A Vesta Text

7/29/2019 A Vesta Text

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GOD

Teacher: Mitra, do you know who God is?

Mitra: Whenever I look at the sun, the moon and the stars, Iwonder who made all these beautiful things. Whenever Ilook at the trees and flowers, at animals, mountains andlakes, I wish to know who created them all. When I ask myparents, they tell me that God created them all. But still I donot know who God is and where did He come from.

Teacher: I am glad to see you so curious. Well, I am goingto talk about God today. Listen carefully. Dear children,nothing has come into being just by itself. Everything has acreator. Most things you see here in this classroom aremade by man, but there are many many things man is

unable to make. For instance, if you look at the sky so highand at the earth so wide, you will agree that man could nothave made them. So, there must be a maker who is wiserand more powerful than man. This maker of everything isthe one we call God. We are also created by God. God hasgiven us eyes to see, ears to hear, a tongue to speak, abrain to think, rather every part of our body to do somethinggood. God has granted us life. And whatever God has

created, is useful and beautiful. We ought to be thankful toGod for having created us and for giving us everything weneed.


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PROPHET

Homa: Who is a prophet?"

Teacher: We are all created with a power to choose rightand wrong. Sometimes, because of our ignorance, wemake mistakes. Then certain people rise amongst us to putus back at the right path. They become the great teachersand guides. We know them as prophets. Prophets appearat different times and in different lands. We have ourprophet too. The first name of our Teacher, Guide orProphet is Zarathushtra and his last name is Spitama. InEnglish, we know Zarathushtra as Zoroaster, a word whichhas been taken from the Greek form of his name.Zarathushtra is the founder of our religion and our religionis called Din-e Behi-ye Mazdayasni-ye Zartoshti. It meansthe Good Zoroastrian Religion of Worshipping the Omnis-cient God. We call it in its short form "Din-e Zartoshti" in

Persian, "Zarthoshti Din" in Gujrati or the "Zoroastrianreligion" in English. Zarathushtra teaches us to live a happyuseful life. He says,

"Happiness to him who gives happiness to otherswhosoever they be."


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Ashu-Zarthusht

Budha


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Moses

Jesus


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Parviz: Did people believe in one God before Zarathushtra?

Teacher: We have no records to show that there were anypeople who believed in one Omniscient God beforeZarathushtra. People believed in many gods, each god wassupposed to be supervising a special function in the world.The sky, the sun, the moon, the earth, the wind, the waters,the trees each was supposed to have a god to govern anddirect them. Zarathushtra was the first to tell mankind thatthere is only one God, Who is all wise, loving and powerful.

A little later, Moses the founder of the Jewish religion, andstill later, Jesus the founder of Christianity and thenMohammad the prophet of Islam preached the belief in oneGod. There have been other founders of religion in otherlands.


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RELIGION

Farin: What is religion?

Teacher: The best way of life shown to mankind by aprophet is called religion. It shows us how to live a true life,to be happy and successful in this world and in the nextafter death. A good religion should be progressive and helpmankind to make the world better and more better.

Cyrus: The name of our religion is the Zoroastrian Religion.But what is the meaning of word Parsi?

Teacher: The Zoroastrians from India and Pakistan callthemselves Parsis or Parsees. It is due to the fact that theancestors of most of them embarked for India from theprovince of Pars in southern Iran. They are therefore calledParsis, people who came from Pars. The Zoroastrians whohave emigrated from Iran in recent years are known aslranis, which simply means people from Iran. Parsis andIranis are both Zoroastrians. Parsis living in India speakGujrati and live like other Indians do and Iranis speakPersian and Dari and live like other Iranians do. But here inAmerica, both speak English and live, more or less, likeAmericans do.

Azar: Is a Zoroastrian priest called Mobed?

Teacher: Yes, a Zoroastrian priest is called simply mobed,or Ervad (Hirbod) or Dastur according to his rank.


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AVESTA

Minoo: What is the name of our religious book?

Teacher: The name of our religious book is Avesta. TheAvesta is divided into five divisions: (1) Yasna, (2) Vispered(3) Yasht (4) Vendidad, and (5) Khordeh Avesta.

First of all, let me tell you that we have other religious

books also. However, the Avesta is the oldest part of them.It is in an ancient language, also called Avesta. Avesta isthe language in which Zarathushtra and his companionsand immediate followers spoke. We have books written in alater language. We call it Pahlavi. It was spoken by theZoroastrians of Iran much later than Zarathushtra. Then wehave certain prayers which are still in a little later dialect. Itis called pazand.

