The Legacy of Zoroaster
I have always been amazed, surprised and simply astounded by the influence of Zoroastrianism on the religions of the monotheistic Near East. Though this religion has diminished in popularity and in the number of it's adherents, it's influence on the Abrahamic faiths is enormous. I once attended, back in the later 80's, a talk given by the great Cyril Glasse, entitled 'The Once and Future Religion: How Zoroastrianism Lives on in Judaism, Christianity and Islam'. Ever since that delightful, enlightening evening, the importance of recognizing Zoroastrian teachings which have become an integral part of the Abrahamic faiths has been a major interest of mine. I firmly believe that all believers, especially those following a monotheistic faith teaching should consider studying and learning at about this one time major world religion which had a profound effect on the spirituality and religious history of the Middle East and beyond.
Unity manifests itself in the material physical realm as dualist. That unity of the divine, unseen and beyond our comprehension, cannot be fully understood in physical forms or designs. Creation, as we can clearly see and understand, as well as all aspects of that creation, is composed of opposites. Light and dark, hot and cold, wet and dry, formulated matter and ethereal spirit, everything exists along with it's opposite.
Our lives experience this manifestation of opposites as well. All of our contacts with nature or with other beings reminds us that we think in terms of opposites and act according to the law of opposites. When we encounter a situation or a proposal, we ask ourselves if this is a positive or negative thing for us, speculating how our decision will affect us and the world we live in. According to the teachings of ancient Zoroastrianism, based on the teachings of Zarathustra which is the name of the great prophet in Persian, as in all monotheistic faith teachings mankind is given free will to make these decisions. Divinity is one, united with itself, complete, pure undivided oneness. Creation itself is a mirror of this divine unity, thus in essence, a double. From this act stems all that is not of the original unity, thus everything has it's opposite in the created world.
Human beings therefore are the medium, the testing ground if you will, of the extreme struggle of the moral will which is within all of us, the battle between good and evil, light and dark. Ahura Mazda is light, unity, all that is good and pure, while Ahriman is the lord of darkness. Light is eternal, darkness temporal, and a man or a woman must struggle with these two opposing forces all of his or her life. Whether to act in cohesion with the concept of Ahura Mazda and light and bring about good in the world, or to follow the manifestation of darkness which is of Ahriman is a decision every human being has to make, every hour and every minute that human being is alive and consciously thinking.
Long ago Zoroastrianism, along with another dualist teaching called Manichaeism, clearly defined this struggle and balance between light/dark and good/evil that we all, as human beings, can relate to. The prophet Zoroaster not only defined this struggle and situation we as living beings find ourselves in, but also taught that it is our duty to maintain and encourage goodness to create a world in which we can further understand that unity that calls us to join the ranks of enlightened beings who desire to return to their natural state. To do this, to attain this, one must experience life...in all it's duality of joy and sadness, love and hate, wealth and misery, pride and humbleness, order and chaos. This is the natural state of mankind and it is free will which we can exercise to bring about a state of justice and truth. It is no wonder that ancient Persia produced such a king as Cyrus who has been labeled as 'The Great', the man who came up with the first charter of human rights in history, a charter that called on all peoples and faiths to be respected. A study of Iranian history clearly show us that the tolerance and brilliance of Cyrus' age and rule would be replaced by later intolerance and decadent indulgence on the part of Iranian kings, causing that great civilization to come to an eventual end. Centuries later, the tolerant and benevolent reign of the Moghul emperor Akbar, a ruler enraptured by the study of the world's religions in which there can be no doubt that Zoroastrianism via Sufism surely played a part in that man's understanding, who's India was the world's most tolerant realm in it's day, would be replaced by the tyrannical Aurangzeb. Thus, in the study of mankind's past the element of duality is ever present. Like the monsoon rain that follows a season of dryness, so enlightenment replaces ignorance. Then darkness eventually draws a curtain over the sunlight of the day and the evolutionary process continues.
If Ahura Mazda is the source of light and goodness and according to the teachings this light will eventually prevail in the struggle of good and evil, then darkness is but temporary. Darkness needs nothing to survive on it's own for it is, by it's nature, nothingness. So, light must then exist due to something. There must be some power, force or energy source maintaining this light's eternal existence as it is described. In the Zoroastrian religion, priests are called Fire Keepers. They maintain the sacred fire which represents the light of Ahura Mazda, or God, as a reminder of the struggle to keep alive the notion of light in our worldly existence. Yet Ahura Mazda, or God, doesn't need us to keep his light continuing. Or does he?
