What is a Zoroastrian?

[MD]

Short and concise video

 

[Aupmanyav]

Nice videos.

 

[spiritualhitchhiker]

The videos title is "What is Zoroastrianism?". Thread title is different.

 

[Kuzcotopia]

I am very intrigued by the idea that moral behaviour for a Zoroastrian is a kind of heroism, where moral actions in life actually support a good god against an evil one. I was actually going to ask about that very idea on Rival's thread, and suddenly here it is! Thanks for sharing it.

 

[MD]

I am very intrigued by the idea that moral behaviour for a Zoroastrian is a kind of heroism, where moral actions in life actually support a good god against an evil one. I was actually going to ask about that very idea on Rival's thread, and suddenly here it is! Thanks for sharing it.

We try to be honest and truthful, and we try to be liberal. Zoroastrians are some of the most liberal people in India and Iran. It's why our birth rates are so low, since we prize education, education for women and the environment.

I'm conservative for a Zoroastrian, but liberal for an American .

 

[elana9584]

hiiii,
Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions. It was founded by the Prophet zoroaster in ancient Iran approximately 3500 years ago."combining a cosmogonic dualism and eschatological monotheism in a manner unique... among the major religions of the world." Ascribed to the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster, its Supreme Being is Ahura Mazda.



http://www.contenthoop.com/magnetic-science-fun/8187/

 

[ThirtyThree]

What is the proper understanding of the afterlife in Zoroastrianism, both for good and for evil?

 

[Rival]

What is the proper understanding of the afterlife in Zoroastrianism, both for good and for evil?

The afterlife is usually seen as a bridge and those of bad deeds go to the realm of bad consciousness and those of good go to the realm of good consciousness (Asha) with Ahuramazda, but ultimately the bad are "purged" and all go to Mazda in the end. These realms are also not physical, but purely mental. It also doesn't matter your faith, as long as you have had good thoughts, words and deeds.

However, as with most religions there are differing views on the afterlife and culturally influenced beliefs.

 

[Rival]

Now, Wise One, every person, who has linked his religion
with good mind through devotion and invocation,
is a noble person of serenity through righteousness.
He lives, with them all, in Your dominion, Lord.


(Gathas: Song 14.5)

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

The afterlife is usually seen as a bridge and those of bad deeds go to the realm of bad consciousness and those of good go to the realm of good consciousness (Asha) with Ahuramazda, but ultimately the bad are "purged" and all go to Mazda in the end. These realms are also not physical, but purely mental. It also doesn't matter your faith, as long as you have had good thoughts, words and deeds.

However, as with most religions there are differing views on the afterlife and culturally influenced beliefs.

How do you reconcile this with some of the more explicitly monotheist parts of the Gathas?

Such as: Part of Yasna 28:5

" May I be able to guide those who have gone astray towards the highest path, i.e. the path of truth and monotheism, through sacred words and eloquence of speech."

or Yasna 30:6

"The followers of Daeva (or Devil worshippers) did not choose the right path, because they were in doubt and were deceived. Hence, they did not choose the right path but followed the worst thought, the devil or anger, which is the cause of all evil deeds, so as to destroy the mental life of the people"

These verses seem pretty forthright in placing a difference between Zoroastrians and the followers of other religions. What do you see them as meaning?

 

[Rival]

How do you reconcile this with some of the more explicitly monotheist parts of the Gathas?

Such as: Part of Yasna 28:5

" May I be able to guide those who have gone astray towards the highest path, i.e. the path of truth and monotheism, through sacred words and eloquence of speech."

or Yasna 30:6

"The followers of Daeva (or Devil worshippers) did not choose the right path, because they were in doubt and were deceived. Hence, they did not choose the right path but followed the worst thought, the devil or anger, which is the cause of all evil deeds, so as to destroy the mental life of the people"

These verses seem pretty forthright in placing a difference between Zoroastrians and the followers of other religions. What do you see them as meaning?

These aren't the Gathas mate

But otherwise I'd see it as relating to just being a good person. If you follow a religion which promotes bad, or what my faith would view as such, but don't do it and instead adhere to good thoughts &c. then I see no problem. Also it's not the belief that they would go directly to be in the Realm of Asha, like the follows of the Good Religion would.

More importantly, The "Devil" is often just seen as an anthropomorphised version of bad thought, not a real creature, so what this is saying is that bad thoughts &c. lead one to hell, so to speak, not necessarily the religion. The religion, however, as far as a Mazdaian is concerned, would promote bad thought.

"...they did not choose the right path but followed the worst thought, the devil or anger, which is the cause of all evil deeds, so as to destroy the mental life of the people."

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

These aren't the Gathas mate

Odd. I copied & vomited those lines straight from a pdf of the Gathas. Well, that's what the file is called.

I downloaded a pdf version of this:

http://www.zarathushtra.com/z/gatha/az/gathtml.htm

 

[ThirtyThree]

The afterlife is usually seen as a bridge and those of bad deeds go to the realm of bad consciousness and those of good go to the realm of good consciousness (Asha) with Ahuramazda, but ultimately the bad are "purged" and all go to Mazda in the end. These realms are also not physical, but purely mental. It also doesn't matter your faith, as long as you have had good thoughts, words and deeds.

However, as with most religions there are differing views on the afterlife and culturally influenced beliefs.

Thank you. Your religion is interesting and I can appreciate the concepts you laid out.
The Zoroastrian version of the after life for those of "bad thought" reminds me a lot of what the Christian Universalists believe, that everyone achieves salvation in the end, some just have to be purified first.