Zoroastrianism

The Religion of Ancient Persia

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The Middle East has been in the news often –
but do you know it’s history?

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Map of Ancient Persia

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Parthian Empire

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What is Zoroastrianism?
■ Zoroastrianism is the First
Monotheistic religion in the world
■ Name given to followers of Prophet
Zoroaster/Zarathushtra
■ State religion of the Kings of Persia
■ Cyrus the Great:
– Conquered lands from
Afghanistan to Egypt –
– Ruled justly,
– First Bill of Human Rights
■ King Darius:
– Universal currency/coins
(Dariks),
– First postal system
■ Predominant from 1000 BCE – 1000
CE

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So what did he say?
■ Zoroaster had a simple message:
– Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds

■ Below: Raphael's 1509 painting of “The School of Athens”.

– In it, Zoroaster and Ptolemy are having a discussion. The
prophet is holding a star-studded globe.

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Tenets of Zoroastrianism
“Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good
Deeds”
One God: The Amesha Spenta or the attributes of Ahura Mazda (God)
■ Asha is Righteousness.
– God is Righteous therefore He is Just and morally perfect.
■ Vohu Mano is the Good Mind.
– God has the perfect mind and therefore he is incapable of choosing anything
evil.
■ Spenta Aramaity is Benevolence.
– God is benevolent and loves and trusts His creation to eventually become
perfect as He has wanted it to be from the moment He created it.
■ Kshathra Vairya is the power to do Good.
– God uses his power to do only Good.
■ Houravatat is Perfection.
– God is Perfect.
■ Ameretat is Immortality.
– God is Immortal.

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Tenets of Zoroastrianism
“Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good
Deeds”
■ Our Role:
■ Human beings are expected to develop these
virtues. They must:
– Learn what Righteousness is, and choose the right
path.
– Be benevolent (good to others), and trust that God
has intended them to be good.
– Evil is within people- (like being selfish).
– If all human beings choose to use their power to do
only good and fight evil, then the rule of reason will
prevail.

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Zoroastrianism: History
■ Founded in ~1000 BCE
– “Mazdaism” – since Ahura Mazda is
the Divine Creator
■ State religion of Mede, Achemenian,
Parthian, and Sassanian Rulers
■ The Persians (Achaemenid Empire) were
conquered by Alexander the Great of Greece
in 330 BCE
– Alexander was influenced by
Xenophon’s book – “The Training of
Cyrus the Great”
■ In 670 AD, the Persian Sassanid dynasty
was overthrown by Arabs armies
– Many persians were killed, others
converted to Islam, some remained in
Iran
– But a few escaped…and fled to India

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Arrival in Sanjan

■ Zoroastrian refugees (called Parsis) fleeing religious persecution in

Iran, landed in Sanjan (Gujarat), in 936 AD (some say 716 AD) and
asked Jadhav Rana, King of Gujarat, for refuge.
■ The King gave a glass full of milk to the chief Parsi priest, to say that
that he had no place for new settlers.
■ The Parsi priest took the glass of milk full to the brim, and added
sugar to it. He implied:
– “Just as the sugar blended into the milk without displacing any
of it, so too would the Parsis blend into and sweeten the land.”
■ Impressed by this assurance, the King gave the Parsis refuge.
■ Pictures: Re-enactment of Kisse-Sanjan.
■ Commemorative Column installed in 1920

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Faravahar – Zoroastrian
Symbol
■ Ahura Mazda?
■ God is
supposed to not
have form;
transcendent
■ Fravashi – The
good part of the
human soul
given by Ahura
Mazda at birth.
Faravahar – Zoroastrian
Symbol
■ One hand upwards – striving for
constant spiritual improvement
■ Ring in hand – loyalty and
faithfulness
■ Circle – immortality of the soul;
repercussions of our actions
■ Three rows of wing feathers –
good thoughts, words, and deeds
■ Three sections tail feathers – the
opposite
■ Two streamers – Spenta Mainyu
and Angra Mainyu – spirits of
good and evil – Figure faces one
and turns from the other
Holy Scriptures

■ Avesta
■ Holy Book; includes the original words of their founder
Zarathushtra, preserved in a series of five hymns,
called the Gathas.
■ The Gathas are the basic source of the religion.
■ The Gathas are abstract sacred poetry, directed
towards:
1. Worship of the One God,
2. Understanding of righteousness and cosmic order,
3. Promotion of social justice
4. Individual choice between good and evil.
Ahura Mazda – The Only God

■ A single god Ahura Mazda who is supreme.