Sohrab: Please tell us more about the Avesta.

Teacher: Sure, I will tell you something about each one ofthe divisions:1. Yasna: It means reverence, because it contains praisesof God the Creator and His good creation. Yasna has 72chapters. It includes the five Gathas, the divine songs ofZarathushtra which are the very basic principles of our

religion.

2. Vispered: Vispered, like Yasna, is also devoted topraising God and the creation. It has 24 chapters andconcerns the celebration of the six seasonal festivals ofthanksgiving. These festivals are called "Gahambars" andare the most sacred of our festivals.


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3. Yasht: It means revered. At present, we have some 20yashts, mostly hymns devoted to the worship of God and

praise of "Amesha Spentas " , the divine attributespersonified and certain "yazatas" who are reverentialdivinities.

4. Vendidad: It means the "Law against Evil" practices. Ithas 22 chapters and contains mostly rules and regulationsconcerning health, hygiene and purification as viewed inancient days. It is not a prayer book.

5. Khordeh Avesta: It means the "Smaller Avesta." It is notan independent book but contains short prayers chosen outof the Avesta for daily use. It usually consists of:

(a) Five Nyaishes in praise of the sun, the moon, thewaters, the Fire, and Mithra (covenant).

(b) Five Gahs or divisions of the day and night.

(c) Afaringans or blessings(d) Various prayers in Avestan and pazandlanguages.


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1.

Anahita: Could you please tell us more about the Gathas?

Teacher: Gathas mean Divine Songs. They are the directteachings of Zarathushtra, composed by him in poetry. TheGathas are first in teaching mankind to worship only oneSupreme Being, Ahura Mazda, the Creator and Maintainerof everything we see around us. They also teach how to

live a good life that helps to promote the world we live in.The simplest and the purest form of the Zoroastrian religionis found in the Gathas.

Roya: How many Gathas do we have?

Teacher: There are five Gathas, collectively consisting of17 songs in all. They are


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(1) Ahunavaiti Gathas of seven songs,

(2) Ushtavaiti Gathas of four songs,(3) Spenta Mainyu Gatha of four songs,(4) Vohu Khshathra Gatha of one longer song, and(5) Vahishta Ishti Gatha of one shorter song.

Rostam: They say, the Avesta is not complete. Much of itwas destroyed.

Teacher: Yes. The Achaemenians were the firstZoroastrians who founded a big empire and united much ofthe civilized world in the 6th century B.C. That is about2500 years ago. In 330 B.C., Alexander of Macedoniadefeated King Darius III and put an end to the Achamenianempire. He also destroyed one of the two major copies ofthe Avesta kept in the royal treasury and took away theother for translation into Greek. He killed many mobeds too.

However, he could not destroy what the remaining mobedshad in their memory and libraries. When the Parthians,another dynasty of Zoroastrians, defeated the Greeks in220 B.C. and founded their empire, one of their emperorsordered that all scattered parts of the Avesta be collected.Later in Sassanian times, the third Zoroastrian dynasty torule the Iranian empire, the work of collection was finallycompleted and the Avesta was divided into 21 nasks orvolumes. Later when the Sassanian Empire was brought

down by the invading Muslims, the Avesta was once againscattered. Again the mobeds made an effort to collect whatthey could. Fortunately, according to what the scholars tellus, we still have most of the religious texts in hand,particularly the Gathic parts of the scriptures are complete.It means that we have the true Message of Zarathushtraintact. What was lost, is the commentary and suplementaryparts of the large collections.


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LIGHT AND FIRE

Arya: Why do we Zoroastrians face a light or fire when wepray?

Teacher: Fire, light and all the good luminaries remind us ofthe divine light, purity and love of Ahura Mazda. Light is thevisible symbol of God who is invisible. That is why we facea light or fire, whether the bright sun in the sky or thecandle, lamp, and a blazing fire vase with sweat-smellingwood on it. Furthermore, fire in the Gathas also stands forthe inner fire and warmth found in every human heart. It isactually the spark of the universal flame and the eternallight that we Zoroastrians have in mind and not the visiblefire or light when we pray.


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HUMATA HUKHTA HVARSHTA

Mithra: What are the meanings of Humata, Hukhta andHvarshta?

Teacher: Humata means good thought, Hukhta meansgood words, and Hvarshata means good deeds.

Words and deeds originate from our thoughts. First wethink and then we talk or work. We should always think well

before we say or do something. Our words should be good,wise and useful. We should try to do good things not justfor any reward, but for the sake of goodness. Humata,Hukhta and Hvarshta are the Three Principles on which theZoroastrian religion is based. They are our motto.


