1.) What are the basic teachings of Zoroaster?
2.) Is Zoroastrianism meant to be taken literally? Or more mystically? For example, how many people still believe in it's end of the world and afterlife teachings as literal? As well as it's scriptures?
3.) Are there any prophets after Zoroaster?
4.) Are there any Zoroastrian organizations in the US? Particularly in California or Georgia?
5.) What are some of it's stances on various social issues? Specifically homosexuality? As a gay individual, while some of the scriptures are not very gay friendly, many Zoroastrians have told me that preserving the faith is more important than people's personal lives.
6.) Can one syncretize non-Zoroastrian philosophy with the religion? Or is it like Judaism or Islam where it's strictly a full faith in and if itself?
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1.) What are the basic teachings of Zoroaster?
2.) Is Zoroastrianism meant to be taken literally? Or more mystically? For example, how many people still believe in it's end of the world and afterlife teachings as literal? As well as it's scriptures?
3.) Are there any prophets after Zoroaster?
4.) Are there any Zoroastrian organizations in the US? Particularly in California or Georgia?
5.) What are some of it's stances on various social issues? Specifically homosexuality? As a gay individual, while some of the scriptures are not very gay friendly, many Zoroastrians have told me that preserving the faith is more important than people's personal lives.
6.) Can one syncretize non-Zoroastrian philosophy with the religion? Or is it like Judaism or Islam where it's strictly a full faith in and if itself?
Like with every other religion it’s so very difficult where to start, what to say that would encapsulate it’s teachings, and the fear that something important is left unsaid
It’s now almost irreversibly unfortunate that the ancient cultures of the steppe regions of Eurasia are not as well known as say the Egyptian culture....some excellent scholars and archaeologists are piecing togather the vast findings of burials, remains of villages and towns, calling these the descendants of ProtoIndo European cultures like the Cordedware culture from which sprung the Sinshasta, Abdronovo, Abashevo cultures that populated the steppes from Ukraine to the western reaches of China, all this before 3000 BC.
One people from this vast group went south to regions east of the Caspian and Aral seas and settled in what is known as Bactria and Margiana with cities with huge fortified battlements and temples palaces strung along the Oxus river. The immigrants known now as Aryans settled within these places already occupied by older peoples from Iran just south.
The Aryans brought along their beliefs in veneration of gods and veneration of natural elements led by Fire, and the waters the stars...Vega and Sirius known to them, the Earth, Wind etc etc.....the belief was there is a mainyu a force within each that gives it its character and energy and they were worshipping the mainyu within these elements.
Very briefly this eastern wing of Indo Europeans the Aryans broke into two groups...the proto Iranian and the proto Indian....the latter are authors of the Vedic literature that evolved into Hinduism around the time they entered India
Amongst the protoIranians/Iranians, in far north eastern Iran-Central Asia, where kings ruled credited with the discovery earlier of how to ignite fire, first mining with copper and tin forming bronze, domestication of the horse and dogs and beginnings of agriculture, was born into the priestly Spitaman (Fair complexioned man) clan to Paurushasp and Dughdova a child, Zarathustra
Legend says he laughed at birth, and all nature rejoiced .....seeing this child as a threat to their beliefs the priests made several attempts to kill him, the child saved miraculously every time
Even as a child he showed great kindness to the poor and animals and kept the company of wise men
At the right age he was indoctrinated as a priest of the older religion and trained to carry out rituals .....one ceremonial ritual, the Yasna, the ritual of worship, involved the consecration of all elements of nature and offering this the gods
It was whilst enacting this ritual that celebrates the creation of nature and man that Zarathustra pondered there has to be a One Source and One Cause of all creation.
