How Did Persian Religion Developed, And How Did Zarathustra Change It?
Zarathustra (as well given as Zoroaster, Zartosht, Zarathustra Spitama, fifty. c. 1500-1000 BCE) was the Persian priest-turned-prophet who founded the religion of Zoroastrianism (also given as Mazdayasna "devotion to Mazda"), the showtime monotheistic organized religion in the world, whose precepts would come to influence later faiths.
He was a priest of the Early Iranian Religion who received a vision from Ahura Mazda – the primary deity of that organized religion's pantheon – telling him to correct the error of polytheistic religious understanding and proclaim the existence of only one truthful god – Ahura Mazda – the Lord of Wisdom.
Zarathustra initially met with harsh resistance to his message until he converted the male monarch Vishtaspa, who then led his people to the new religion. Zarathustra then received messages from Ahura Mazda while he was deep in prayerful meditation which he would repeat to his disciples. These messages came in answer to questions and were memorized by the prophet and his followers as a living scripture which was passed downwards from generation to generation in the aboriginal language known equally Avestan. The faith was embraced by the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550-330 BCE) and the Parthian Empire (247 BCE-224 CE) who maintained the oral tradition. Under the Parthian Empire, a written tape of the conversations between Zarathustra and his God was initiated.
The scriptures were finally committed to writing by the scribes of the Sassanian Empire (224-651 CE) afterwards Zoroastrianism was declared the country religion. The oral tradition in written form became known every bit the Avesta (also given as Zend Avesta). Zarathustra's vision of a unmarried, all-powerful, all-expert God who took a personal interest in the lives and particularly the morality of human beings would inform the later monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Early Life & Religion
At that place is no scholarly consensus on when Zarathustra lived or even the significant of his name. It is generally understood that in the old Iranian language some variant such equally Zara-ustra had something to practice with the care of camels which may signal to his family unit'southward occupation, though this is far from articulate. The dates of c. 1500-one thousand BCE are commonly accepted for the time in which he lived, taught, and founded his faith based on a long tradition of scholarly work on the timeline of the Early Iranian Faith, show of the acceptance of Zoroastrianism, and references in the Avesta.
The Avesta, the only source of information on Zarathustra outside of commentaries & legends, does non business itself with the details of the prophet's life.
His place of nascency and lineage are also unknown. The Avesta, the simply source of information on Zarathustra outside of commentaries written on it and legends, does non business concern itself with the details of the prophet's life nor with the peoples he would accept interacted with such as the Medes or Persians. Once Zoroastrianism had been accepted, many different peoples of various regions claimed Zarathustra as their own and provided justification for those claims but none are any more convincing than another.
He is thought, notwithstanding, to have been born to Persian parents based on their names, Pourusaspa and Dughdova. His family proper noun was Spitama (meaning, roughly, "of a white or shining power"). His begetter, Pourusaspa, was probably a priest and his son would go one as sons normally followed in their fathers' professions. He had four brothers (ii older and two younger) and was educated at an early age, suggesting a family of significant means in that he was not sent to piece of work nor is there any suggestion of his having any occupation other than priest.
The religion he was devoted to is referenced today as the Early Iranian Organized religion or the Ancient Persian Organized religion and was a polytheistic belief system in which many gods were presided over by a main deity, Ahura Mazda, who guided human activity through benignancy and wisdom, keeping at bay the dark forces of the evil spirit Angra Mainyu (later known as Ahriman). Ahura Mazda had his gods and spirits of light and Angra Mainyu his own legions of demons and spirits of darkness and the two were in abiding disharmonize over command of the world. Every good gift which Ahura Mazda bestowed on the world would be corrupted by the schemes of Angra Mainyu who, nonetheless, would exist thwarted past Ahura Mazda's wisdom in bringing good even from evil intentions.
Caught between these two entities were human beings and the early on faith, as far as can be understood from afterward reconstructions, emphasized the primacy of free will in choosing which side one would marry one'due south self with. 1 could choose the path of low-cal and love by submitting to the will of Ahura Mazda and ane would then live well on world and exist assured of an afterlife in paradise or one could bring together in rebellion and mischief with Angra Mainyu, corrupt whatever was skillful for one's own selfish delights, and spend one'south life vainly attempting to find happiness in the misery of others and, finally, laissez passer on to a dark hell after death. Whichever path ane chose, it was entirely ane's ain responsibility as Ahura Mazda had granted humans the power of choice and there was zip more than strong than man free will as not even Ahura Mazda could (or would) endeavour to subvert it.