■ Communication between Himself and humans
is by a number of Attributes, called Amesha
Spentas or Bounteous Immortals.
■ Within the Gathas, the original Zoroastrian
sacred text, these Immortals are sometimes
described as concepts, and are sometimes
personified.
Cosmic Dualism

■ All powerful God Ahura Mazda who is the only deity worthy of
being worshipped, and
■ An evil spirit of violence and death, Angra Mainyu, who
opposes Ahura Mazda.
■ The resulting cosmic conflict involves the entire universe,
including humanity who is required to choose which to follow.
■ Evil, and the Spirit of Evil, will be completely destroyed at the
end of time.
■ Dualism will come to an end and Goodness will be all in all.
■ Another school of thought perceives the battle between Good
and Evil as an ethical dualism, set within the human
consciousness.
Zoroastrian Creed

■ I curse the Daevas.

■ I declare myself a Mazda-worshipper, a supporter of
Zarathushtra, hostile to the Daevas, fond of Ahura's teaching,
a praiser of the Amesha Spentas, a worshipper of the Amesha
Spentas. I ascribe all good to Ahura Mazda, 'and all the best,'
the Asha-owning one, splendid, xwarena-owning, whose is the
cow, whose is Asha, whose is the light, 'may whose blissful
areas be filled with light'.
■ I choose the good Spenta Armaiti (Holy Spirit) for myself; let
her be mine. I renounce the theft and robbery of the cow, and
the damaging and plundering of the Mazdayasnian
settlements.
Zoroastrian Prayer Cont.

■ I reject the authority of the Daevas, the wicked, no-

good, lawless, evil-knowing, the most druj-like of
beings, the foulest of beings, the most damaging of
beings.
■ I reject the Daevas and their comrades, I reject the
demons (yatu) and their comrades;
■ I reject any who harm beings. I reject them with my
thoughts, words, and deeds.
■ I reject them publicly. Even as I reject the head
(authorities), so too do I reject the hostile followers
of the druj.
Zoroastrian Afterlife

• After death, a person's urvan (soul) is allowed three days to

meditate on his/her past life.
• The soul is then judged by a troika Mithra, Sraosha and
Rashnu.
• If the good thoughts, words and deeds outweigh the bad, then
the soul is taken into Heaven. Otherwise, the soul is led to
Hell.
• The universe will go through a total of three eras:
• Creation;
• The present world where good and evil are mixed. People's good works are seen
as gradually transforming the world towards its heavenly ideal;
• A final state after this renovation when good and evil will be separated.
• Eventually, everything will be purified. Even the occupants of
hell will be released.
Zoroastrian Savior

■ A Saoshyant (savior) will be born of a virgin, but of the lineage

of the Prophet Zoroaster who will raise the dead and judge
everyone in a final judgment.
■ Sound familiar?
Modern Zoroastrianism

■ Less than 200,000

■ Do not attempt to evangelize/convert others
but do try to keep their religion alive.
■ Parsis in India – Zoroastrians whose ancestors
fled Persia (Iran) when Islam became official
religion.
■ Modern Zoroastrians believe that all religions
converge on the same god and as long as they
are good and loyal to their god, they will go to
heaven.
 Customs and Traditions

The Jashan Ceremony performed by a priest or Dastoor to bless a Zoroastrian home

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 Childhood Traditions

With one of the lowest birth

rates of any community,
the birth of a baby is
celebrated with great joy.
Childhood ceremonies:
Besna (when the child can sit
upright at about 6 months
old),
Puhg-laroo (When the child can
walk – at 10-14 months
old.)

Tradition: On the 5th night after the child’s birth, it is said, Vermai, an old spirit, visits the
family to write the child’s fortune.
At sunset, the grandmother prays by a deeva (candle), and leaves overnight a shesh (tray)
with a piece of paper and a pen filled with auspicious red ink.
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 Navjote: Initiation
into
the Zoroastrian
Faith

The Navjote is when a child

joins the Zoroastrian
religion. The word Navjote
is from: (1) Nao (new), and
(2) Jotë (one who offers
prayers).
The child (age 7-15) wears the
Sudreh (shirt) and Kusti
(girdle) which are the The priest prays for the health, wealth and well-
visible symbols of the faith. being of the child by reciting the Doa
Tandarosti prayer.
Relatives and friends are
invited to witness the He showers petals and rice upon the child's head,
child’s acceptance of the symbolizing prosperity and plenty.
Zoroastrian religion
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 Zoroastrian
Wedding
Ceremony

■ The Priest asks the couple and witnesses.

The bride and the groom sit opposite Pasande kardi? “Are you willing?”
each other, with a veil between
them. ■ Chanted prayers ask the blessings of God and
of the Amesha-Spentas and of the Yazatas
When the veil falls, and the couple upon the couple and the Priest advises them
toss rice to “win the upper hand” on their conduct in life (called the Ashirwad,
in the marriage! or blessing).
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Parsi Ladies adopted
the Sari – and made it
their own:
■ Ladies admire traditional
Parsee Sarees for their
exquisite embroidery:
■ Garo (A dark silk saree with
white embroidery is often a
family heirloom passed from
mother to daughter)
■ Kor-Sari and Kasab (silver)-
kor-sarees (A richly
embroidered border,
attached over the entire
length of the saree)
■ Teeli-saree (A sequined lace
sari, usually in pastel colors
but often in jewel tones as
well.)