At age 30 he left home and for the next 10 years wandered around, spending time in solitude in a cave .....as he searched for answers in his mind, he also continued some of his work as a priest
Rituals involved fetching water from any fresh source and one morning Zarathustra waded into the Daitya river, immersing himself up to his head in a ritualistic baptism
When he came out of the water he was encountered by a very tall dazzling Being who said he was Vohu Man - Pure Mind.....and he led Zarathustra to the nearby assembly of Spirits when Zarathustra realised his shadow had disappeared in the bright radiance emanated by Ahura Mazda Lord Wisdom and His six brilliant shining Emanations.
Zarathustra had seven such revelations that Ahura Mazda is the First before creation and is the Father of the other six emanations- Best Righteousness, Pure Mind, Victorious Entity, Holy Devotion, Perfection and Eternity.
Ahura Mazda is the cause of and creator of all that is good and pure including man and creation was perfect
Then from the deep unknown abyss came the Daevas the evil one who corrupted all of creation and is cause of pain suffering disease and everything that negates God’s good creation, including death.
Within this God gave man intelligence and the faculty to make choices that would help the good creation or act otherwise for which through natural consequences he would have to face and suffer the evil from the Daevas or evil one....a natural cause and effect scenario
Within this perpetual conflict between good and evil is all of history and the passing of time before Ahura Mazda will give the world three saviours, the last and final saviour will bring on Fresho Kereti- Creation made fresh- perfect again and all evil will be vanquished forever never to return
Within the poetic forms of those times....1700-1500 BC, Zarathustra composed the Gathas, five monumental sections containing 17 hymns in all where he seeks answers from Ahura Mazda or the other six Emanations/Attributes or laments the doings of wicked people and leaders and priests, declares the reality of one God who is opposed by evil that will be eventually annihilated with the help of man, how the good folk should strive to perfect things around to defeat evil.
Scholars recognise the Gathas are poetic utterances possibly composed in states of ecstasy and all doctrinal foundations were laid down in the later scripture called the Avesta - All knowledge source
The veneration of all elements of nature continue but with the first above all veneration of Ahura Mazda one God and His divine hierarchy, the other six emanations- Archangels and Yazads -angels
There is the House of Song where the good go and the House of Foul food and suffering that the wicked suffer as a natural consequence of their deeds that much saddens the pure and kind Ahura Mazda
Finally at the end the last Saviour the Soshyant brings around Frashokereti the perfection of the world that also involves all mankind going through wading in molten metal that is like warm milk to the good but burns the wicked
Finally the wicked too after this ordeal that seems like eternity to them are rejoined with the good and Anghra Mainyu (an evil entity replaces the Daevas in later Zism) disappears forever into the abbysis forever
Good Thiughts Good Words Good Deeds is the Zoroastrian credo , make the correct choices that increase good, never lie ...it’s the embodiment of evil and imbibe the highest ethics
One of the principal prayers enjoins us to honour the teacher as much as the ruler, do all deeds with good intentions and help the poor to gain entry to Kingdom if Ahura
Another principal prayer declares righteousness is the highest good
Another principal prayer tells us we should venerate all the good men and women before us and those that come in the future
Thus a Zoroastrian respects all religions.
Fire is sacred and Son of Ahura Mazda and in Temples a consecrated Fire is kept burning perpetually
Pure water and fruits and vegetation and metal (rep by sacred consecrated utensils) and a ci secreted piece of ground, and man, the priests and a sacred Fire are present for a major ritual called the Yasna that enacts Gods creation
Zoroastrian have to wear the sacred sudreh a shirt and a sacred thread around the waist made of lamb wool that represent a shield and sword against evil
Prayers in the temple are intoned five times a day and the devout do this in their homes
Tilling of land,care of all elements and raising a family and kindness to animals especially the dog and doing charity are good deeds
The northern hemisphere spring equinox is a huge celebration and a New Yesr day called NAVROZE
Pollution of fire and rivers and the earth is promoting evil
White represents colour of purity
There are very old set ceremonies for birth, initiation into the religion, marriage and death
Humans have several layers of soul body energy aura and a guardian angel
