Mystical Wonders Discussion Group

d_redant · Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 4:44 am Post subject: Zoroaster, the Avatar of Persia

Zoroaster, the Avatar of Persia!
By Dr Joshua David Stone

Zoroaster was the great spiritual Master who started the religion of Persia called Zoroastrianism. What makes His life even more interesting was the fact that He was an incarnation of the Buddha, and the fact that His father, Zend, was an incarnation of Jesus. Zoroaster’s real name was actually Zarathustra, but the Greek pronunciation is Zoroaster.

There are not a lot of clear records as to when He lived, but scholars think it was around 660 BC when He was born. The Persian scriptures known as the "Avesta" contain hymns called "Gathas" which were attributed to Zoroaster’s writings.

According to the teachings of Zoroaster, the entire universe was one great battleground on which good and bad struggled for mastery. On the one side was Ahura Mazda, who was the manifested God in the universe. Ahura Mazda was supported by six vassals;

1. Good Thought

2. Right Law

3. Noble Government

4. Holy Character

5. Health

6. Immortality

Against Ahura Mazda was Angra Mainyu, also known as the lie demon with all his evil qualities. In the center point between the two was man. Man was seen as having total free choice as to which side he would serve. Once this choice was made, man’s every thought, word, and deed affected the outcome of this war on a personal an collective level.

This concept is much like Armageddon of the Christian religion and life as a battlefield in the Hindu faith. The teachings of Zoroaster focused on the need for work, more than the need for prayer. Ahura Mazda embodied a little bit, the spirit of civilization, which was attempting to create order and stability in the region. The most important ethical law was to help those who were in need, who served the forces of light. This law applied even to animals.

Zoroaster was totally against sacrifice, however the one rite he did take over from the past was the sanctification of fire. This was seen as a symbol for Ahura Mazda. Even to this day a small fire be kept burning in all Zoroastrian temples.

(It is interesting that one of the car makers have used the name Mazda for their line of cars. This is not uncommon for many car com-panies use the name of God from other religions to name their cars. One that comes to mind is the word "Brahma" on the back of many trucks I see, and another is "Ram" trucks.)

Zoroaster looked at laziness as being of the devil. Zoroaster, in one of the scriptures, said that every morning the demon of laziness whispers in the ear of man, "Sleep on, poor man. It is not time yet." But he, alone, who arises first, declared Zoroaster, would be the first to enter paradise.

Zoroaster clearly described in His writing a heaven and a hell, and a judgment day. The term for the devil or Satan was Ahriman. Zoroaster also taught that for every person at the time of death there would be a trial (bardo). This was visualized by Zoroastrians as the soul of each dead person approaching a bridge and then being commanded to march forward. If the person had lived properly they would march straight to the heaven of Ormuzd (God). If the person lead an evil and wicked life they would go falling into the hell of Ahriman.

The modern name for this religion is the Parsi religion. It is the only one of the world’s great faiths that closes its place of worship to visitors of other religions. The Parsi’s view is that each person should follow the religion they are born into. It is estimated about 125,000 people follow this religion in the world today. They are mostly in Bombay and Western India.

Their place of worship, they call fire temples, by non Parsis. and doors of Mithra by their followers. Mithra was apparently an ancient God. In these temples the sacred fire is always burning, however, is not worshipped. Parsi women are seen as equal with men.

The temple is visited daily or weekly by its members. Shoes are removed at the door, and prayers and petitions made in modern language. Prayers are also said at home in the morning and at night. These prayers include a belief in a monotheistic type of God as revealed by Zoroaster.

Zoroaster’s Revelation
When Zoroaster was about forty years old He had a vision of a person nine times the normal human size. This was the good mind (Vohu Mana). The good mind led Him into the presence of the wise Lord, Ahura Mazda. It was here that Zoroaster heard the call to make known the divine teachings.

Zoroaster went through a great pyramid of testing against Ahiman, much as Jesus and Buddha had to experience. Zoroaster denounced all idolatry and sinful living. Zoroaster saw man as being created by God and eventually returning back to God.