We cannot prove that any deity exists. Again the dual argument of opposites of "yes there is a god" and the "no there isn't" continues. Yet we can all agree that the concept of love, compassion and mercy, showing benevolence to our fellow human beings and the creatures in which we share this world is for most of us, believers in a deity or not, a necessity for our survival. We all strive to create a better world and struggle with the negative concepts that oppose this striving to bring about compassionate good and justice. If Ahura Mazda aka God, made of light therefore living is to indeed exist, is it not possible that it is our striving to do good, our benevolence and mercy, our compassion and acceptance of others and the command to implement truth and justice for all that constitutes the fuel for the fire of love that will eventually shine forever and for eternity, defeating the forces of Ahriman and banishing darkness forever? We cannot prove that Ahura Mazda as God or Ahriman/ the Devil exists, but if we choose to understand good versus evil, light versus darkness, then it is certainly up to us to make the decision to do what we can to keep the flames of peace and goodness alight, so it will be there for us when we retire to that eternal abode of crystal purity that we all strive for. Thus, we are all the Fire Keepers of our existence.
According to the Zend Avesta, in the Yasnas or the religious texts of the Zoroastrian faith and the Gathas which are the scriptures of Zoroaster himself, Ahura Mazda is Spenta Mainyu, or good spirit, and begets Asha, which means truth and justice. Ahura Mazda stands in opposition to Ahriman, who is represented by Angra Mainyu or evil spirit. We humans beings purify ourselves and our world through the embodiment of three qualities; Humata, Hukhta and Huvarshta, meaning good thought, good words and good deeds. Making our mind in imitation of the mind of Ahura Mazda by thinking gooid thoughts begets good words which in turn brings about and inspires others to do good deeds and works. The Torah and the Talmud of Judaism and the teachings of the Gospels as well as the inspiration found in the Quran and the hadith collections all encourage humans to think good thoughts, speak good words and perform good deeds by going out of their way for the benefit of society.
The imagery in the verses of the Vendidad of the Avesta, Fargard xiv clearly demonstrate the poetic and epic language of old Persian. In this segment, respect for all life in this a case the life of a dog, is exemplified. The punishment for such a person who kills a creature is great and there is a penalty of atonement for committing what was perceived as a horrific crime:
9. 'He shall godly and piously give to godly men a set of all the war implements of which the warriors make use, to redeem his own soul;
'The first being a javelin, the second a sword, the third a club, the fourth a bow, the fifth a saddle with a quiver and thirty iron25b-headed arrows, the sixth a sling with arm-string and with thirty sling stones26;
'The seventh a cuirass, the eighth a hauberk27, the ninth a tunic28, the tenth a helmet, the eleventh a girdle, the twelfth a pair of greaves.
10. 'He shall godly and piously give to godly men a set of all the implements of which the husbandmen make use, to redeem his own soul, namely: A plough with yoke and ...29; a goad for ox; a mortar of stone; a round-headed hand-mill for grinding corn;
11. 'A spade for digging and tilling; one measure of silver and one measure of gold.'O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How much silver?
Ahura Mazda answered: 'The price of a stallion.'
O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How much gold?
Ahura Mazda answered: 'The price of a he-camel.
12. 'He shall godly and piously procure a rill of running water30 for godly husbandmen, to redeem his own soul.'O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How large is the rill?
Ahura Mazda answered: 'The depth of a dog, and the breadth of a dog31.
13. 'He shall godly and piously give a piece of arable land to godly men, to redeem his own soul.'O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How large is the piece of land?
Ahura Mazda answered: 'As much as can be watered with such a rill divided into two canals32.
14. 'He shall godly and piously procure for godly men a stable for oxen, with nine hathras and nine nematas33, to redeem his own soul.'O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How large is the stable?
Ahura Mazda answered: 'It shall have twelve alleys34 in the largest part of the house, nine alleys in the middle part, six alleys in the smallest part.
'He shall godly and piously give to godly men goodly beds with Sheets and cushions, to redeem his own soul.
15. 'He shall godly and piously give in marriage to a godly man a virgin maid, whom no man has known35, to redeem his own soul.'O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! What sort of maid?
Ahura Mazda answered: 'A sister or a daughter of his, at the age of puberty, with ear-rings in her ears and past her fifteenth year.
16. 'He shall godly and piously give to holy men twice seven head of small cattle, to redeem his own soul.''He shall bring up twice seven whelps.
'He shall throw twice seven bridges over canal.
17. 'He shall put into repair twice nine stables that are out of repair.'He shall cleanse twice nine dogs from stipti, anairiti, and vyangura36, and all the diseases that are produced on the body of a dog.
'He shall treat twice nine godly men to their fill of meat, bread, strong drink, and wine.
18. 'This is the penalty, this is the atonement which saves the faithful man who submits to it not him who does not submit to it. Such a one shall surely be an inhabitant in the mansion of the Druj37.'