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Humata means good thought


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Hukhta means good words


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Hvarshata means good deeds


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FRAVAHAR

Shahriyar: What is Fravahar?

Teacher: Fravashi in Avestan, Fravahar in Pahlavi, Faroharin Gujrati and Foruhar in Persian is the divine essencewithin us. It is the cause of all progress. It is the motivatingforce. It guides the soul to rise from the state of evil to thatof an angel. Man's soul (ravan) will be impure if he or she issinful. But the Fravahar remains pure. It is not affected by

our wrong deeds.


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THE BODY OF FRAVAHAR

Although Fravahar is as invisible as the soul, someZoroastrian scholars believe that it has been represented inbasreliefs or carvings on a stone by the Achaemenian kingssome 2500 years ago. The kings did not write anything todescribe the figure, but it has been interpreted to mean:

1. It is shown as an old man with wings as a symbol of itsflight up toward progress.

2. The ring in its hand signifies the ring of promise. Aperson should always keep his or her promise andnever break it.

3. The hand pointing upward signifies that we shouldalways remember Ahura Mazda in life.

4. The three parts of wings signify Humata, Hukhta andHvarshta - three principles which guide man toperfection.

5. The circle at the waist symbolizes the unlimited timeand that the soul is eternal. A man's action should beso good during his or her lifetime so that he or sheleaves a loving memory to the people who continue tolive after him or her.

6. The two strings that are joined to the circle signify theexistence of the two forces of Spenta Mainyu andAngra Mainyu in human beings and that we should try

to overcome Angra Mainyu by the force of SpentaMainyu.


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ASHA

Jamshid: What does the word Asho mean?

Teacher: Asho is a shortened form of the Avestan wordAshavan. It means "righteous." Ashoi is the current form ofAsha or "righteousness". Righteousness is to do thing inthe right and precise manner. It teaches us to be right,clean and pure. Asha, therefore, stands for internal and ex-

ternal purity.

Nargis: Who is called Asho?

Teacher: A person is called Asho who keeps his body andmind right, clean and pure. In the Avestan period, everygood person was called "Ashavan" if he was man and"Ashaoni" if woman, just as we say Mr. or Ms today whilementioning the name of a man or a woman. This was theway they paid respect to righteous people. Today, wegenerally add Asho while mentioning Zarathushtra's name,because he is the foremost of the righteous.

Sohrab: Please tell us more about Asha?

Teacher: Asha is the changeless eternal law of God. It isGod's first plan according to which the universe has come

into being. The universe is following Asha as it isprogressing toward its fulfillment. Asha has therefore adeep significance indicating the law which governs theentire creation of the Supreme Being, Ahura Mazda. It isthe law of progress, movement, harmony, goodness,

justice, and love. It is an all-embracing law which governseverything, everywhere and at all times.


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INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PURITY

Faramarz: What is internal purity?

Teacher: A person who thinks, speaks and acts well isinternally pure.A Zoroastrian should not only keep his body and mindclean but should also actively fight evil. Life is a long actiontoward perfection and happiness. One can only be happy if

there is no evil around. One should therefore fight evilwithin one's self and the world outside. It is essential toprovide our soul with opportunities of growth throughdevotion and study of our religious principles in order topreserve and perpetuate our noble religion.

Parvin: Then what is external purity?

It is the result of our internal purity. With a clean and puremind, we will try to keep our bodies, clothes andsurroundings clean. It is necessary for every Zoroastrian toobserve the rules of anti-pollution and promote cleanlinessall around so that health and hygiene prevails for all. Wemust be careful not to contaminate water, air and earth withfilth and poison.


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SPENTA MAINYU AND ANGRA MAINYU

Diana: What do Spenta Mainyu and Angra Mainyu mean?

Teacher: Spenta Mainyu means good mind and AngraMainyu mean evil mind. They show two types of thinking:The one which is creative and useful is called SpentaMainyu and the other which is destructive and harmful isknown as Angra Mainyu. Angra Mainyu, which later cameto be pronounced as Ahriman, is in opposition to Spenta

Mainyu and not Ahura Mazda as some suppose. There isno evil in the good creation of Ahura Mazda and thereforeno creator of evil. In the holy Gathas Ahura Mazda is thesole creator and maintainer of both the spiritual andmaterial existences. God is the fountain source of all thegood and beautiful things.


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FREEDOM OF CHOICE

Shahnaz: How can we decide what to do and what not todo?

