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Zoroastrianism/

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HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English" \o "Help:IPA for English" /, also calledZarathustraism,MazdaismandMagianism, is an ancientIranianreligionand areligious philosophy. It was once thestate religionof theAchaemenid,Parthian, andSasanianempires.[1]Estimates of the current number of Zoroastrians worldwide vary between 145,000 and 2.6 million.[2]Zoroastrianism arose in the eastern region of the ancientPersian Empire, when the religious philosopherZoroastersimplified thepantheonof early Iranian gods[3]intotwo opposing forces: Spenta Mainyu (Progressive mentality) andAngra Mainyu(Destructive Mentality) under the oneGod,Ahura Mazda(IlluminatingWisdom).[4]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism" \l "cite_note-5" [5]Zoroaster's ideas led to a formal religion bearing his name by about the 6th century BCE and have influenced other later religions includingJudaism,Gnosticism,ChristianityandIslam.[6]Contents

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Overview

In Zoroastrianism, thecreatorAhura Mazdais all good, and noeviloriginates from him. Thus, in Zoroastrianism good and evil have distinct sources, with evil (druj) trying to destroy the creation of Mazda (asha), and good trying to sustain it. While Ahura Mazda is notimmanentin the world, his creation is represented by theAmesha Spentasand the host of otherYazatas, through whom the works of God are evident to humanity, and through whom worship of Mazda is ultimately directed. The most important texts of the religion are those of theAvesta, of which a significant portion has been lost, and mostly only theliturgiesof which have survived. The lost portions are known of only through references and brief quotations in the later works, primarily from the 9th to 11th centuries.

In some form, it served as the national orstate religionof a significant portion of theIranian peoplefor many centuries. The religion first dwindled when theAchaemenid Empirewas invadedbyAlexander the Great, after which it collapsed and disintegrated[7]and it was furthergradually marginalizedby Islam from the 7th century onwards with the decline of theSassanid Empire.[8]The political power of the pre-Islamic Iranian dynasties lent Zoroastrianism immense prestige in ancient times, and some of its leading doctrines were adopted by other religious systems. It has no major theological divisions (the only significant schism is based on calendar differences), but it is not uniform. Modern-era influences have a significant impact on individual and local beliefs, practices, values and vocabulary, sometimes merging with tradition and in other cases displacing it.[9]Terminology

TheOxford English Dictionaryattests use of the termZoroastrianismin 1874 inArchibald Sayce'sPrinciples of Comparative Philology.[10]The first surviving reference to Zoroaster in English scholarship is attributed toThomas Browne(16051682), who briefly refers to the prophet in his 1643Religio Medici.[11]TheOxford English Dictionaryrecords 1743 (Warburton,Pope's Essay) as the earliest reference to Zoroaster. However, his image is identified inRaphael's "School of Athens" byGiorgio Vasariin 1550, so knowledge of his philosophy had evidently percolated into theItalian Renaissance.

The termMazdaism/





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HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English" \o "Help:IPA for English" /is a typical 19th century construct, takingMazda-from the nameAhura Mazdaand adding the suffix-ismto suggest a belief system. The March 2001 draft edition of theOxford English Dictionaryalso records an alternate form,Mazdeism, perhaps derived from the FrenchMazdisme, which first appeared in 1871. The Zoroastrian name of the religion isMazdayasna, which combinesMazda-with theAvestan languagewordyasna, meaning "worship, devotion".

InEnglish, an adherent of the faith is commonly called a Zoroastrian or a Zarathustrian. An older, but still widespread expression isBehdin, meaning "follower ofDaena", for which "Good Religion" is one translation. In the Zoroastrianliturgy, the termBehdinis also used as a title for an individual who has been formally inducted into the religion in aNavjoteceremony.

In older English sources, the termsGheberandGueber(both deriving from Persian forinfidel, comparegiaour) were used to refer to Zoroastrians; however, these terms are considered offensive and have fallen out of use.

