Essay On Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is recognized by most historians as the first monotheistic religion of the world. It is often referred to as the “Good religion,” because it emphasizes goodness and righteous behavior and thought. Zoroastrians believe that Ahura Mazda, whose name means “Wise Lord,” is the true god and creator of all things good. They also believe that his rival, Angra Mainyu, is the root of evil.
Zoroastrianism was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster in ancient Iran approximately 3,500 years ago. It was the predominant religion of the world for nearly 1,000 years, and was the official religion of Persia from 600 BC to 650 AD. It is believed that Zoroaster envisioned a god whom he called Ahura Mazda. He was born into a time of polytheism dominance. Although Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion, it also has dualistic qualities. Dualistic religions are religions that believe in two confronting figures that are the cause of existence. The Parsis, the followers of Zoroaster, left Persia in fear of persecution by the Muslim rulers.
However, most of what we know about the origins of Zoroastrianism is not from the Persians, who we know left few written records, but from the Greeks. There were roughly 1,000 years between the time when Zoroaster lived and when any history was recorded concerning him.
As previously stated, Zoroastrians believe in a god named Ahura Mazda; they also believe that he was the creator and upholder of the world. His enemy is said to be Angra Mainyu. Ahura Mazda represents everything good, while Angra Mainyu represents everything evil, and he opposes everything God represents. Zoroastrians might describe the world as a battleground between the good and evil forces. All Zoroastrian beliefs and rituals are based off the Gathas. The Gathas are early hymns said to have been written by Zoroaster himself. Zoroastrians’ holy book is called “The Avesta” or “Zend Avesta.” It is broken into two parts: The Avesta and The Younger Avesta. This optimistic religion focuses on three main things-good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. The most important of these three is considered to be good thoughts. They believe that if a person has good thoughts that they will say good things and have a more positive outlook on things. They traditionally worship in a building called a Fire Temple, also known as an Agiary. They do not worship fire, but they believe that fire represents their god’s light and wisdom. Traditional Zoroastrians pray at least five times every day, which is similar to what those of the Islamic faith do. They also believe that everyone has a guardian spirit, or a fravashis.
Zoroastrians also believe in the Amesha Spentas.
The Amesha Spentas are spirits that are said to protect the world from Angra Mainyu and his evil doings. Three of these spirits are masculine and another three are feminine, for a total of six spirits. Vohu Manah is the spirit of good thoughts. Asha Vahishta is the spirit of truth and righteousness; the path of Asha leads to blessings and ultimately salvation. Kshatra Vairya is the spirit that represents the power of God. Aramaic is the spirit of love and generosity. Haurvatat is the spirit of perfection and ecstasy. These spirits also represent the elements. Another important focus of Zoroastrianism is their unique approach to what they define as sin. They believe in keeping the elements pure, without evil. It is customary to place a corpse in a structure called a Dakhma. This structure has four walls and no roof, to allow the bodies to be eaten by vultures, rodents, and everything else
natural.
The followers of Ahura Mazda recognize that he is the all-powerful god who gave people the ability to choose. It is important to note that peoples actions are not controlled by Ahura Mazda. They believe that after each millennium a prophet will descend to Earth. This prophet, suggested to be related to Zoroaster, would teach the word of god. However, Ahura Mazda is said to return to the Earth and fight Angra Mainyu. He will then engulf the world in flames. At this time people will cross the Chinvat bridge, where they will face judgement; before going to Heaven or Hell, the soul must cross this bridge. The concept of a Judgement Day is similar to that of the Christian faith. During the time called Frashogard, which means “renewal,” the gates of Heaven and Hell will open and the people of the world will live together in peace, as evil has been defeated.
The majority of Zoroastrians today live in Iran and India. A small percent of them do live in the U.S. and Canada. Possibly the most well known Zoroastrian is Freddie Mercury. He was the lead vocalist and a songwriter for Queen, a renowned rock band. Zoroastrianism is currently one of the smallest religions in the world. There are only about 200,000 people who practice it worldwide.
Zoroastrianism is a fairly complicated religion to someone who does not practice it. It is similar to other religions, such as Christianity and Islam. While the the research process was quite difficult, I am glad that I now understands other people's beliefs and how other people view society