Teacher: God has given us free will to choose betweenright and wrong, good and evil. Asho Zarathushtra explainsit in his Gathas. He says,

"Hear the best with your ears and ponder with a brightmind. Then each man and woman, for his or herself,choose either of the two - righteousness or falsehood.Awaken to this doctrine of ours before the great event (ofyour final choice) ushers in."

It means that everyone is free. No one should believeblindly. One should hear, think, understand and then acceptor reject a doctrine. But the day a person accepts it, he or

she changes his or her life. It becomes the beginning of anew age - a Great Event in life. Regarding the twomentalities, Asho Zarathushtra says,

"The two foremost mentalities, known to be imaginarytwins, are the better and the bad in thoughts, words, anddeeds. Of these the good choose correctly, but not thebase."

He is very clear on this point. Only those choose the rightpath who are wise. Only ignorance and selfishness leadsone to choose the wrong. Meanwhile, let us keep in mindthat mainyu is simply mentality in the Gathas and it nevergoes beyond human mind, speech and action. In fact,Ahriman originates from and dwells in the mind of a wickedperson.


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GOOD AND EVIL

Mehran: If God is the fountain source of all good things,then who is the creator of all bad things in the world?

Teacher: Ahura Mazda Who is the creator of the universehas set the Law of Righteousness - Asha - to maintain andpromote it in precise order. Therefore, if there is the Law ofRighteousness, then whatever happens in our world should

be right. But it is not so. Why? Because if everything isdone according to that law, the result should be right. If not,it is then that the result is not satisfactory. There is nothingwrong in the world which follows the Divine Law of Asha. Ifthere is anything wrong, it is with us, human beings.

Shirin: But what would you say about natural calamities:storms, earthquakes, disease and death?

Teacher: Nothing. They are natural, quite natural. Stormsand earthquakes take place because of natural changes.And as far as the earth is concerned, they are good. They


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become harmful only when we get into their path. Ahighway is a useful thing. But if one does not obey traffic

laws, one meets an accident, especially if one runs acrossit. Therefore, the best way is either to avoid the placeswhere there are frequent earthquakes or floods, or takescientific precautions to reduce or eliminate the risk of theevil consequences. The same is true about disease.Improving medical science is showing that we can getimmunity against disease also. A natural quiet death is buta transition to another life. It is bad when it is unnatural and

untimely. Good and wise care can eliminate that also. Weare progressing in avoiding natural calamities. However, sofar everything is not in our power. What is in our power,concerns our human society. Whatever is good for thesociety is good and whatever is not, is bad. This is the bestway to know what is good and what is bad.

Shirin: Is that all?

Teacher: No. Good and bad, each of them has twoaspects. The spiritual aspect, if good, draws one nearer tothe Creator and enlightens one of the Divine Principles. Ifbad, one becomes spiritually very weak and therefore,more harmful to him or herself as well as the society. Theother aspect is material. It concerns our daily life. In everysociety, according to the Zoroastrian religion, the smallestunit is the home, then the town, the state, the nation and

the world. Let us begin our work for the prosperity fromhome and finish it with our nation and then join othernations to create a happy, peaceful and prosperous world.And let us keep in mind that every bad result is the out-come of a wrong action. If a work is properly done throughwisdom, science, love and sincerity, the result will definitelybe good and satisfactorily.


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SUDREH AND KUSHTI

Farin: What are the symbols of the Zoroastrian religion?

Teacher: The Zoroastrian religion is signified by twosymbols: Sudreh and Kushti are the two visible andHumata, Hukhta, and Hvarshta are the three invisiblesymbols. Sudreh and kushti are worn by an initiatedZoroastrian.

Sedreh-pooshi ceremony


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Sohrab: What is Sudreh?

Teacher: It is the sacred shirt made of white muslin cloth. Itis in two pieces, the front and the back. It has an openingfor the head and has short sleeves. It has a small pocket atthe lower part of the V-neck, called gariban or collar, orkisye-kerfeh or pocket of merit, because it symbolizes thespiritual storage for good deeds. White symbolizes purityand therefore the pure, spotless Good Religion.

Sohrab: And kushti?

Teacher: It is the sacred thread tied around the waist. It isprepared from the wool of white lamb. It stands forinnocence. Kushti consists of 72 threads which stand for 72chapters of Yasna. The 72 threads are divided into sixparts. They stand for the six Gahanbars, the seasonalfestivals of thanksgivings. The six parts are again twisted

into three threads to form the two ends of Kushti. Theystand for the three principles of Good Thoughts, Goodwords, and good deeds


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PRAYER

Sohrab: How many times a day does a Zoroastrian pray?