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Naurooz: New Year
(Haft-Sinn table)
■ NauRooz is a spring festival,
representing renewal and growth.
■ Celebrates the Spring Equinox,
March 21,
■ Official New Year for Zoroastrians
worldwide.
■ National holiday in Iran,
Afghanistan, & Tajikistan.
■ The Haft Sin items are:
– sabzeh – wheat sprouts growing
in a dish (symbolizing rebirth)
– samanu - pudding (affluence)
– senjed - dried oleaster fruit (love)
– sīr - garlic – (medicine )
– sīb - apples – (beauty and
health)
– somaq - sumac berries – (for
sunrise)
– serkeh - vinegar – (age and
patience )
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Sadeh – Ancient Feast celebrating
‘Creation of Fire'

Some rituals remain national holidays in Iran: Nowruz (New Year), Chahar-Shanbe
Suri (the Wednesday Feast in March) and Yalda, in winter
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 Lagan ni Jori:
Bridal clothing is placed in a
Bridal Clothing
large khumcha (tray) with
garland of white tube-roses ■ The Groom wears a white
and red roses traditional ‘dugli’ or outer
jacket which is fastened at
The Zoroastrian bride usually the neck and side with small
wears a white lace sari, hand bows or white cloth
embroidered with delicate fastenings.
sequin-work or silver thread. ■ A new white shirt and pair of
It is worn with a white satin trousers accompany the
formal dugli.
sari blouse and white satin
petticoat. ■ An heirloom pair of cuff-links
or a new watch is gifted by the
bride’s family. It is likely that
this is a tradition from an era
when a time-piece was a
· A white lace sudreh is rarity and therefore an
worn under the blouse. auspicious gift.
• An heirloom piece of ■ The black pheta or pugri gives
jewelry presented by the the groom a distinguished
and mature appearance. For
grooms family. many Zoroastrian men, their
wedding is the only occasion
· A red wool shawl is when they wear a pheta or
placed in the shesh (tray), pugri. Others wear it on
important festivals and family
• The bride and groom are occasions as well.
welcomed into the
wedding ceremony with
a garland of white tube-
roses and red roses.

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 Traditional
Clothing

Zarthostis cover their heads to pray:

Sudhreh and Kushti: Religious
Vestments (clothing) Topis are worn by children and men while
in prayer or in the Fire-temple.
Sudhreh (or Sadra) is the sacred Shirt
and Kushti (or Kusti) is the Sacred Women can wear a scarf, or topi, or use
Thread worn by Zarathostis after the ‘sohr’ of the saree (drawn over
their Navjote (Initiation). the head) during religious events.
Each morning a Zoroastrian bathes, Traditional Parsee women frequently wore
dons a fresh sudhreh and then “maathu-banu” or a scarf under
prays a daily prayer, during which their saree or in the home.
he re-ties the sacred thread. The
Main prayer is “Jasa Me Avenghe Traditional hats such as Pheta or Pagri are
Mazda” a prayer where he still worn by Parsi men
reaffirms his faith, saying “I follow
the Zoroastrian Religion”.
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Connections with Other
Monotheistic Religions
■ Judaism
■ Christianity
■ Islam
■ All with one god, good vs. evil,
light vs. dark, messiah of virgin
birth, final judgment in which
good triumphs
Connections with Other
Monotheistic Religions
■ Zoroastrianism began with an ancient prophet called
Zarathustra. Hey, his name is Zoroaster in Greek, get?!
Zoroastrianism! He was an Iranian prophet who lived about 1500
B.C. The Jews have been around a long time, more than three
thousand years in fact. "The argument that Judaism borrowed
from Zoroastrianism is, as yet, unproven. In fact, if any borrowing
was done, it was quite possibly the other way around. In the first
place, the evidence actually indicates that Zoroaster wasn't even
born until about the time of the Babylonian Captivity. Kenneth
Boa states that his dates are sometimes given as between 628
to 551 B.C. If these dates are even relatively accurate then it is
quite possible that Judaism did not borrow from Zoroastrianism.
Rather, it may actually have been Zoroaster who borrowed from
the religion of the Jewish captives in Babylon. It is certainly true
that Zoroaster spoke of such things as the coming of a savior
and the resurrection of the body and so on. But he may have
borrowed these ideas from the Jewish captives in Babylon.
Indeed, it appears that all of these ideas can be found in the
Jewish Scriptures prior to the Babylonian Captivity."