Maestru primordial- Zarathustra

The Zoroastrians of Iran were members of the Indo-European family known as the Aryans. They called themselves Zoroastrians because they believed in the teachings of the first Aryan prophet, Zarathushtra.

Zarathushtra was the first prophet to preach a monotheistic religion, and He was born in Iran about 8000 years BC. He revealed that there was only one God, Ahura Mazda and that life in the physical world was a battle between good and evil.

As per man's actions, he would either cross the "Chinvato Peretu" or the sword bridge after death, and reach Heaven, or fall from it and go to the abode of the evil one. In the final days there would be a battle between good and evil, evil would be vanquished and the world would be purified by a bath of molten metal. Mazda would then judge the world, resurrecting the dead and His Kingdom would be established on earth.

Zarathushtra's songs are called the "Gathas" which linguistically may be older than the Indian Vedic scriptures. The Gathas are written in an ancient Avestan dialect. This is a sister language to Sanskrit of India, and Greek and Latin of the West. The reason is, the common ancestors (common to the ancient Iranians, Ancient Indians, Greeks, and Europeans) were one and the same - the Indo-European or Aryan peoples.

Surprisingly, many so-called Christian concepts actually were derived from Zoroastrian Aryan ideas which thrived in Iran for thousands of years until the Arab invasion of Iran around 1300 years ago.

Concepts such as heaven and hell, God and the evil adversary ahriman, the coming of the Saviour or Saoshyant born of a virgin, the end-time purge of the world by Fire followed by the resurrection of the dead, the making fresh of the world and the final battle between good and evil leading to the final defeat of evil. These beliefs filtered down to Judaism during the reign of King Khushru (Cyrus) of Iran.

Zoroastrians also believe that all races in the world are created by God and are equal - a true sign of the real ancient Aryan's nobility and tolerance. Cyrus, King of Iran who was an Aryan rebuilt the temple of the Jews after freeing the Jews from Babylon - for this, he is still remembered by the Jews and called the "Anointed of the Lord" in the Bible.

The Jews still celebrate that act of the true Aryans in a festival. Many Jews then stayed in Iran under Cyrus and his successors such as Darayus, as equal subjects under the King. Books of the Bible written after this stay have taken all these Zoroastrian concepts, from there they came to Christianity and other religions. There are scholars who consider Zoroastrianism as such to be the mother religion of the present day world's faiths.

In fact the edict of Cyrus proclaiming equality for all his subjects is enshrined in the United Nations today. The original Aryans were realy multicultural and tolerant of all races! So, it is probable that the Jews were influenced by the Zoroastrian faith of Iran in those days - and took on the concepts of heaven/hell, God's evil adversary, the resurrection and the final purification of the world - the virgin birth, the Saviour etc., all these concepts being Zoroastrian. There are other similarities too - certain purificatory observances such as the impurity of menstruation etc. are found in both faiths. Indeed, the very idea of the Messiah, and the very concept of Jesus could be Zoroastrian in origin.

Zarathushtra's religion was the prominent one in Iran until the conquest by the Arabs, around 1300 years ago, who converted Iran to Islam.

To preserve the Zoroastrian faith, this most ancient of faiths, indeed the "mother" faith of all mankind, a band of the Zarathushtrians sailed by boat to India about 1300 years ago, and settled in India where they were called the
Parsees (from "Pars" ie. Iran). The holy FIRE is kept in the temple as the symbol of Ahura Mazda, and priests feed the fire with sandalwood and cedar and intone the ancient sacred Mathras (verses of praise) in the ancient Aryan Avestan language. The Mathric incantations have incredible divine potent power, a power used to fight evil.

They also revere the elements of God such as water, earth, wind, and the creations of God such as the Sun, moon and stars.

The Early Years

There is very little known about the early days of Zarathushtra. The little that we do know is mainly because of the legendary stories that have been passed down through the generations by memorizing the scripture. Therefore, below, you will simply read different legendary and even mythical stories about Zarathushtra. If any of it seems too far-fetched to be real, it probably is not. We hope you enjoy these stories in the spirit that they were created:

 Birth

Once upon a time, a very long time ago, in a distant land, by the banks of a river, lived a large family named Spitama (meaning Most White). The head of one branch of this family, named Hechadaspa (Stallions), had two sons: Pourushaspa (Many Horses) and Arasti (Tidy & Neat).