Zoroastrian religion is seen by some scholars as being dualistic, because of these two great powers of good and evil at war. The eventual outcome was inevitably seen that Ahura Mazda and the people serving the good would win. Zoroastrianism clearly believed in life after death. Hell was seen as a type of purgatory, but was also seen as a temporary punishment. (This is my view, was a very evolved understanding for its time.)

Zoroaster prophesied that Ahriman (devil) would be defeated with the coming of a savior from a virgin birth. (There can be no doubt he was prophesying the coming of Jesus. Again, the interesting thing was that Jesus was also His father in that lifetime.)

The followers of Zoroastrian teachings call it the good religion, and the teachings of the good life. It is a highly moral religion, and the people are taught virtues of justice, service to others, chastity. Later teachings emphasized moderation in all things. Later teachings place a great emphasis on preparing for one’s future life and goes into great detail describing the heavenly beings and spirit guides who help us in the present life.

Zoroaster was said to have seven revelations, or divine visions which were the basis of His teachings. A great deal of these were dealing with the Angels. (It is very interesting how the angels were so involved in the Zoroastrian, Islamic, and Christian origins.) In one of His visions Zoroaster beheld the "Amesha-spentas", also known as the Angelic and Archangelic Hosts.

A Deeper Understanding of God in the Zoroastrian Religion
In actuality God is seen as being called "Zeroana Akerne". Zeroana Akerne is seen kind of like the Unmanifest Creator. Ahura Mazda is seen as the manifested Creator. This concept is very similar to mystical Judaism which saw YHWH as the unmanifest Creator and Jehovah or Yod Hay Way Hay as the manifest Creator of the universe.

Zeroana Akerne is seen to have within Himself the power of objectification out of this unmanifest state. In breaking down the name Ahura Mazda, Ahura means Eternal Wisdom. Mazda is the vehicle for that wisdom. The full meaning together is the light of knowledge manifesting before the created world.

Man was seen to be in a constant struggle between his higher and lower self. Ahirman was symbolized as a serpent. (Again we see the similarity to the Jewish and Christian stories of Adam and Eve and the serpent.) The Zoroastrians were also very involved with astrology. As a matter of fact, one of the wise men was an astrologer and a magi of Zoroastrian descent, if I am not mistaken.

In the teachings of Zoroaster, it is said that Ahura-Mazda caused to issue out of Himself seven Amesha-Spentas. These beings were called the Gods of the Dawn, the World Builders, the Elohim. The seven Gods were seen as to have created the seven heavens and descending downwards, the seven octaves of energy.

Ahirman (Devil) was seen to have seven vices that would oppose the seven cardinal virtues of Ahura Mazda. Ahura Mazda was also seen to have created twelve principles of light or equatorial constellations. Ahirman was eventually seen as being defeated by Ormuzd, and through his repentance restored to the light. The seven Amesha-Spentas become manifest or reflected in man in his seven bodies, seven principles, and seven organs.

Quotations from the Avesta
"Suffer no anxiety …For this causes contraction to happen within the body and soul."

"Form no covetous desire, so that the demon of greediness may not deceive thee."

"I believe that purity is the first virtue, truth the second and charity the third. man must discipline himself by good thoughts, good words, and good deeds."

"I believe that marriage excels continence, action excels contemplation and forgiveness excels revenge.

"I believe in God as seven persons: Eternal Light, Right and Justice, Goodness and Love, Strength of Spirit, Piety and Faith, Health and Perfection, and Immortality. And that they may best be worshipped through the representation of fire, the most sacred and single worshipful emblem."

"Commit no slander; So that infamy and wickedness may not happen unto thee."

"May the Creator of wisdom teach me His ordinances through good thought, that my tongue may have a pathway."

Summation
In completing this chapter I am amazed at how accurate and right on Zoroaster was in many of His conceptions of the nature of the universe. This is quite extraordinary, given the ancient time in which he lived. I, personally, am quite drawn to a great many things he has said. A great amount of His teachings correlate quite nicely with the modern day teachings I have presented in my other books. It is unfortunate that the world does not have access to more information about Him, for He was certainly a great soul.

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