Characteristics

Basic beliefsZoroastrians believe that there is one universal, transcendent, supreme god,Ahura Mazda, or the 'Wise Lord'. (Ahurameans 'Being' andMazdameans 'Mind' inAvestanlanguage).[12]Zoroasterkeeps the two attributes separate as two different concepts in most of theGathasand also consciously uses a masculine word for one concept and a feminine for the other, as if to distract from ananthropomorphismof his divinity. Some Zoroastrians claim Ahura Mazda as the uncreated Creator to whom all worship is ultimately directed, thereby formulating apanentheisticfaith with a transcendent divinity, widely believed to have influenced the theology of theIsmaeli branch of Islam.[13]Other scholars assert that since Zoroastrianism's divinity covers both being and mind as immanent entities, it is better described as a belief in an immanent self-creating universe with consciousness as its special attribute, thereby putting Zoroastranism in thepantheisticfold where it can be easily traced to its shared origin with IndianBrahmanism.[14]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism" \l "cite_note-15" [15]In any case, Ahura Mazda's creationevident is widely agreed asasha, truth and orderis theantithesisof chaos, which is evident asdruj, falsehood and disorder. The resulting conflict involves the entire universe, including humanity, which has an active role to play in the conflict.[13]The religion states that active participation in life through good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay. This active participation is a central element in Zoroaster's concept offree will, and Zoroastrianism rejects all forms ofmonasticism. Ahura Mazda will ultimately prevail over the evilAngra Mainyuor Ahriman, at which point the universe will undergo a cosmic renovation and time will end. In the final renovation, all of creationeven the souls of the dead that were initially banished to "darkness"will be reunited in Ahura Mazda, returning to life in the undead form. At the end of time, a savior-figure (aSaoshyant) will bring about a final renovation of the world (frashokereti), in which the dead will be revived.[13]In Zoroastrian tradition, the "chaotic" is represented by Angra Mainyu (also referred to as "Ahriman"), the "Destructive Principle", while the benevolent is represented through Ahura Mazda'sSpenta Mainyu, the instrument or "Bounteous Principle" of the act of creation. It is through Spenta Mainyu that transcendental Ahura Mazda isimmanentin humankind, and through which the Creator interacts with the world. According to Zoroastriancosmology, in articulating theAhuna Vairyaformula, Ahura Mazda made His ultimate triumph evident to Angra Mainyu. As expressions and aspects of Creation, Ahura Mazda emanated theAmesha Spentas("Bounteous Immortals"), that are each thehypostasisand representative of one aspect of that Creation. These Amesha Spenta are in turn assisted by a league of lesser principles, theYazatas, each "Worthy of Worship" and each again a hypostasis of a moral or physical aspect of creation.

Other characteristics

In Zoroastrianism, water (apo,aban) and fire (atar,adar) are agents of ritual purity, and the associated purification ceremonies are considered the basis of ritual life. In Zoroastriancosmogony, water and fire are respectively the second and last primordial elements to have been created, and scripture considers fire to have its origin in the waters. Both water and fire are considered life-sustaining, and both water and fire are represented within the precinct of afire temple. Zoroastrians usually pray in the presence of some form of fire (which can be considered evident in any source of light), and theculminating riteof the principle act of worship constitutes a "strengthening of the waters". Fire is considered a medium through which spiritual insight and wisdom is gained, and water is considered the source of that wisdom.

While theParseesin India have traditionally been opposed toproselytizing, probably for historical reasons, and even considered it a crime for which the culprit may face expulsion,[16]Iranian Zoroastrians have never been opposed to conversion, and the practice has been endorsed by the Council of Mobeds ofTehran. While the Iranian authorities do not permit proselytizing within Iran, Iranian Zoroastrians in exile have actively encouraged missionary activities, with The Zarathushtrian Assembly inLos Angelesand the International Zoroastrian Centre inParisas two prominent centres. As in many other faiths, Zoroastrians are encouraged to marry others of the same faith, but this is not a requirement.

In Zoroastrian tradition, life is a temporary state in which a mortal is expected to actively participate in the continuing battle between truth and falsehood. Prior to being born, theurvan(soul) of an individual is still united with itsfravashi(guardian spirit), and which have existed since Mazda created the universe. During life, thefravashiacts as a guardian and protector. On the fourth day after death, the soul is reunited with itsfravashi, in which the experiences of life in the material world are collected for the continuing battle in the spiritual world. For the most part, Zoroastrianism does not have a notion ofreincarnation, at least not until the final renovation of the world. Followers ofIlm-e-Kshnoomin India believe in reincarnation and practice vegetarianism, two principles unknown to Orthodox Zoroastrianism,[17]although Zoroaster was himself a vegetarian.[18]In Zoroastrian scripture and tradition, a corpse is a host for decay, i.e., ofdruj. Consequently, scripture enjoins the safe disposal of the dead in a manner such that a corpse does not pollute the good creation. These injunctions are the doctrinal basis of the fast-fading traditional practice of ritual exposure, most commonly identified with the so-calledTowers of Silencefor which there is no standard technical term in either scripture or tradition. Ritual exposure is only practiced by Zoroastrian communities of theIndian subcontinent, where it is not illegal, but where alternative disposal methods are sought afterdiclofenacpoisoning has led to the virtual extinction of scavenger birds. Other Zoroastrian communities eithercrematetheir dead, or bury them in graves that are cased withlime mortar.

