In ancient times, Zoroastrianism was widespread in Central and South Asia.
In the process of migration, this religion penetrated the territory of the USA, Australia and Canada.
In addition to the well-known world religions, there are also ancient local or national beliefs in the regions of the world, which are characterized by original worldviews and spiritual values.
One of such ancient religions is Zoroastrianism.
This article is dedicated to those who want to learn about the features, dogmas and teachings of Zoroastrianism, as well as choose the right path in life.
In ancient times, Zoroastrianism was widespread in Central and South Asia.
In the process of migration, this religion penetrated the territory of the USA, Australia and Canada.
Today, Zoroastrianism has up to 300 thousand followers.
The exact year of the religion’s creation is unknown. According to the conclusions of historians, the religion has its roots in the 2nd millennium BCE. The first mention of Zoroastrian communities dates back to the 7-6 centuries BCE.
Modern mass media rarely mention Zoroastrianism.
This religion has long been forgotten. But for some, it is still an alternative to Christian teaching.
Some publications compare Zoroastrianism with a sect that gained popularity in the 20th century in Western Europe.
The history of Zoroastrianism began with the sermons of the prophet Zarathustra.
The deity Ahura Mazda chose Zarathustra as his successor while he was in the womb.
When Zarathustra reached his youth, Ahura Mazda gave him the dogmas of the creed prescribed in the holy scripture – the Avesta.
The Prophet preached in the squares. His teaching has spread all over the world.
In the seventh century CE, the Arabs conquered part of Central Asia. This led to the displacement of Zoroastrianism from the territories of Iran. Most of the followers of this creed migrated to the territories of modern India and Pakistan.
Zoroastrianism means “good faith” in Persian. The essence of Zoroastrianism is to follow good thoughts, ideas and actions.
Zoroastrians identified 9 components of faith:
For a long time, the creeds were transmitted in the format of an oral tradition. It was only in the 5th century CE that the holy scripture “Avesta” was formed by the followers of Zoroastrianism.
“Avesta” consists of three sections:
The commandments in Zoroastrianism are presented in the form of 10 messages that set out the basics of spiritual improvement:
Religious rites are distinguished by “purity”, performed only in white robes. These sacraments allowed the Zoroastrians to feel as one in the confrontation with evil.
A permanent attribute of the rituals is considered to be fire – a symbol of the Creator God.
There are several rules for conducting rituals:
Let ‘s consider the main rituals:
Zoroastrians have quite a lot of holidays. Officially, there are 22 solemn dates. All of them relate to natural cycles and are celebrated when the sun occupies a certain place in the zodiac circle. Because of this, the dates of holidays are constantly changing by 1-2 days.
Consider the main festivals in Zoroastrianism:
Certain sacred places are not singled out in religion. Only the fire that was lit during prayers, rituals and holidays is significant.
There are two cities where the fire of the Zoroastrians has always been lit:
Yazd is an ancient city of Iran, which has preserved the pristine architecture of antiquity.
Kerman is an ancient city of Iran, history of which began in the 3rd century BCE. In ancient times it was the capital of the state of nomadic Zoroastrians.
In the Iranian pantheon, the supreme deity is Ahura Mazda (“Wise Lord”).
He is the creator of everything, patron of the Zoroastrians. He is the light fighting evil on Earth.
With his teachings, he points out a righteous life path for lost sinners.
There is practically no information in the public domain about people who preach Zoroastrianism at the present time. Some media attribute this to the fact that religion is in deep decline. In the historical regions of the spread of Zoroastrianism, this teaching was gradually replaced by Islam.
Of the famous modern followers of Zoroastrianism , we note:
Zubin Mehta is a world-renowned conductor from India. Born in 1936. His whole family preaches Zoroastrianism. Zubin Mehta is the author of the film “On the Wings of Fire”. The teachings of Zoroastrianism are reflected in this film adaptation.
Freddie Mercury was a British singer. Born in 1946 in Zanzibar. Together with his family, he professed Zoroastrianism.
In 657 AD, the persecution of the Zoroastrians by the Islamic conquerors began. Temples of lights were destroyed. Believers were taxed and forbidden to engage in certain types of crafts.
There is no reliable information about this person. Researchers date the period of his life from the beginning of the second millennium to the sixth century BCE.
Born in the city of Rhages. From the age of seven, he gravitated towards the scriptures and religion. At the age of twenty, he gave up worldly life and began to wander the world. At the age of thirty, Ahura Mazda transmitted his teachings to Zarathustra.
Zarathustra is the only prophet in Zoroastrianism.
The prophet’s life ended at the age of 77. He was killed by Brādrēs during prayer.