Conversion & Mission
The Early on Iranian Religion kept an oral tradition and and so, with no written scripture nor commentary, there is no way of knowing how the faith's rituals were conducted. It is known, from references in the Avesta and other Zoroastrian works, that there was a priestly form (the magi) and worship services were conducted outdoors at shrines known as Fire Temples. Sacrifices were made at these temples, most probable in the form of grains, animals, precious metals, and objects, which became the property of the priests. In time, the priestly class grew wealthy from these sacrifices and their likely control of rich farmlands. The names of 2 types of priests are given equally karpans and kawis, but the distinction between them is unclear as are their roles in religious observance.
Ateshgah Fire Temple
At the age of 30, he attended the festival of the Rites of Spring (near certainly the Nowruz Festival jubilant the New Year) and was saying prayers by a river when he experienced a divine vision. On the riverbank earlier him, a celestial entity appeared in vivid light calling himself Vohu Mahah ("good purpose") and telling Zarathustra that he had been sent by Ahura Mazda himself to evangelize a message of vital importance: the religion of the people as it was being expert was in fault. There were not many gods requiring different types of sacrifice only only one god, Ahura Mazda, who was not interested in animal cede but in moral beliefs. Vohu Mahah told Zarathustra that he had been chosen past the Ane Truthful God to preach this news and bring the people to proper understanding of their relationship with the Divine.
Zarathustra accepted this vision equally legitimate and began his mission instantly. He was rejected by his former colleagues in the priesthood who had no interest in seeing their status challenged by an upstart priest challenge a personal vision from God. His life was threatened, even his family seems to have abandoned him, and he was forced to flee his home. In the Avesta, Zarathustra describes this time in a lament:
What land should I flee to?
Where should I get to flee?
From my family and from my clan
They banish me.
The customs to which
I belong has non satisfied me
Nor have [the rulers] of the country.
How, Thee, can I satisfy, O Mazda Ahura? (Yasna 46.1)
Later, in the same chapter, he gives the reply of the god who sends him to preach his vision in the land of the male monarch Vishtaspa; the monarch who would change his life and help establish his religion.
Vishtaspa & Credence
Vishtaspa may take been a Bactrian male monarch or may not have existed at all as he is represented. As Zarathustra traveled toward his kingdom, he was in continual prayer with Ahura Mazda, asking questions and receiving guidance, and these conversations would subsequently exist included in the Avesta.
The new faith seems to accept gained more converts fairly rapidly & Zarathustra was honored with a place at Vishtaspa'southward courtroom.
Upon arriving at Vishtaspa's courtroom, he was announced and proclaimed his vision. Vishtaspa was no more pleased at hearing of a new faith than the people of Zarathustra'southward hometown had been and had him engage in a theological debate with the court priests. Zarathustra ably defeated all of their arguments, showing how they worshipped faux gods while the One True God was making himself known to them, but this challenged the status quo far too much for Vishtaspa who had Zarathustra imprisoned.
The prophet would non renounce his vision, all the same, and received wisdom from his god on how to convince Vishtaspa. He miraculously healed the king'southward favorite horse, which had been suffering from paralysis, and this inclined the male monarch to mind to Zarathustra's message again in private. Vishtaspa was converted and decreed Zarathustra'south new organized religion the faith of the country. According to some traditions, the priests who had argued against Zarathustra were executed.
The new religion seems to accept gained more converts fairly quickly and Zarathustra was honored with a place at Vishtaspa's court. He lived there in the company of the rex for the rest of his life while establishing the precepts of the faith and proper observance of rituals which, notably, did not include animal sacrifice. He is said to have married three times and to take had 3 sons and three daughters. According to one tradition, he died of natural causes when he was 77 while, according to some other, he was assassinated by a karpan priest in retaliation for dismantling the old organized religion.
Zoroastrianism
The new faith Zarathustra founded drew on the quondam only established significant differences. It was based on 5 principles:
- There is only one God who reigns supreme: Ahura Mazda
- Ahura Mazda is all-good
- His eternal opponent, Angra Mainyu, is all-evil
- Goodness is made apparent through skilful thoughts, practiced words, and skilful deeds
- Each private has gratis volition to choose between good and evil
Human free will was central to the faith in that i'due south pick determined one's destiny. In choosing to submit to, and follow, the precepts of Ahura Mazda, 1 was placing the common good to a higher place ane's ain selfish desires in an effort to maintain the divine order. If one chose to marshal i's self with Angra Mainyu, i placed i's ain interests above those of others which inevitably would characterize one'southward life as contentious, dislocated, bitter, envious, and petty. One could alive a meaningful, elevated life in service to others and one's God, which would benefit one in this life and the adjacent, or withdraw to the darkness of Angra Mainyu and essentially piece of work against the forces of order and goodness. If one chose the path of Ahura Mazda, i expressed that choice through the key precepts of Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds and practiced these through:
- Telling the truth at all times – especially keeping promises
- Practicing charity to all – especially the less fortunate
- Showing beloved for others – fifty-fifty if they did not return that love
- Practicing moderation in all things – particularly in one'southward diet
Virtuous behavior was a reflection of one'southward faith in an all-expert and all-powerful God who cared for humanity and, specifically, had an interest in one's moral and ethical choices. Private choice defined an individual's life. If one paid lip-service to the faith but acted in opposition to it, i was apparently aligned with Angra Mainyu and the forces of darkness and chaos. If i were truly an adherent of the path of Ahura Mazda, 1 would show this choice clearly in the three core values of personal behavior:
- To make friends of enemies
- To make the wicked righteous
- To make the ignorant learned
If one chose the path of Ahura Mazda, and regularly showed 1's faith through the practice of these precepts, one would lead a life which benefited others as well equally one's self. Through consideration of the greater good, ane would exist expressing the will of the Divine, non simply 1'due south personal desires or narrow goals, and would embody the values of the Supreme God in one's daily life. The faithful Zoroastrian would not simply live a adept and productive life only exist assured of paradise subsequently death.