Pourushaspa had married a young woman named Dughdova (Milkmaid), who by this time was pregnant. It is said that when she was 5 months pregnant, she had a dream in which she saw the world was being destroyed, and she was very frightened. But then an angel came to her in her dream, and told her that she was bearing a great prophet who would be able to change the impending destruction.

Legend has it that on the 26th of March; the pregnant Dughdova gave birth to a young and healthy baby boy.

However, this was a peculiar baby, since unlike other babies, he did not cry. Instead, when this baby boy was born, he had a broad smile on his face, and his face was shining with a divine glow. His parents decided to name him Zarathushtra, (which according to one translation means Golden Light or Golden Star, and according to another means Owner of yellow or old Camels.) Arasti’s family also had a son named Maidhyoimangha or
Maedyoimaha (Mid Moon).

The Debate

Zarathushtra was growing up as a very intelligent and energetic young boy. He was very observant and had a sharp mind. He had the ability to see through the surface of things and penetrate to the depth of their cause and meaning. Because of his inquisitiveness and natural curiosity, he always had lots of questions to ask the priests and teachers of his time; however, he was rarely satisfied with the explanations that he was receiving. When he was nine years old, some of his friends arranged that he would have a meeting with the head priest of his town, and discuss the questions that he had. Zarathushtra was very much looking forward to this debate.

The story goes that on the day of the debate, Zarathushtra and the head priests spend a number of hours discussing the questions that he had. However, neither side managed to convince or satisfy the other. The depth of some of his questions had troubled the head priest, and he left the place in deep thought. Although when the head priest left, he was in good health, legend has it that on his way home, he suffered a massive heart attack and died. There are many other stories of how he had to face all sorts of magical evil powers, and how he escaped them.

Youth

Zarathushtra spent much of his youth in the surrounding pastures of his town, contemplating nature for many hours. It was during these meditations that many of the questions that the priests could not answer, would unravel themselves in ways that their answers would be revealed to him.

There is another story that says when Zarathushtra was fifteen, his four brothers approached him to divide their father’s wealth among themselves. Zarathushtra only took one item, symbolizing the spiritual life, and left the entire wealth of his father to his four brothers.

When Zarathushtra was only twenty years old, he left home for about ten years, travelling here and there, in search of Truth. And it was one early morning at the end of this time that he was illumined.

It is also said that he married a woman named Hvovi, before his illumination, although it is not known where and when.

He spent years in the wilderness communing with God before his first vision, in which Vohu Manah came to him in the form of a huge Angel. All the heavenly entities, the Amesha Spentas, instructed Zarathushtra in heaven, and he received perfect knowledge of past, present, and future. Zarathushtra's preaching to King Vishtaspa was enhanced by miracles, especially the healing of a paralyzed horse that convinced the king to accept the new religion.

Most of these motifs are familiar from the lives of other culture heroes such as Moses, and Jesus. Whether any of this literally happened is a matter for belief, not scholarship. Tradition-minded Zoroastrians do accept these legends as truth about Zarathushtra.

Unlike Mohammed's recitation of the Koran, the Gathas of Zarathushtra are not "channeled" - that is, the Gathas are regarded as the inspired composition of a poet-prophet rather than a text dictated by a heavenly being. Zarathushtra was inspired by God, through the Bounteous Immortals of Vohu Manah, Asha, and the others - but he was not a passive recipient of the divine wisdom. In accordance with Zoroastrian philosophy, he reached God through his own effort simultaneously with God's communication to him.

Zarathushtra was never regarded as divine by his followers, not even in the most extravagant legends. He remained a man like all others, though divinely gifted with inspiration and closeness to Ahura Mazda. His life is an inspiration for Zoroastrians of all persuasions, traditionalist and modern - in his innovation, loving relationship with God, and spiritual courage he is a model for all his followers. After his death.

Zarathushtra's great soul attains almost the level of a Bounteous Immortal, but still is not merged in the divinity.

 Illumination

When he was thirty years old, one early morning, he went to fetch some water from the river. It was around dawn. The sky had just turned color and the sun was about to rise. As he had gone into the waters of the river, Vohu Mana (the angel of the Good Mind) appears to him, and opens the portal to the Divine Light of Ahura Mazda. This was the first moment of Illumination and the first Revelations of Zarathushtra.