The Book of Ezekiel speaks of fantastic chariots in the sky and the prophetic building of new cities. it should be remembered that the Hebrews were enslaved in Babylonian captivity and were freed by Cyrus the Great. It was here that Judaism as we know it was formulated and the Talmud compiled. It comes as no surprise then that Jewish commentary and scriptures are replete with Persianized imagery.
From the Book of Ezekiel
1 In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
2 On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—3 the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the Lord was on him.
4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. They each had two wingsspreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. 12 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16 This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change directionas the creatures went. 18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. 23 Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. 24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. 26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
The Quranic surah 99, Al Zilzal, or the Earthquake, is a Zoroastrian like prophecy that echoes the flow of the Book of Revelations in the New Testament:
In the name of God the Beneficent, the Merciful
1. When the earth is shaken to her (utmost) convulsion,
2. And the earth throws up her burdens (from within),
3. And man cries (distressed): 'What is the matter with her?'-
4. On that Day will she declare her tidings:
5. For that thy Lord will have given her inspiration.
6. On that Day will men proceed in companies sorted out, to be shown the deeds that they (had done).
7. Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it!
8. And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it.
The ultimate final battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil, a common theme of the folk epics of the ancient Aryan peoples, is clearly evident in the linear concept of time and events in this Persian religion and has become the norm for all the Abrahamic religions as well. We can see such cosmic struggle and the great showdown in modern tales such as in The Lord of the Rings. These tales are with us and are part of us. Perhaps without realizing it we are influenced in our daily lives by making decisions for our own paths and goals as if we were some great entity or were granted a special responsibility to wield some magic sword of power. We move in a linear fashion in time and through space. We go to school, work then prepare for retirement and death. In the course of this lifetime we try and help others and stand up for what is right and good for all around us. We are as paladins traveling the Earth seeking out our destiny in every turn we make, in every career we embark upon. We battle that which stands against us, sometimes against that which stands against others, as life unfolds before our eyes every day. We are like the hero who has no choice but to do what is right at every turn. It is the morally correct thing to do, without question. We say it is the 'Christian' thing to do, or it is an ancient Hebrew ethic, or perhaps such a deed is truly 'Islamic'. But long before any of these religions implemented such morality, it was Zoroastrianism which made these morality issues articles of faith. Without them one cannot be considered a human being let alone a believer in the faith of Zarathustra. Indeed the medieval concept of chivalry was a Persian concept, passed on to the Islamic world as 'futuwah' which in turn was passed on to the western European concept of knighthood; noble people who would undertake noble quests to bring justice into an unjust world.
Such are the teachings and prophecies of the great Zoroaster which can be applied to our own lives and concepts of faith that we hold so dear. Regardless of our faith connection, we can all relate to Zoroaster's definition of our existence in this world and universe, and utilize our understanding of beauty to bring about a better world for our children and our descendants. What can be more noble than to be the instrument of light, the vehicle through which the Creator manifests his divine unity? This man Zarathustra centuries ago hit the proverbial nail upon it's head. His hammer, created from divine light and truth, taught mankind how to put darkness in it's place and keep it at bay, as Zoroastrianism lives on on the faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, having served as the bridge between Eastern and Western concepts of God and spirituality. Though Zoroastrianism has given way to the Abrahamic faiths, in particular to Islam which as an ancient political force destroyed the last vestiges of Zoroastrian Mazdaism in the homeland of Persia, the faith lives on in countless practices and rites as well as in pure theology and applied principles. Particularly interesting is the work of the medieval sufi Suhrawardi, among others, who adopted Zoroastrian teachings and adapted them to Islam. According to Cyril Glasse it was Cyrus the Great's invasion of the middle east in ancient times which began the process of Zoroastrian ideas entering Abrahamism. When we read of the hierarchy of angels and the many levels of heaven and hell, when we are amazed or frightened at the descriptions of Armageddon in the Book of revelation or the last days as told in the Quran, we can afely say that we are reading verses that echo the writings and descriptions of the end days as originally explained in Zoroastrian belief. The sacrifice of Jesus can be compared to the sacrifice of the Mithraic bull, a cult that competed with Christianity as the state religion of the Roman empire, and the concept of martyrdom in Shi'ism a leftover from Zoroastrian tradition in Iran. The Muslim ritual of prayer as well as the ablutions before prayer, the setting of the 'sofra' or holy meal of the Sufis all can be said to utilize Zoroastrian tradition as their root. Finally, the world changing into a new world where asha or justice and truth dominate are also to be found in all the Abrahamic faiths, and this element comes directly from the teachings of Zarathustra.
May the light of love illuminate us all and heal the broken, darkened world we live in. May we study and become familiar with the lost narratives of the past for clues as to what we were, what we are, and what we can plan to become for a better future for us all. Let good thoughts beget good words which in turn inspire us all to perform good deeds as acts of charity and the never ending struggle to bring about a just world for all creatures.
No comments:
Post a Comment