What Is the Zoroastrian Worldview?

/ Minor Religions - Middle East, Zoroastrianism / By

What is Zoroastrianism?  

Zoroastrianism is considered to be one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world. It is debated that Judaism, Christianity, and even Islam received some of their concepts for their beliefs from this ancient religion. This educated assumption seems plausible because of the correlations between the religions, both chronologically and geographically. Such ideas are: a one Creator God, an afterlife, a last judgment, an apocalypse, the resurrection of the bodies of the good, and the savior or series of saviors known as Saoshyants who will rid the worlds from evil. 

This article will analyze Zoroastrianism through the four major components of a worldview: epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and socio-political philosophy.

A Brief History

Zoroastrianism (a Mazda-worshipping religion) originated in the second millennium B.C. among Iranian tribes in Central Asia. Iranians are defined as speakers of Iranian languages. Such languages include the ancient languages Avestan, Old Persian, and Middle Persian (Pahlavi). It also includes many of the modern descendent languages such as as Persian (Farsi), Kurdish, and Pashto (Afghan).  

The Indo-Aryan languages (Sanskrit, Hindi, etc) are close relatives. Since they are all from the same Indo-European language family, their close relationship means they were a single people, probably living in Central Asia as far back as the third millennium B.C.

Epistemology

Epistemology is the study of knowledge.  It asks the question, “how can a person know what is and is not true?”  It seeks to find certainty in knowledge of what is true; so that the other three aspects of a worldview can be determined inevitably.

Ultimate Authority

The Supreme Creator or Wise Lord, Ahura Mazda, is believed to be the engenderer of all things.  From him comes the origin of thought, action, and speech. “Wisdom,” or “guiding thought” as it is called, only comes from Ahura Mazda. His name approximately means “he who places (everything) in his mind”— not exactly “wisdom” as commonly rendered.  

Zarathustra is the name of the inspired poet who first gave voice to this wisdom. He did this by writing the Gathas (songs, poems, or hymns) which are the channel that this “wisdom” is conveyed through. In other words, the Gathas are considered most authoritative because they reveal the “mind” of Ahura Mazda, in so far as that mind can be apprehended by man. It is the thoughts of the individual that focus on Ahura Mazda that guide him/her to goodness and closeness with him. Therefore, one must think “Good Thoughts” in order to discern what is real and what is false; and then act and speak accordingly.

The Pahlavi and Avesta Texts

For Zoroastrians, the ancient texts known as the Pahlavi and the Avesta are how a follower can know about Ahura Mazda and his plans for the universe. They consist of Old Avestan and Young Avestan language. The Avesta is a Middle Persian word that is thought to mean “praise” or “sacred utterance.” It is constructed of:

  • The Yasna, which includes Zoroastrian sacred liturgy, and the Gathas, which are five hymns written by Zarathustra to Ahura Mazda.
  • The Visperad (liturgical instructions).
  • the Vendidad (myths, purity laws, and medical texts).
  • The Khorda Avesta (“Small Avesta”) which contains prayers, other hymns, poetry, assorted ceremonial instructions, and excerpts from the Avesta.

Dating of the Texts

There is no identifiable information regarding the dating of the Avestan oral texts, but the language and content is similar to those of the Rigvedic hymns of Hinduism. The oldest of these can be dated to 1500–1000 B.C. The Old Avesta (including the Gathas) is likely to have reached its final spoken form by about 1000 B.C.; and the Young Avesta before the Achaemenid period (550–330 B.C.), maybe during the Median period (ca. 700–550 B.C.). 

The Pahlavi texts are dated from the ninth century B.C. and describe the indigenous history of Zoroastrianism. The oldest texts of the Avesta are said to have been burned when Alexander the Great fired the palace of the Persian Achaemenian emperors.

The oral Young Avesta and Pahlavi texts have kept the tradition and ritual practices alive because of the oral foundation which was set from the Old Avesta. The oldest dating manuscripts of the Avesta found today, are from the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries A.D. with some as early as 1000 A.D. 

Oral Transmission and Interpretation

Since the Avestan texts are the result of several millennia of oral transmission, as time passed by and its composers moved from place to place, the language changed. As a result, somehow the old language was no longer understood in writing; but oral translations and explanations of the texts must have existed and were adapted throughout the generations to new times and places.  Consequently, the worldview of Zoroastrianism might have changed over time as the Iranians moved around and met other people.  

