Zoroastrianism (Parsiism)
And know you not of Mithra the king, and of
Zoroaster the prophet of the Persians, who woke from man's ancient sleep
and stood at the bed of our dreaming? -Kahlil Gibran, 1928
History/Founder:
Founded
in Persia around 1200-1600 BC by the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra),
Zoroastrianism is the world's oldest continuing monotheistic religion.
Some scholars believe that Zoroastrian doctrines - those of heaven and
hell, the struggle of good versus evil, and a redeeming messiah- have
deeply influenced the Jewish and Christian religions.
Current
leader/governing body: The leaders of the Zoroastrian hierarchy in Bombay,
India, are the current decision making body.
Number
of Adherents: Only a few hundred thousand
Zoroastrian believers are left, and the majority live in India and Iran.
[note: at this time, census numbers reflect a decline in hte Parsi population
so severe that less than eighty thousand believers may remain.]
Clergy:
Priests, who officiate temple worship and other common rites.
Requirements
to join: How
one becomes a Zoroastrian is an ongoing controversy. According to the
prevailing view, one must be born into the faith, of a Zoroastrian father-
converts are unacceptable. However, due to dwindling numbers of faithful,
some believe that converts should be admitted. The survival of the religion
may depend on it.
Church/temple: Zoroastrians worship and share communion in a temple,
often referred to as a "fire temple,"
where an eternal fire burns continuously.
Scripture: The main Zoroastrian Holy Scriptures are called the Avestas,
written in an ancient text (Avestan) that is similar to Sanskrit. A
portion of the Avestas known as the Gathas,
consist of hymns written by Zoroaster. Religious law is contained in
another text, the Vendidad.
Many of the original texts are missing.
Required
observances, dietary restrictions: Five
daily prayers, preceded by ablutions,
are required of every believer above the age of seven. A sacred cord,
or kushti, is retied around the waist with each prayer. Physical cleanliness
is important. An
initiation ceremony similar to the Jewish Bar/Bat
mitzvah, called a Navjot, is performed when a believer comes of age.
Zoroastrian dead are not buried, but placed in the open air in structures
called "towers of silence," to be devoured by vultures.
Code
of conduct: The last book of the Avestas, the Vendidad, contains Zoroastrian civil and religious
law. The Vendidad is complex, and covers subjects as diverse as the
way prayers are to be recited to the treatment of pets and livestock.
The Jewish book of law, Leviticus, contains many similarities to the
Vendidad, and was likely based on it.
Basic
teachings and Beliefs of Zoroastrianism: Zoroastrianism
is one of two remaining dualist religions (the other being the Manicheans).
At the center of Zoroastrian belief is a duality of conflicting forces-
Ahura-Mazda (Ormahzd), the supreme entity and the force of good, versus
Ahriman, the force of evil and darkness. These forces are locked in a
constant struggle, but good, as always, is expected to prevail.
Zoroastrians believe that time is divided into three ages, those of
creation, the current era of mixed good and evil, and the coming era,
when Ahura-Mazda will triumph, evildoers will be punished,
and the good will go to heaven. It is an apocalyptic religion, like
Christianity. However, unlike most Christian views of hell, Zoroastrians
believe it to be a temporary abode, where sinners are cleansed by fire.
(much like the Catholic concept of purgatory.)
Ahurah-Mazda
is worshipped through a sacred fire, which is said to contain his presence.
(leading some scholars to the conclusion that Moses of the Old Testament
was Zoroastrian). The impending appearance of the Sayoshant, or savior,
is expected to usher in the final judgement of man, resurrect the faithful,
and defeat evil for eternity. This savior is expected of the line of
Zoroaster, and to be born of a virgin.
Holidays:
Zoroastrian holidays include
No Ruz (literally, new day), or the New Year, celebrated at the Spring
Equinox, and Farvardigan, or ten days of the
dead, honoring and remembering Zoroastrians of the past, and Khordad
Sal, Zoroaster's birthday.
Symbols: A living flame, symbolizing the manifested presence of God, and the
Farohar (Fravashi, Farahvahar), an emblem of the faith:
 
For more information on this and other symbols, please see Religious
symbols.
Myths
and misconceptions: The
most usual misconception is that Zoroastrians are fire-worshippers;
they are not. In zoroastrian worship, fire is simply a symbol of the
manifested power of Ahura-mazda.
Famous
Zoroastrians: Musician Eddie Mercury
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