Women's ordination

Zoroastrian priests in India are required to be male.[19]However, women have been ordained in Iran and North America as mobedyars, meaning womenmobeds(Zoroastrian priests).[20]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism" \l "cite_note-21" [21]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism" \l "cite_note-22" [22]In 2011 the Tehran Mobeds Anjuman (Anjoman-e-Mobedan) announced that for the first time in the history of Iran and of the Zoroastrian communities worldwide, women had joined the group of mobeds (priests) in Iran as mobedyars (women priests); the women hold official certificates and can perform the lower-rung religious functions and can initiate people into the religion.[20]Sects

Today Zoroastrianism can be divided in three different sects or dominions: restorationists, progressives and traditionalists (or isolationists).[23]The former two, restorationists and progressives, are also titled as 'reformists'.

Progressives generally accept theYashtsand theVisperadtexts of theAvestaas obligatory, along with theGathas.[23]Traditionalists or isolationists are almost solelyParsisand accept, beside the Gathas and Avesta, also theMiddle Persianworks called 'Nasks of the Sassanians'. They also do not allowconversionto the faith and therefore for someone to be a Zoroastrian, he or she must be born of Zoroastrian parents. However, some traditionalists recognize the children of mixed marriages as Zoroastrians.[23]

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism" \l "cite_note-24" [24]Restorationists resort to the only compositions of Zarathustra, and consider theGathasthe sole rule and authority of the faith. The Old Avestan has value only as far as it elaborates on some Gathic point and does not contradict the Gathic teaching.[23]Founder:Zarathustra (in Greek, Zoroaster) was a Persian prophet who at the age of 30 believed he had seen visions of God, whom he called Ahura Mazda, the creator of all that is good and who alone is worthy of worship. This was a departure from previous Indo-Persian polytheism, and Zarathustra has been termed the first non-biblical monotheist (though monotheism in Zoroastrianism never took on the absolute quality that it assumed in Judaism and Islam). Though there is disagreement among scholars as to exactly when and where Zarathustra lived, most agree that he lived in eastern Iran, probably around the sixth century B.C.E.

Main Tenets:Zoroastrian theology is strongly dualistic. In his visions, Zarathustra was taken up to heaven, where Ahura Mazda revealed that he had an opponent, Aura Mainyu, the spirit and promoter of evil. Ahura Mazda charged Zarathustra with the task of inviting all human beings to choose between him (good) and Aura Mainyu (evil). Consequently, Zoroastrianism is a highly ethical religion. Zarathustra taught that humans are free to choose between right and wrong, truth and lie, and light and dark, and that their acts, words, and thoughts would affect their lives after death. He was thus the first to promote a belief in two heavenly judgments: of the individual soul right after death and of all humankind after a general resurrection. His ideas of heaven, hell, and the resurrection of the body profoundly influenced Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Later Zoroastrianism conceived of an opposition between body and soul, though there was no suggestion in its theology that the body was evil and the soul was good. A wandering preacher from Mesopotamia named Mani developed those theories into an extreme form of dualism called Manichaeism.Main Sacred Text:The Zoroastrian "Avesta" ("Book of the Law") is a fragmentary collection of sacred writings divided into: liturgical works with hymns ascribed to Zarathustra; invocations and rituals to be used at festivals; hymns of praise; and spells against demons and prescriptions for purification. Compiled over many centuries, the Avesta was not completed until Persia's Sassanid dynasty (226-641 C.E.).Principal Center:Zoroastrianism all but disappeared in Persia after the Muslim invasion of 637 C.E. Only about 10,000 survive in remote villages in Iran, but over the centuries many sought religious freedom in India.

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