Religion

ZOROASTRIANISM

Zoroastrianism | Parsis in India | Parsi Scripture | Parsi Rituals and Ceremonies

Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest Religion. It explains man's duties in this life and the high destiny which he can achieve by establishing his conduct in accordance with the eternal and immutable law of nature. Zarathushtra the founder of Zoroastrianism called it the law of Asha. Zoroastrianism is based upon the knowledge and illumination and its emblems are the Fire and the Sun.

Zarathushtra

Zarathushtra is said to have been born around 6th century B.C in the town of Amui near Rae, on the salt lake Urumiah renamed Razsieh, in Azarbaijan province. He went up the mountains of that province for meditation and preached his faith for many years among hostile tribes. As a young boy, he was placed under able teachers, but they soon found that he was more advanced.

Zarathushtra spent several years in meditation and study, pondering over the fundamentals of life and existence trying to find a rational explanation based upon the Law of nature, Asha. He discovers the perfection which lies in the absolute as possessing perfect power or energy and perfect wisdom, which reality he calls 'Ahura Mazda', Lord of Life and Wisdom.

The religion of the Iranian people of his time was a primitive form of polytheism of Indo-Aryan origin. It is partly based on the Rig-Veda. There were many deities and each family had sacred idols. Each tribe had different rituals, sacred obligations and customs. To this Eastern world, Zarathushtra brought a new universal concept of religion. His religion was not a set of superstitious rituals based on fears, but a universal call for a better life to be achieved with the aid of an invisible god of wisdom, truth, light and goodness.

Zarathushtra was the first man who gave a definitely moral character and direction to religion and at the same time, preached the doctrine of monotheism which offered an eternal foundation of reality to goodness an ideal of perfection. Zarathushtra showed the path of freedom to man, the freedom of moral choice, freedom from blind obedience to meaningless injunctions. He preached that the moral worth of deed comes from the goodness of intention and the value of his religion was upholding man in his life of good thoughts, good words and good deeds. Zarathushtra was the first prophet who emancipated religion from the exclusive narrowness of the tribal god.

At the age of seventy-seven, Zarathushtra was killed by a Turanian soldier during an attack on the city of Bulkh.

The active heroic aspects of Zoroastrian religion reflects the character of the people. They had zest in life and confidence in their own, strength. They accepted the world in all seriousness. By force of will and deeds of sacrifice, they tried to achieve Haurvatat, wholeness, well-being, in this world and Ameretatat- immortality.