In his vision, he perceived Ahura Mazda as the Wise Lord of Creation, and the six emanations of Ahura Mazda, the Amesha Spentas as the guardians and artisans of this physical world. He perceived the laws upon which the universe operated, and understood the inter-relationship between Ahura Mazda, the Amesha Spentas, and the Creation.

Perhaps we try to personify these images and abstract notions, and try to think of them as angels, but in truth, Zarathushtra understood them as the abstract notions that they were.

Propagation

After his illumination, Zarathushtra wanted to share his acquired wisdom with the world, yet he did not know where to start. He made a decision to invite all his family and relatives to listen to his teachings. And then in a family gathering, he explained his understandings to them.

When he finished explaining, his cousin, Maedyoimaha, decided to join him, and became the first follower of his teachings. And his wife Hvovi also embraced his teachings becoming his second follower. His children, one by one, decided to accept his philosophy as their way of life. (According to another record, it took his cousin ten years before he accepted to follow Zarathushtra’s teachings and become his first convert.)

Challenges

Zarathushtra then decided to share his teachings with his fellow citizens. When he started teaching others in the street of the city, he met with a deeply rooted resistance from the priests, who had based their entire life and livelihood on the old religions.

Zarathushtra tried many different techniques, and every time he met with renewed opposition and greater resistance. In fact, over the next twelve years, he only managed to win 22 people over to his philosophy, including his wife and children, and his first disciple, his cousin.

Having met such frustration, and such vehement opposition from the rulers and priests of his own land, he decided to leave his homeland for other countries. He then mobilized his followers, and the group of23 people started their migration.

To whichever land they came, and in whatever city that stayed, he tried to teach others about his philosophy, yet in every place they met with predictable opposition, partly due to the self-interested preemptive strikes of the rulers and priests, and partly because of the ignorance of the people, and their unwillingness to change.

Finally, they had heard that a of the King of a nearby country, King Vishtaspa, was a wise and just man and if there was one person in the whole world who might be open to listen to new teachings, it would be him. And they set off in that direction.

 Breakthrough - King Vishtaspa

Zarathushtra was 42 when he and his followers finally reached the court of King Vishtaspa. The wise King had granted Zarathushtra an audience, but he had also invited all the priests and wise men of his court to attend and listen to Zarathushtra and question him about his philosophy. The King had wisely set the scene for a debate, if it need be.

At the debate in the court of King Vishtaspa, Zarathushtra eloquently spoke and convincingly responded to all challenges and questions. The King saw the wisdom of this man, and his teachings and embraced the religion. At the same time, the King invited his subjects to also listen carefully and choose wisely to follow the Zoroastrian religion. This was a major breakthrough for Zarathushtra.

However, the story goes on to say that Zarathushtra’s enemies then plotted against Zarathushtra and planted various objects of black magic in his quarters, and finally by accusing him of such evil acts, prompted the King to search his room. Upon finding such artifacts, Zarathushtra was imprisoned and denied to eat or drink.

Yet the story has a favorable turning, as such stories inevitably do. It is said that the King’s favorite dark horse is struck with an incurable deforming disease. None of the physicians in the kingdom can offer any cure. When Zarathushtra, who was now in prison, hears about this, he offers the King to try to cure his favorite horse.

The King reluctantly lets Zarathushtra attempt his healing techniques, which he duly does. The King then realizes the error of his judgment about Zarathushtra, and embraces his religion. The King also punishes the priests who conspired against Zarathushtra, and starts to promote the religion.

Now, these stories may seem somewhat difficult to believe. What we do know however, is that once the King embraced the religion of Zarathushtra, it was a breakthrough and a turning point in the fortunes of the Zoroastrian Religion. From that time on, Zarathushtra had the backing and support of a powerful and wise King.

He freely went about propagating his teachings throughout that land, and very soon his message crossed the borders of the country to neighboring countries. In a way, if Zarathushtra’s illumination was the conception, this was the birth of the Zoroastrian Religion, as we know it today.