Teacher: In the Avesta, there are five specific periods forprayers during the twenty-four hours. They are called gahand they are:

(1) Ushahin Gah or the Dawn Period: from midnight to

sunrise.(2) Havan Gah or the Sunrise Period: from sunrise tonoon.

(3) Rapithvan Gah or the Noon Period: from noon to3:00 p. m.

(4) Uzirin Gah or the Afternoon Period: from 3:00 p.m.to sunset.

(5) Aiwisruthrem Gah or the Night Period: from sunsetto midnight.

Parsa: What are prayers for?

Teacher: Prayer is the direct communication of man withAhura Mazda. It is also the motion of inner fire and lovedirected toward God. Prayer is a great discipline for man. Itis necessary for every Zoroastrian to keep his body andmind clean. Prayers clean the mind. Prayers should always

be from the heart and therefore one should understandwhat he or she is praying. The highest ideals of Zoroastrianprayers are self-improvement, devotion, and dedication.


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SOME DAILY PRAYERS AND TRANSLATIONS

ASHEM VOHU

Ashem vohu vahishtern astiushta asti

Ushta ahmai hyat ashai vahishtai ashem.

Righteousness is best.It is happiness.

Happiness comes to person who is righteous for the sakeof the best righteousness alone.

Asha is righteousness. It requires that each individual mustdo the right thing at the right time, in the right place, andwith the right means to obtain the right result. A societybased upon the principles of righteousness reaps the bestrewards in its progress towards peace and prosperity. Itmeans happiness, but true and lasting happiness comesonly when one works for a higher state of righteousness for

others as well one's self.


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Yatha Ahu Vairyo

Yatha ahu vairyoatha ratush ashat chit hacha,Vangheush dazda manangho

shyaothananam angheush Mazdaixshathremcha Ahurai a

yim drigubyo dadat vastarem.

We choose [vairyo] our God [ahu] and judgment [ratush]based on truth and righteousness [asha]. With goodthinking and righteous actions, we establish the Divine rule[khashathremcha ahurai] for the sake of Mazda [Wise One]to help the needy and deprived .

Description:

We have the right to make our own choices. We makethese choices in good judgment based on truth andrighteousness [asha] and by using our good thinking [vahumano] to do what is true and right. With good choices webring order, righteousness, and justice to the world ( i.e weestablish Divine rule [ khashathra ] ) to help the deprived ofrights and the wrongfully oppressed.

Yatha Ahu is the principle of choice. It teaches us that:

we can choose our God,we can choose our judgment, andwe can choose to bring forth justice and righteousness tothe world.

With these righteous choices and actions we can endsuffering and deceit.


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Mazdayasno ahmi

Mazdayasno ahmi.I am a worshipper of the Omniscient God.Mazdayasno Zarathushtrish, fravarane astutas-chafravaretaschaoI choose to be a worshipper of the Omniscient God and aZoroastrian with principles that are appreciated andchosen.Astuye humatem manaI appreciate good thoughts.Astuye hukhtem vachoI appreciate good words.Astuye hvarshtem shyaothanemI appreciate good deeds.Astuye Daenam Vanghuhim MazdayasnimI appreciate the God-worshipping Good Religion,Fraspayaokhedram, nidhasnaithishem

which overthrows yokes, yet sheaths swords,Khaethvadatham, ashaonimteaches self-sacrifice and is righteous.Va haithinam-cha bushyeintinam-chaOf the religions that have been and shall be,mazishta-cha vahishta-cha sraeshta-chait is the greatest, the best and the sublimest.Va Ahuirish Zarathushtrish

It is Divine and Zoroastrian.Ahurai Mazdal vispa vohu chinahmiUnto the Omniscient God, I attribute all good.Aesha asti Daenayao Mazdayasnoish astuitishSuch is my appreciation of the Religion of Worshipping theWise One..


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PEYMANE DEENPledge of Zartoshti Allegiance

Ra zesh teya, ches teya,Mazda da teya, ashao neya, dae neya

yang hoya, Mazdavas nuesh,

Deene behi, rasto dorost:Ke Khoda, bar mardom ferestade,

In ast ke, Ashu Zaratushte pey gham bar, avar da ast,

deen, Deene Ourmazd, dade Zaratusht.

Let us pledge allegiance to the religion of Ahura Mazda. The goodreligion brought to us by our propnet Asho-Zartosht

AShune. Ashem Vohu (1).