Yazd Atash Behram
These dogs would welcome a justified soul who had lived well but would snarl at those who had chosen Angra Mainyu's side in the cosmic struggle. After meeting with the dogs, the soul would then encounter the Holy Maiden, Daena, representing the conscience of the deceased. To the blessed soul who would exist justified by their choices, Daena would appear every bit a beautiful young girl; to those who would be condemned in the afterlife for their selfishness, she would seem an ugly erstwhile hag.
Daena would lead the soul onto the Chinvat Span where it would exist protected confronting demonic set on by the angel Suroosh. Every bit the soul crossed in Suroosh's company, the bridge would widen to welcome the justified soul, making for an easy passage, only would narrow and become precarious for the condemned. Suroosh would guide the soul to the far finish where the angel Rashnu, righteous estimate of the dead (and, in some traditions, the god Mithra) would determine one'south destination.
Those souls whose deeds were more or less equally proficient and bad went to a kind of purgatory known as Hamistakan where they would remain until the end of earthly time. Those who had lived in accordance with Ahura Mazda's precepts went to the House of Song while those who had chosen Angra Mainyu dropped from the bridge into the House of Lies. In that location were 4 levels of paradise ascending upwards from the bridge, each more beautiful than the last, and iv levels of hell descending downwards to the lowest which was a pit of absolute darkness where the soul would e'er experience alone no thing how many others were in its company.
Chinvat Bridge
Yet, the state of the soul was not eternal – whether one found paradise or hell waiting – because Ultimate Goodness would non permit whatever of its creations to endure eternally nor come up to languish in a paradise which required no effort to bask. Somewhen, a messiah known as the Saoshyant ("1 Who Brings Benefit") would come and bring the Frashokereti (Finish of Time) when all souls would be reunited with Ahura Mazda in elation and Angra Mainyu and his demons would be destroyed.
Determination
This organized religion, as noted, was practiced from earlier the time of the Achaemenid Empire through that of the Sassanians. During that time, innovations were made as evidenced by the then-called "heresy" of Zorvanism which sought to resolve the problem of evil by making a modest god of time, Zorvan, of the Early Iranian Faith, the Supreme Deity. Zorvan, in this belief system, represented Infinite Fourth dimension and gave nascence to the twins Ormuzd (Ahura Mazda) and Ahriman (Angra Mainyu). Ahriman was given control of the globe for nine,000 years but Ormuzd would then triumph and destroy the evil works of Ahriman to redeem all the people.
Zarathustra'south religion continued to develop until 651 CE when the Muslim Arabs invaded and toppled the Sassanian Empire. The faith had come under attack before past zealous Christians in the 4th century CE but they did not have the political power to do much more than than harass Zoroastrian clergy and adherents. The Muslim Arabs destroyed Zoroastrian shrines, fire temples, and libraries, called-for scores of Persian works, in an effort to subjugate the people and impose their religion.
The Avesta, and commentaries, were saved by the Parsees – those who fled the region for India – or past those who remained and kept the texts hidden. Zarathustra's vision was thereby saved and the do of his religion continues up through the present day. His concepts of the primacy of gratuitous volition, individual responsibleness for one's choices in life and destination in the afterlife, personal judgment after decease, a messiah who redeems the world, a heaven and hell, as well as a span betwixt the living and the expressionless, would come to inform Judaism, Christianity, and Islam significantly. Zarathustra'southward origins, family, even the significant of his proper noun might remain obscure but his vision continues to exist lived, non simply by modern-day adherents of his faith but past the many others whose faiths he lay the foundations for.
This commodity has been reviewed for accuracy, reliability and adherence to bookish standards prior to publication.
Source: https://www.worldhistory.org/zoroaster/
Posted by: richardsonreepris1964.blogspot.com
0 Response to "How Did Persian Religion Developed, And How Did Zarathustra Change It?"
Post a Comment