Two of the earliest converts, after King Vishtaspa embraced the religion were two brothers named Frashaoshtra and Jamaspa, of the Hvogva family. These two are mentioned in the Gathas, and they continued to be among Zarathushtra’s disciples until the end.

There is yet another legendary story about a tree that Zarathushtra allegedly planted. It is also mentioned in the Shahnameh that when Zarathushtra visited Kashmar, he planted a Sarv (Cyprus tree). This tree which became
famous as Sarv-e Kashmar, is claimed to have grown for millennia, from the time of Zarathushtra until it was ordered to be cut down by Caliph al-Mutawaqqil, in the year 861 CE.

Zarathushtra’s Character

While there is much lacking in reconstructing the events of Zarathushtra’s life, there is ample evidence of Zarathushtra’s character, all be it from his very short Divine Songs, the Gathas. From the content of the Gathas it is abundantly clear that Zarathushtra was a natural man. He was an exceptionally wise and righteous person.

He was an Ashu – one who has reached the apex of self-realization, perfection, and thenceforth immortality.
He was loving and kind, yet resolute and intent on adhering to truth and justice. He was wise and discerning. Possessed a very observant and incisive mind. He had a clear vision and understanding of the physical laws and moral principles of the world, and with a super-human power adhered to righteousness. In short, he was the epitome of spiritual strength.

There is very little biographical material in the Gathas. What is there indicates that Zarathushtra was cast out of his original home, wherever that was, and forced to wander, along with his followers and their animals.

"To what land should I turn? Where should I turn to go? They hold me back from folk and friends. Neither the community I follow pleases me, nor do the wrongful rulers of the land... I know... that I am powerless. I have a few cattle and also a few men."

Zarathushtra is said to have had six children, three boys and three girls. This is not exact information, since the number and gender equals that of the six Amesha Spentas and may be only symbolic. But the last Gatha is composed for the marriage of Zarathushtra's daughter Pouruchista (Full of Wisdom) so he is known to have had at least one child. Thus Zarathushtra married into the king's court; Pouruchista, in turn, married the prime minister.

There is no exact or provable information about Zarathushtra's life at court, though it may be assumed that it was here that he composed the Gathas, and the names of king and court appear in the poetry as if, in oral recitation, they were there listening to him.

The prophet may have spent almost three decades there, before his death at age 77. One of the controversies about Zarathushtra concerns whether he was a priest. He did not live in a religious vacuum, but was born into a society that practiced the polytheistic rites of ancient Indo-Iranian religion. In the later Avesta, Zarathushtra is used as a character in dialogue with Ahura Mazda; he is featured in ritual texts and in law-texts, and great amounts of ritual and doctrine are thus attributed to him, whether he was their originator or not.

In much later Zoroastrian traditions, some of which were not recorded until centuries after the Arab conquest, the life of the Prophet abounds with miracles and divine interventions.

His mother glowed with the divine Glory usually reserved for kings; the soul of the prophet was placed by God in the sacred Haoma plant (which Z. condemned in the Gathas) and the prophet was conceived through the essence of Haoma in milk (though the birth is not a virgin birth, but the natural product of two special, but earthly parents). The child laughed at his birth instead of crying, and he glowed so brightly that the villagers around him were frightened and tried to destroy him. All attempts to destroy young Zarathushtra failed; fire would not burn him nor would animals crush him in stampedes; he was cared for by a mother wolf in the wilderness.

Links with the Modern World

Ever since ancient Greek times the name of Zoroaster has stood for mysterious Eastern wisdom. In Hellenistic times many esoteric and magical texts were written using his name and Zoroaster was thought of as one of the greatest magi, or mystics.

Once the Avesta had been brought to the West in the 18th century, his name again became famous in the West - this time not for magic, but for the humanistic, monotheistic, moral philosophy found in the Gathas.

Enlightenment philosophers such as Kant and Diderot mentioned him as a model; the playwright Voltaire wrote a play called "Zoroastre." Here was a philosopher from "pagan" antiquity who was monotheistic and moral without any help from the Christian Church. The French composer Rameau wrote an opera called "Zoroastre" and the free-thinking Mozart used a variant of the name for his character Sarastro in "The Magic Flute;" Sarastro is the priest of the Sun and Light who defeats the Queen of the Night.