Hermeneutics (How to interpret scriptures)

The difficulty in interpreting the texts, is defining the central terms in their various periods. The Old Avesta, Young Avesta, and Pahlavi texts were each spoken in different regions and expound on different narratives in each contexts’ own version. The priests are the ones who hold the authority in transmission of the texts and teaching.  The texts are still communicated orally from repetitive memorization. This is how everyone learns the words of the ancient texts correctly.  

When speaking the words of the Avesta, it is crucial to have correct utterance of the words and control of the tongue, because these are qualities of the ashavan (follower of the truth) who want to heal the world of evil. It is believed that oral recitation activates the power that is inherent in the chosen manthra (words that verbalize the spiritual insight), so that it will create the reaction and insight to the speakers and listeners. When performing these manthras, the focus is on annunciation, rather than intellectual meaning. The interpretation is not forgotten nor thought to be meaningless because there are many Avestan prayer books that are transliterated into English, Persian, and Gujarati.

Metaphysics

Metaphysics is the study of reality and asks the question, “what exists”. It seeks to explain what is beyond the physical world and understand the relationship between the physical and abstract.

The Corporeal World

In the Avesta, the term for “creation” means by birth; or being fashioned as an artist would form something. Ahura Mazda created two worlds in the beginning. The first was an ordered world known as the “thought world” (conceptual existence). It is spoken of being produced in terms of a biological action from Ahura Mazda’s own essence; sort of like fathering an offspring. It was generated from Ahura Mazda’s own thought. The principle of the cosmic order in this conceptual world is known as asha (that which is “straight” or “real”. Asha can also be thought of as “truth”.  

The corporeal world (world of the living) is derived from the conceptual world; thus, things do not come into existence from nothing. According to the Pahlavi texts, Ohrmazd (Ahura Mazda) was threatened by Ahrimen (Angra Mainyu) which prompted Ohrmazd to create the two worlds. He assigned a temporal duration to them of 12,000 years. Ahrimen assaulted the world of the living beings after they were born. He polluted it with his evil creatures (pestilence, disease, etc).

Mankind

Mankind was birthed from Ahura Mazda when the corporeal world was created. Man consists of a body and a “pre-soul.” The pre-soul (consciousness) is created in the world of thought and pre-exists the person. The person receives the pre-soul in the making of the fetus at birth. When a person dies, the pre-soul returns to Ahura Mazda.

The purpose of human existence is to ally one’s self with Ahura Mazda. This is done by developing “good thoughts” so that one can distinguish what is real and what is false.  Humans have the responsibility to make a conscious choice between good and evil paths, and then act and speak accordingly. Humans are also to exercise this free will knowing that they must live with the consequences.

Spiritual Realm

Ahura Mazda created other spirit beings to help him in the fight against evil. These are known as amesha spentas(collectively known as “beneficent immortals”) and are connected to the six revitalizing qualities of Ahura Mazda. Each quality (Desired Rule, Wholeness, Beneficent Right-mindedness, Immortality, Good Thought, Beneficent Inspiration, and Best Asha) and amesha spenta is attached to one of the elements of creation (sky, water, earth, plant, cattle, humans, fire).  

The asha (truth) is the element of fire and is seen as one of the most important elements. Fire is the physical and figurative representation of the order of Ahura Mazda. Ahura Mazda and His Beneficent Inspiration (or spirit), who is the connecting link between Ahura Mazda and humanity, are present in fire. Fire is, thus, a vital element in Zoroastrian worship and rituals. 

Axiology (What is Truth?)

From the beginning of the universe, there existed a dualism of good and evil or light and darkness. The opposition to the cosmic order, asha, is the cosmic druj (“crooked,” “devious,” “unreal,” or “lie.” Lie has a meaning of deception. 

The Druj deceives men and gods as to the true nature of the universe and says that the wicked are good. There is a cosmic battle between these two “Spirits,” mental impulse and inspiration. Each person has the potential to choose which to follow. Each one’s choice between order and chaos, will determine which of those “spirits” will gain in power within both worlds.  

Origin of Suffering

All pain, suffering, disease, pestilence, injustice, war, and any other evil, are due to the existence of the first spirit, Angra Mainyu. He must constantly be repressed in order to keep evil from snuffing out good. The other spirit is Spenta Mainyu and is the representation of all that is good.  One of the Gathas poems encourages everyone to pay close attention to their recitation. They are to open up their ears to the words and their mind to enlightened thought so that they can choose between the two potentialities.