Dadar yek, deene behi yek, pey-gham-bare pak rah,

Ashu-Zaratushte, spantaman, anushe ravan,Danes tao, bi gaman, be ras tao, dorosta, deene pake Ourmazd.

We believe in only one. God and only one path that leads us tosalvation and that path is the path of Asha.

Ashune. Ashem Vohu (1).

Visfe setaayeshe, daadaar oormazde raayomand o kharomand

harvesf aggahdaanaaye tavaanaaye,Tavaan kerdaarhaft amshas-pandaan

Shah vareh-raam eezade feeroz-garDerafsh-daar, doshman zedar amaheh hoo-tash-ta-he bere-

saad

Ashem vohu(l)


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NAMES OF THE THIRTY DAYS OF THE MONTH

The names of the thirty days of a Zoroastrian month are givenbelow.Parsi pronunciations, based on Pazend and Iranian pronunciations,based on Modern Persian and Dari, sometimes differ. Whendiffering more than usual, both are given, the first being the Parsipronunciation and the second Iranian.

1. Hormazd2. Bahman

3. Ardibehesht4. Shahrevar l Shahrivar5. sepandarmazd6. Khordad7. Amardad / Amordad8. Daepadar / Dei-be-azar9. Adar / Azar10. Avan / Aban11. Khorshed / Khorshid12. Mohor / Mah

13. Tir14. Gosh15. Daepmeher / Dei-be-Mehr16. Mener / Mehr17. Srosh / Soroush18. Rashn19. Farvardin20.21. Ram

22. Govad / Bad23. Daepdin / Dei-be-Din24. Din25. Ashishvangh / Ard26. Ashtad27. Asman28. Zamyad29. Marespand / Mantraspand30. Aneran / Anaram


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The Amsha-Spands

The Amesha-Spands stands for the qualities of Ahura Mazda.There are six qualities of Ahura Mazda. Humans could develop

these qualities and thereby attain perfection and spiritual

immortality.

Also, each of the Amesha-Spand is assigned the symbolic duty of

protecting Ahura Mazda's creations. In the Avesta the following

Amesha-Spands are mentioned:

1.Vah-man2.Ardi-behesht3.Shah-rivar4.Spen-dar-mazd5.Khor-dad6.Amor-dad

The first Amesha-Spand Vahman(or Vohuman of Bahman)

stands for the 'Good' mind.

Vahman Amsha-spand enables us to understand and choose

correctly between Good and evil. It also protects Ahura Mazda's

creation: The animals

The second Amesha-spand Ardi-Behesht stands for the best

truth, righteousness and orderliness.

It protects Ahura Mazda's purest creation: The fire


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The third Amesh-spand Shah-rivar Amesha-spand represents the

power and strength in the chosen kingdom of God and selfcontrol.

It protects Ahura Mazda's creations: The sky and the minerals

The fourth Amesha-spand Spendar-mazd stands for limitless

devotion and modesty.

Spendar-mazd Amesha-spand maintains honor among God'sgood creations.

It protects Ahura Mazda's creation: The earth

The fifth Amesh-Spand Khor-dad stands for perfection and good

health.

It protects Ahura Mazda's creation: The waters

The sixth Amesh-Spand Amordad stands for the undying spirit.

It protects Ahura Mazda's creations: The plants


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THE LIFE OF ZARATHUSHTRA

Teacher: Now that you know about God, prophet andreligion let me tell you something about Zarathushtra.He was born long long ago, some four thousand yearsback, in the eastern part of Iran.

It is said that he was born on Khordad day and Farvardinmonth. It means, he was born on the sixth day of the spring- March 26th. Like any other child, he began asking ques-tions from his mother and father. But his questions weremore and more about the world. He wanted to know whomade all the things round him - the earth, the trees, water,the sun, the moon and many many things. His mother andfather tried to tell him that it was gods who created andguarded these things. Now in those days people did notbelieve in one God. They saw different gods in differentthings. Therefore they worshipped the sky, the sun, themoon, the fire and so on. They worshipped to please thembecause they thought if they were not pleased, they wouldpunish them with disease, calamities and death. They werevery superstitious. They believed in ghosts and spirits.


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They lived in constant fear and were all along afraid ofdispleasing gods, goddesses and ghosts.

There were priests to guide them in their worship andhelp them in earning the pleasure of gods. They had madevery complicated rituals and said that these rituals werevery good in attracting gods and very powerful in drivingaway ghosts. They charged them for every ritual performedby them. Many of these priests were greedy. Therefore,they made the people more afraid of gods and ghosts andmade them pay more for rituals.