In the 20th century Nietszche was inspired by Zarathushtra's example when expounding his philosophy in THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSHTRA, though there is no identifiable Zoroastrian teaching in the Nietszche work. The German composer Richard Strauss, inspired by the Nietzsche work.

The Life of the Spirit

The word spirituality is derived from the term "spirit". "Spirit" has no size, form or weight and therefore, it cannot be described physically.

Ahura Mazda, the Divine Fravashis and the Yazatas are Divine "Spirits" having no physical existence. Their spiritual essence is present in material manifestation but the "Spirit" itself is beyond the physical.
Like "Spirit", the Soul is the purely immortal, immaterial and divine principle which resides in the heart of man.

Consequently, spirituality is the experience, the direct communion between two Divine Entities: the "Spirit" and the Soul.

Anyone who has had a spiritual experience knows that such an experience cannot be described with mere words and that spiritual experiences are much more profound relative to the psychic ones.

Different prophets have revealed different spiritual disciplines to their followers to attain spirituality. To put us in communion with Ahura Mazda, the Divine, Zarathushtra has given us the sacred "manthra spenta" which are much more than holy words and efficacious sounds written and recited in an archaic "Avestan" language, as some believe.

It is the Soul of "Ahura Mazda" it is the embodiment of Cosmic Energy originating from Ahura Mazda Who is the Source of Endless Light ("raevat-khvarnvat"). Mantras as Divine Energy Mantras are rooted in "staot yasna" which means the Primordial Sound (vibrations) created by the First Ray of Light which burst forth at the beginning of Creation, and is diffused throughout Nature. Being at the very root of Nature, "staot" brings into
existence the space-time continuum.

The utterance of the Primordial sound, transcend the space-time continuum in order to find the reciprocal resonance in the spiritual world of light. Being rooted in the natural laws of light and sound, the holy "mantra " are not subjected to the man-made rules of grammar or language; therefore, it is improper and inappropriate to explain or understand such holy words through the medium of philology alone.

Communion between the Spirit, being of the nature of Light, and the Soul is by the Primordial Sound or vibrations, its counter-part, is best achieved through the language of light and sound which is the specifically states that "mantras" are best for spirituality which will be attained by "yasna" or Union with the Divine.

The utterance of "mantra" is best for the purity of the Soul in order to attain spirituality.

Spirituality is also enhanced through prayers. During prayers, the Soul becomes the receptacle of higher spiritual consciousness and attunes itself in direct communion with the Divine through sound, motion and devotional thought vibrations which constitute the Divine Light, waves of energy.

Sound and light, both being functions of waves of energy, the Divine sounds of uttered physically are absorbed
into the rays of Divine Light instantly. The meaning behind "the utterance of the Divine prayer protects the body",
may be better understood through more enlightened science which accepts the potency of sound as "energy".

 Fire

Besides the holy "mantra ", Zarathushtra has promoted Fire through which spirituality is achieved. Fire is both spiritual as well as physical. Being spiritual, Fire, is a Divinity; It is equated with Ahura Mazda's Own Inner Light and Life or Energy.

As energy, Fire transmutes the physical (matter) into the spiritual. It is the source of all Creation. No Zarathushti ritual is complete without the presence of Fire. In the Gathas, Zarathushtra Himself expressly seeks a vision and a communion with Ahura Mazda or the Divien through Fire, which is worshipped as the "Spirit Holiest".

Fire and the Primordial Sound are both Divine Energies which attune a Zarathushti to All Mighty. In all Zarthushti
homes, it is necessary to keep the "divo" or the hearth fire perpetually burning. When a Zarathushti prays in the presence of Fire they communes with Ahura Mazda Himself as science now proves that every particle of light (photon) has intelligence, and Mazda is the Lord of Wisdom.

The hearth fire are the physical manifestations of the Divine Light which permeates through time and space. Ahura Mazda, being Spirit, resides in the spiritual world while He sends His Son, Fire, to adorn the Earth and propel the entire Creation towards Frasho-Kereti. In addition to the utterance of "mantra ", performance of prayers and rituals, and the preservation of Fire, Zarathushtra has also given us the spiritual munition of purity rules also known as or the anti-pollution rules, and preservation of spiritual heritage.

