The Organisation and Religion to Re-unite All Religions

 

ZOROASTRIANISM

This is a religion, which is now beginning to shrink.  In our modern era it only has very few converts, around 100,000 or so.

The founder was Zoroaster from Persia (modern day Iran). Today the majority of the people who still practice this religion can be found in either Iran or India, even though it does have some members outside of these countries.  The members of this religion who live outside its home country (Persia) are generally known as Parsis (Persians). This religion is one of the oldest known surviving religions and dates to about 3000 B.C.

BELIEFS

As this is one of the earliest religions known, it does however have some modern day beliefs, in that they believe in One God.  This religion is considered to have aided the Christian and Islamic religions to gain ground to where they are today.  Zoroastrians also hold the belief of Heaven and Hell, the coming of the Messiah or Saviour and The Resurrection of the dead as well as the Final or Last Judgement.

They believe that each and every one of us has two kinds of energy, which are actually in opposition to one another, and is for us to choose the correct path.  This energy is known as Spenta Mainyu (Positive or Good) and Angra Mainyu (Negative or Evil).  They say that if you take the Spenta Mainyu path then you will help to bring about Heaven on Earth yet if you take the path of Angra Mainyu this will bring Hell on Earth.

ZOROASTER

The man responsible for founding this religion is known as Zoroaster (Zarathushtra).  He is believed to have been the son of a priest, but led much of a normal type of life for the times until he reached the age of 30.  It was after he reached this point in his life that he decided he would begin to search for enlightenment.  Through visions he learned that there was only one god and this god was called Ahura Mazda (Lord Wisdom).  Zarathushtra is thought to be the first person or philosopher to bring the idea of Monotheism.  It was after this that he began to teach his word of god to the masses in order for them to gain entry to heaven.  This though would cost him dearly as due to his teachings he lost his family and home and was also to be forced from his community.  However this did not change Zarathushtra's way of thinking at all, as he carried on teaching while he was living and roaming the wilderness.  This wandering and teaching would eventually bring him into contact with a Tribal Prince who would become one of his first converts and also help him to make Zoroastrianism a state religion which would pass through three great empires.  This however would not stop the attacks that would eventually cost Zarathushtra his life, as it is believed a Priest from the old religion killed him.

There are people in this religion and outside of it who believe that he was not a real person but a mythological figure who was invented for the purpose of bringing this religious belief to the fore, however most people believe he was real and that he lived sometime between 1500 and 1700B.C.

However the death of their noted leader did not hinder the religion from growing stronger.

AFTER ZOROASTER

Zoroastrianism at this time was so strong it continued its growth, and even gained members who were Persian wise men, some of which you will notice were mentioned in the bible, in the account of Jesus being born and visited by three wise men.  (As it is believed this is where they came from).

However things would start to change for them, as over the years they would begin to have many ups and many downs.  Until sometime in the 7^th Century they would have to flee from their homeland of Persia and take root in India, due to oppression from Muslims and others.  Some of the Zoroastrians did stay behind though, but them that had made their way to India would find that this country would allow them to continue their beliefs and practices.  As I have stated earlier in this treatise that Zoroastrianism aided Christianity and Islam, this would eventually prove to be their downfall, as these two religions would begin to replace this one, and become worldwide religions.

TEMPLES, RITUALS

AND WORSHIP

Cleanliness is held as very sacred to Zoroastrians and it is shown in much of their worship, rituals and temples, as they bathe beforehand.  It is also worth noting that they segregate women in these communities whenever they are menstruating and also for 40 days after they have given birth.  This is to stop others from getting the impurities, which they associate, with this.

Their temples always have fires burning as this is their symbol of Truth or The Son of Ahura Mazda, this makes light or fire very sacred to these communities, and is held with high esteem in many rituals.  It can also be seen with the dress of the Priests how much so they hold fire so sacred as along with their white robes and turbans they also wear masks so that they do not affect the fire with their breath.  These sacred fires of Truth are called Asha.

Worshippers (Parsi) at these temples wear a Sadre (sacred shirt) and a Kushti or Kusti (sacred cord).  Within a 24 hour period these worshippers will face a fire or in modern times a lamp to pray.  They will pray at least five times during this period and every time while they pray, they will untie and retie their sacred cord over and over again in order not to stray from their task.

The inner rituals such as Yasna (worship) and Gathas (reciting of the sacred texts) are only performed by Priests, whereas outer ceremonies such as Jashan (ceremony of blessings) can be performed anywhere, which is clean.

Zoroastrian temples are not open to the general public they are only for members of their faith. As they hold a belief that the religion for which you were born to you should stick with.  This belief dates back to when they had to flee from Persia to India, where they decided that to keep their heritage they would not allow others to join.  Today this belief still causes strife, for they do not also allow interfaith marriage either.

DAKHMAS

(Towers of Silence)

Due to their belief in keeping things pure and clean, they have a strange custom for the treatment of the dead.  Zoroastrians will put these corpses into what they call Towers of Silence, which are built specially.  This is to let it rot and allow birds and wild animals to eat it.  This is so that the corpse cannot pollute the earth or water etc.  When there are only the bones left they will then bury the remains in a special pit.

SACRED TEXTS

The ancient Zoroastrian scriptures were called Sasanian Avesta.  These were originally passed from generation to generation verbally.  It was sometime around 225 – 650C.E. before these would eventually be written texts, even then though they would try to stop outsiders from viewing them, by inventing a special language just for them.  The Priests of the religion could then only read this language.  There were around 21 books that made up these scriptures. 

However when Persia was a land occupied the invaders would destroy all of these sacred texts.

Todays writings are secondary and were written in Pahlavi.  These writings have some translations and summaries of the much more older texts.  These are now called just Avesta, and include the Yasnas (hymns) and the Venidad (Code of Conduct).

They also have scriptures called the Gathas, which are the only Zoroastrian scriptures for which we have an author, as they are attributed to Zoroaster himself.  These are his utterances to Ahura Mazda.

AFTER WORD

The religion this treatise describes will seem to the majority to be a very strange type of belief, with very unorthodox rituals, yet its main areas of belief are very closely associated with more modern day lead religions.

However if this community does not change some of its ancient traditions, to more modern ways then unfortunately philosophers and historians of the future will only be able to read passages about them, as they will be a past religion.

I can also state that the teachings of Zoroaster are very informative, and are even superior to many philosophical writings of today, and I would highly recommend that these be read by anyone seeking enlightenment, religious or otherwise. He can actually be placed as a philosopher who was ahead of his time.

Sources and Credits:
Written by Sage Robert Worrall