Since the world was created in order (or “perfect”), its corruption happens by the misguided choices of people. Natural disaster and human-induced miseries, such as poverty and hunger, are caused by humans choosing the path of destruction rather than of progress. Angra Mainyu is said to only be present in the conceptual world; therefore, the Lie (druj) comes into existence only through the minds of fallible humanity. Evil, then, results in the corporeal world from the action of human ignorance, deceit, and delusion. 

Eschatology (The study of the End Times)

When a person dies, there will be a kind of crossing place for each person. There, each person is called into account for the good and bad that they did and will be judged accordingly. Those who followed the good will receive good rewards. They will live in the “house of songs” or best existence. The best existence will be in the light next to Ahura Mazda. Those who follow the lie and do evil will not receive rewards. They will be sent to the “house of lie” or the worst existence. The worst existence is in endless darkness and the food is poisonous.

In the end times, the final battle between good and evil happens on earth (Corporeal world or “world of the living”), sort of like an apocalypse. Zarathustra and his three sons will appear (known as the Saoshyant or saviors), and the dead will be resurrected from their places in the “house of songs” and “house of lie” and gathered to the earth.  

Judgment and Redemption

The heavenly dragon, Gochihr, will fall down to earth and set it on fire. A river of molten metal will flow toward “hell.” All the sin and evil will be purified from the earth. Those who are resurrected will go to paradise purified. The Saoshyants and Zarathustra will begin a chain of sacrifices on the earth.  

Zarathustra will act has chief priest for this world with the supervision of Wishtasp (a king of past history from the Nodar family). Ahura Mazda will then perform the last sacrifice with the assistance of Wishtasp which will produce the Final Body. This Final Body will be a permanent existence where Asha has a body, and the world will be permanently fertile and fecundate.

Ethics

Ethics is the study of what one should do in light of what reality is. What one believes to be true in terms of their source of authority and purpose for life, will determine how one acts toward others.

The sum of one’s thoughts, words, and deeds relate to one’s religious insight. This is enhanced through recitation of the Gathas and in making offerings to the good waters and to the fire of Ahura Mazda. The human role is to establish order. When one does a beneficial act, it is closely linked to Ahura Mazda’s creative activity of good. 

Whatever contributes to the future victory of good over evil is what is recommended and rewarded. Such recommended values are straightness and honesty, truthfulness, generosity, and moderation. What is to be avoided and punished is crookedness, deviousness, deceit, and greed.

Socio-political Philosophy

Socio-political philosophy studies ethics on a societal scale. It seeks to answer the questions of how communities and societies should behave. 

For Zoroastrians, societal ethics comes from the individual only.  It is the individual’s responsibility to promote the “best good”. Each person is to think “Good Thoughts,” do good deeds, and say good things; whether they have a leadership role or are a ruler. All actions have consequences and when there is bad governance, Zoroastrians understand that there will be repercussions from that. It is their job to continually pursue good and invite others to do the same.

In their life of trying to do good, Zoroastrians exemplify integrity and honesty. They also are very philanthropic and believe in solving environmental problems and nurturing the land.  This carries over into their business and any politics they may be involved in.

In Summary

The Zoroastrians believe that Ahura Mazda is the creator God of all that is good.  He created two worlds: first the conceptual world and then the corporeal world. The conceptual world was created by his thought and the corporeal world was formed from that. It is through thinking “Good Thoughts” that a person can do good. Evil always existed and corrupts both of the worlds. A person must choose to follow the path of good in order to strengthen the hold of good over the world.  

A person has the help of the ancient prayers in the Gathas texts which can further assist in gaining insight and wisdom about Ahura Mazda’s good and how to think, act, and speak accordingly. Whatever good or bad one does will have its proper reward after one’s death until the end comes. In the end, everyone will be resurrected with immortal bodies, will be made pure, and will live in Paradise with Ahura Mazda away from evil.  

For Further Study

(Amazon Affiliate links below)

  • Handbook of World Religions: A Bible-Based Review of 50 World Faiths. — Len Woods – Buy it here!
  • Religions in a Changing World. — Howard Vos
  • The Land of the Bible: A Historical Geography — Yohanan Aharoni – Buy it here!
  • The Spirit of Zoroastrianism. — Prods Oktor Skjaervo – Buy it here!
  • Zoroastrianism: A Guide for the Perplexed — Jenny Rose – Buy it here!