Then there were princes who ruled over people. They werecruel and forced the people to pay them for the protection

they provided them. Greed, anger, cruelty and hatred ruledthe world.The little boy Zarathushtra saw these things and could notbelieve that gods could be so cruel as to have sent priestsand princes to rule the people. His parents could notanswer his questions to his satisfaction. He asked thepriests and they were very angry to see him doubt theirgods and rituals. They threatened to harm him.


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But Zarathushtra's questions increased as he got older.When he could not get the answers, he turned away from

the priests and turned to himself. He thought and thoughtover what he saw around him - nature and the society. Heturned silent and started meditation, thinking deep overevery question.It was through deep thinking and his earnest search for thetruth that he felt enlightened and got in communion withGod. Once he was in communion with God, he found all theanswers. He realized that God is the Supreme Being, the

creator, supporter and promoter of the Universe.Zarathushtra realized the divine message and he knew thatit was his duty to convey it to the people. He was to guidethem to fight against all wrong and to spread peace andrighteousness throughout the world.

Zarathushtra was thirty years old when he had his firstcommunion with God. He started teaching the new religion.


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At first no one paid any attention to him, not even hisrelatives and close friends. Only a few joined him.

Meanwhile, the priests and princes saw the danger. IfZarathushtra succeeded, they would loose their grip overthe people. The people would become free. So they plottedto hurt and if possible kill him. They made life miserable forhim and his companions.Zarathushtra turned to God to show him the way tosuccess. He was inspired to go to the court of the mostpowerful prince in eastern Iran, King Vishtaspa. There too

the priests and princes tried their best to harm him. But theking was a very wise person. He asked him manyquestions and discussed the matter over many meetings. Ittook the king and his people two full years to be convincedof Zarathushtra's divine mission. King Vishtaspa, QueenHutaosa, Prince Spento-data and all the wise men andwomen accepted the good religion. They all helped him inspreading the religion .Zarathushtra was 42 years old at

that time.

Zarathushtra lived for another 35 years and he saw hisdivine mission completed. Meanwhile, he trained hissincere followers to spread God's message throughout theworld. Zarathuhstra says in his Gathas:

"The best wish of Zarathuhstra has been fulfilled, becauseAhura Mazda has on account of his righteousness, granted

him the blessings, both spiritual and material, and good lifefor ever."

He passed away at the age of 77 years. That day is to bereckoned to be Khur day and Dey month. It meansDecember 26.


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Farin: Thank you. Would you tell us a little about his family?

Teacher: Sure. His first name is Zarathushtra and his familyname is Spitama. So he is called Zarathushtra Spitama orSpitama Zarathushtra. It is Zartosht-e Espantaman inPersian and Gujrati. His father's name is Pourushaspa andmother's Doghdova. His wife's name is Hvovi. Zarathushtraand Hvovi had three sons - Isat-vastar, Urvatat-nar andHvare-Chithra, and three daughters - Freni, Thriti andPouru-chista. His cousin Maidyoi-maha was the first person

to accept the new Good Religion preached by AshoZarathsuhtra.


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Arash: Please, could tell us something about the history ofZoroastrians?

Teacher: Zoroastrian Iran has filled the greatest number ofpages in the ancient history of the East. The mightyempires of the ancient Iranians covered a vast portion ofthe earth and included nearly all the civilized nations.The early history of the Iranians is a legend when theyformed a single people with Indo-Aryans up in north.Tradition says that the Pishdadian dynasty was the first to

rule. They cover the age from the Stone Age to almost5000 years ago.

The next is semi-legendary the Kiyanian dynasty. Theyappear to be occupying what is today eastern Iran andwestern Afghanistan [3].

The dynasty becomes historic when we see KingVishtaspa rule the land. It was during his reign thatZarathushtra was born and as you know, he went to hiscourt and after two years discussions, the king wasconvinced of his divine mission and the royal court and thepeople practiced and preached the Good religion to all thenations around them.


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The center of the Zoroastrian power shifted from easternIran to northwestern Iran when the Medians formed theirkingdom in about 600 B.C., some 2580 years ago.The Mecles, an Iranian people who had accepted theZoroastrian religion, ruled Iran for some 60 years during

which they conquered part of Asia Minor, Persian lands insouthwest of Iran and certain other Iranian people.Although small in size, it was the first Zoroastrian Empire. Itappears that it was during the Median rule that Raga(modern Tehran) become the seat of the Zoroastrianhierarchy.