Revelations

Zarathushtra was sent by Ahura Mazda to reaffirm the ancient faith. He was also given the "AGUSTO-VACHO" ie revelations unheard before. He was thus the first prophet, to be followed by three Saviours. When the final Saviour comes, the world will be purged by fire and evil destroyed in a final great battle.

Zarathushtra asked Ahura Mazda: "O Ahura Mazda, righteous Creator of the corporeal world, who was the first person to whom You taught these teachings?

Then spoke Ahura Mazda: "YIMA the splendid who watched over his subjects, O righteous Zarathushtra. I first did teach the Aryan religion to the Creator, prior to you.

"Yima spoke to me, and said he would like to spread the religion among mankind by teaching others. It was then that I replied: "O Yima you are not created for this task by Me. You are not learned enough to increase the religion among mankind - you are not the Messenger of the religion.

"Yima the righteous told me then: "O Ahura, if I am not created for the task of increasing the good religion, then I would like to advance the world, to increase it and be a righteous king and protector. I ask You this, that in my kingdom there be neither cold wind nor hot wind (neither extreme winter or summer), there be no sickness nor death. That my subjects be undying and unwanting, and gloriously happy under my reign.

"I Who am Ahura Mazda, was pleased with this. I brought Yima a weapon - a Golden plough which was dagger shaped with golden forks, to signify that his authority was divine, sanctioned by Me. He became the mightiest King (KSHAETA) the Aryans had ever known, the most righteous and most splendid Aryan man.

"When Yima's rule extended to 300 years, then the Aryan land had prospered so much that the land became full of cattle, men, dogs, birds and red flaming fire (the fires kept burning in the house of every Aryan). Place could no longer be found for cattle or men.

"I made this known to Yima, and he proceeded towards the south, towards the path of the high sun (west), increasing the land with his golden plough (conquering and cultivating the lands). The boundaries of the Aryan kingdom were thus extended in breadth, one third greater than before. The king stood as an Aryan on the mother earth, praising the country with words fit for prayer.

"When Yima's rule extended to 600 years, the state of abundance reoccurred. This led to Yima proceeding again towards the south and the west, extending the boundaries of the Aryan kingdom two thirds greater than before. Thus happened the second great migration of the Aryans.

"When Yima's rule extended to 900 years, abundance again led to Yima increasing the land with his golden plough, towards the south and west. This third great migration made the Aryan kingdom three times larger than before.

"In the first 1000 years of his rule, Yima the splendid enjoined righteous order on his Aryan subjects. He controlled invisible time itself, making it so much large in size so as to praise and spread the righteous law. "

That glorious age of the Aryans did not last for ever, O Zarathushtra! It was time for the evil one's attack. I Who am Ahura Mazda spoke then to Yima Kshaeta:

"O splendid Yima, towards the sacred Aryan land will rush evil as a severe fatal winter; evil will rush as thick snow flakes falling in increased depth. From the three directions will wild and ferocious animals attack, arriving from the most dreadful sites.

"Before this winter, any snow that fell would melt and convey the water away. Now the snow will not melt (but will form the Polar ice cap). In this place, O Yima the corporeal world will be DAMAGED. Before in this seedland the grass was so soft the footprint of even a small animal could be observed. Now, there will be no footprints discernible at all on the packed sheets of hard ice that will form.

"So, Yima; make a mighty VARA, an enclosure as long as a riding ground, with equal four sides. Here bring the families of Aryan men and women, cattle, dogs, birds and the red flaming fire.

"Inside the Vara, make water flow in a canal, one Hathra long. Keep earth inside the Vara, to grow green vegetables as food. Make cattle pens, to house the cattle of the Aryan people.

"Let love blossom unfailing in the enclosure, among the young couples therein - make for them a residence, with rooms, pillars, long extended walls and an enclosing wall."

 Passing

There are a number of versions of how Zarathushtra died, all of them legendary.

Many different accounts of this martyrdom follow, including some in which supernatural forces intervene to kill the murderer of Zarathushtra. There is another version that claims Zarathushtra ascended to the skies (much like the resurrection of Jesus).

Another story claims that in his seventy seventh year, one night Zarathushtra bid his family members farewell, and after his evening prayer retired to bed. He passed away calmly and quietly in his sleep. In the morning, when his family members noticed that he had not awaken, they went to his bed side to find his body lying there in a peaceful state.