About 100,000 in Iran, and india. mostly.

what major law is associated with Zoroastrianism

The sacred texts and holy scriptures of Zoroastrianism are called the Avesta.

Zoroastrianism is believed to have originated in the proto-Indo-Iranian culture of southern Russia, and was to become the state religion of the Iranian people until the arrival of Islam. Even in the 9th century, Zoroastrianism still formed a substantial minority of the Iranian population. The real significance of Zoroastrianism is in the major influence it has had on other religions of the Middle East and Mediterranean area. It is arguably the oldest monotheistic religion in the world. During the Persian era, Judaism adopted many new concepts that had existed in Zoroastrianism for many centuries. These include angels, even the 7 archangels, Satan, and heaven and hell. Christian theology has even more affinity with Zoroastrianism, with Satan more closely aligned to the Zoroastrian Ahriman, and with (Catholic) guardian angels mirroring the Zoroastrian guardians.

About 100,000 in the world.

It is called an Agiary, a temple that has a fire that was either formed one of the 16 sacred ways or taken from the big fire temple in Udvada, India (which was created by lightening) and transferred to a smaller temple. The temple in Udvada is called an Atash Behram and its fire is thousands of years old and still burning.

All over the world, but particularly in Iran.

Mecca

In the early stages of the religion, the cosmic dualism that was canonized at the time of the Arsacid parthians and Sassanid Persians was absent. The main dichotomy seemed to have bene between Asha (righteousness and truth) and Drugh or Druj (lie).

The content of the Gathas however (being the oldest part of the Avesta and comprising the original work of Zarathushtra) remain unclear due to the difficulty of the Avestan language and its remote antiquity. Various translators have argued for dualistic, monotheistic and even patheistic tendencies. This ambiguity perhaps reflects the early stage of Zoroastrianism prior to its canonization in later times. Arguments in favor of all can certainly be made.

Most translators and scholars however agree that the earlier stages of Zoroastrianism seem more concerned with an ethical dualism represented by a personal inner struggle to overcome the negative aspects of the self. That still remains unclear however as various deities or "angels", assigned to oversee creation and lead the righteous to salvation and enlightenment are antagonized by their "opposite numbers" whose sources does not stem from Ahura Mazda and their origin remains unclear.

The cosmic dualism that was later assigned to Zoroastrianism from foreign travellers, observers and historians in ancient times ranging from Greeks, Armenians, Syrians and Romans, evolved sometime in late Achamenid times and possibly in the Seleucid period. Some believe that Babylonian religion had a deep impact on the development of the cosmic dualism that saw the universe as a battleground between forces of light and darkness, manifested at every level of creation down to the most primitive lifeforms.

Dualism however is present in the Gathas though not as pervasive as in the Younger Avesta. One is constantly reminded by Zarathushtra of the right path as opposed to the wrong one; of the bliss of paradise of house of song as opposed to abode of darkness; of the benevolent immortals and lords (Asuras) as opposed to the bad divinities (Daevas); of the good farmer as opposed to the bad nomad who plunders and wages war.

Whereas early Zoroastrianism saw Ahura Mazda as uncontested and the dichotomy being between Spenta Maynu and Angra Maynu, later centuries saw the evolution into a full scale battle between Ahura Mazda's creation and assistants and Angra Maynu's miscreations.

To resolve the issue of dualism, various sects later evolved and tried to resolve the issue of dualism by assigning to Zurvan-immortal time- the origin of both light and dark, good and evil. One sect, known as the Gayomardian saw evil as arising from Ahura Mazda or Yazdan (God)' s own self-doubt and thus again assigned to the same source the origin of light and dark.

During what is now known as the Persian Period in Judah, there were surprisingly many similarities and consistencies between the beliefs and practices of the Zoroastrians and those of the Jews. However, there were many differences as well.

Two major sects developed in Judaism, the Sadducees who resisted many of the beliefs common to Zoroastrianism, and the Pharisees, who were more accommodating. In fact, some say that the name 'Pharisee' is a corruption of Farsi, the original name of the Persian people.

Judaism and Zoroastrianism shared a belief in angels, but the Jewish view of Satan was that he was not evil, but a loyal assistant to God, tasked to test the righteousness of the faithful. To the Zoroastrians, he is wholly evil, much as Christians see him.

Judaism accepted the existence of heaven as a reward for the faithful, but once again the Zoroastrian view, with both heaven and hell, is much closer to modern Christianity. The Pharisees accepted that the saints will be resurrected, just as in Zoroastrianism, but the Sadducees did not.

Zoroastrians revere fire and earth. They maintain eternal flames in their temples. Because the body of the dead was corrupt, it could neither be burnt nor buried. The Jews did not accept the notion of sacred fire, but did come to view the body of the dead as corrupt. Even walking near a grave could cause one to be unclean. The practice arose of placing bodies in caves to decompose, then for the bones to be carefully placed in ossuaries, or bone-boxes, rather than be allowed to be buried.

Yes they do, the zoroastrianism religion is a sacred and old religion which once was the most popular religion in the world, today it is worshipped by 200000 people worldwide and is mainly followed in India, Pakistan, Iran and other Persian areas. The zoroastrianism belief system forms the base for many modern day religions such as Islam, Christianity and judaism.

The zoroastrianism believes that when they die 4 days they reconnect their fravashi (spirit) with their urvan(soul)

The sacred scripture of the Zoroastrians is called the Vesta.