The Persians, also Zoroastrians, were ruled by the

Achaemenian dynasty at that time. In 549 B.C. their king,Cyrus II, who happened to be a son-in-law of the Medianking, rebelled and founded the first Persian empire, thelargest the world had ever seen.


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Cyrus was the first to treat well his conquered nations

contrary to the usual cruelties wrought by the earlier andcontemporary conquerors. Himself a Good Zoroastrian, hegranted religious and social freedom to all his subjects,Iranians or not. His benevolence and tolerance won him thetitle of Cyrus, "the Great." He was followed by manyAchaemenian emperors, famous among them Darius theGreat, his son Xerxes and Darius III.

The Achaemenian Empire stretched from Central Asia andthe Indus valley in the east to Libya and Ethiopia in thewest and southern parts of modern Soviet Union to theArabian Sea.

Religious and social freedom, governmental union ofdifferent nations and prevailing peace brought prosperity tothe vast land. The Achaemenian Empire lasted for some220 years, from 550 to 330 B.C.


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During the last days of the empire, corruption had set in the

royal court and imperial administration. The empire hadgrown old and shaky. Alexander of Macedonia, a provincein northeast of Greece, rose against Darius III, defeatedhim in a few battles and in five years overran the empire.He set fire to Persepolis, the sacred capital of theAchaemenians in Persia.

The fire destroyed the imperial library in which one of thetwo royal copies of the Avesta was kept. The other copy isreported to have been taken by the Macedonians to have ittranslated into Greek. Most likely it served to enrich Greekphilosophy.

However, Alexander could not rule the vast empire he hadconquered and died in 323 B.C. His generals fought anddivided the empire. Seleucid Nicator carved the easternpart of the empire for himself. It included Iran. But theirauthority was not strong and many local Iranian princescontinued to rule under the Seleucid suzerainty. TheSeleucid rule lasted some 80 years.


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The Parthians, Iranians of northeast, were able to

overthrow the Seleucids and establish their empire by 250B.C. It extended from modern Iraq to Central Asia.

The Parthians, Zoroastrian by religion, were tolerant ofother religions and races like the Achaemenians.

Ardeshir Papakan, a Persian prince under the Parthians,rebelled and defeated Emperor Ardavan in 246 A.D., some1760 years ago. He is the founder of the Sassaniandynasty, the second Persian Empire. The Sassanians, whoruled for some 425 years.Among the Sassanian emperors, besides Ardeshir,Shahpur I, Shahpur II, Khosrow Anushiravan, and KhosrowParviz are famous. The Sassanians were orthodoxZoroastrians and championed the cause of the religion.


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They were less tolerant of other religions than were theAchaemenians and Parthians. Yet Jews, Christians and

Buddhists and other religious minorities lived comparativelya good life.

Wars with the western power, the Romans, began duringthe Parthian period. They continued during the Sassanianperiod. This weakened both the Sassanians and theRomans, now the Byzantines. On the other hand,prolonged wars, not only with the Byzantines, but with

forces in northeastern borders, disturbed economicprosperity and corruption set in the royal court and theimperial officers.

Meanwhile, in Mecca in Arabia, Mohammed claimed to bethe Prophet of God and founded Islam.

Islam united the warring Arabian tribes into a new force, aforce which grew to defeat both the war weary Byzantinesand Sassanians.


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The Arab invasion of the Sassanian Empire began in 636and within 15 years the whole imperial structure crumbled

and Muslims conquered the entire territory. The Arabs didnot come to conquer Iran but to convert the people.

The Zoroastrian religion lost the military power behind it.The Muslims put restrictions on non-Muslims. Theserestrictions were tightened as the times passed. They madethe life unbearable for most of the Zoroastrian population.Many found no way but to succumb to Islam. Those who

remained faithful to the Zoroastrian religion and preferred tostay in their homeland, suffered great hardships. Theirnumber continued to drop and within few centuries, theywere reduced to several pockets in major towns only. Theretoo, they faced hardships and occasional massacres somuch so that by the 18th century, only two pockets wereleft-the greater pocket in Yazd and smaller in Kerman.Modern Iranian Zoroastrians belong to these two groups.

Many fled the country, some to Hindu India and some toBuddhist China. Most of these groups have vanished in thegreat populaces of India and China. Only one group, whichsailed to the West Indian shores in Gujarat in about 936have survived. They were granted an asylum by the Hinduraja there. Although from northeastern Iran, because theysailed from Pars in south Iran, they are known as Parsis.

The present Zoroastrian community in North Americamainly consists of members from Iran, India, and Pakistan.


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Documents

A Vesta Text