Basic ideas (dogmas) of the religion of Zoroastrianism Religious reform. History of Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism as the eternal opposition of Good and Evil.

The founder of Zoroastrianism is Zarathushtra. Until recently, he was a mythological person and it was believed that in fact he never lived. But recently, after conducting research, it has been proven that Zarathushtra is a real person who was born in northwestern Iran. Regarding the time of his life, in short, the facts differ: some believe that he lived in the 7th-6th centuries. BC, others - in the 6th millennium BC. The officially recognized date of the emergence of Zoroastrianism is the 7th-6th centuries. BC, although studies have shown that the holy book Avesta was written around the 6th millennium BC.
Zarathushtra was a priest who made sacrifices to the ancient Iranian gods and performed rituals. At the age of about 30, he received a revelation from the god Ahuramazda. Then he began to preach a new religion. For 10 years he preached religion among the common people, but in 618 BC. he converted King Vishtaspa, his relatives and inner circle to Zoroastrianism. A little later, the entire population of Iran was converted to this religion. But 583 B.C. became tragic. Zarathushtra was killed by nomads from Bactria who fought against Vishtaspa.
Based on the doctrine of Zoroastrianism, in the beginning there was a Perfect World, filled with nothing but Light. Then Ahuramazda arose in this world. After that, the supreme deity populated the world with Spiritual creatures, including negative characters created according to the Law of Polarity. The highest of them was Ankhramanyu, who is the spirit of Darkness. According to the worldview of Zoroastrianism, the process of Creation lasted 12 thousand years:
- "Creation". This period lasted 6000 years. In the beginning, there were Perfect Spirit Creatures. But the spirit of Darkness attacked the world of Light, but Darkness suffered a crushing defeat, and the spirit was bound by Ahuramazda for 3000 years. Since that time, a period of 9000 years has begun, after its completion, evil will completely lose its strength and disappear. In the last 3 thousand years of this period, Ahuramazda designed the Spiritual version of creatures, on its basis he created material beings, perfect in nature;
- "Mixing". This period, like the previous one, lasted 6000 years. In the first 3 thousand years, Anhramanyu again attacks the world of Light, as a result of which he manages to capture seven material beings. After that, a time of disorder and chaos begins, after which the prophet Zarathushtra appears in the world and a 3000-year period of contradictions and the struggle between Good and Evil begins. This is the essence of Zoroastrianism. After these 3,000 years are over, a Savior is to be born. After that, the Last Judgment will be arranged, then the Resurrection, and at the end of everything, the Birth of a renewed immortal body and the receipt of Immortality by beings recognized as righteous. As for Evil, it will be destroyed forever.
At the end of everything, time will disappear - it will cease to exist, and all creatures will acquire their original perfect form and spiritual state.
Ahuramazda is the supreme god in Zoroastrianism. His name consists of two parts: Ahura, means "Lord", and Mazda identifies him with "All-Knowing". It is he who is the creator of everything living and inanimate in the entire Cosmos. He created the Laws according to which life exists and does not interfere in the processes taking place on the basis of these Laws. Ahura Mazda cannot be deceived, he knows all the thoughts of people that have already happened and are just emerging in people's heads. At the same time, he is a kind and all-forgiving god. If a person leads a righteous and just life, then he helps him in every possible way in business.
Man in Zoroastrianism is recognized as the most perfect material being. He was created in order to manage all the other creations of Ahuramazda, as well as to fulfill the Divine Mission. It is with the active action of man that the Resurrection will be accomplished. Proceeding from his destiny, man was created from 9 components: three of them are physical, three are semi-spiritual and three more are spiritual.
The essence of Zoroastrianism is dual: in it everything happens in an inextricable connection between Evil and Good, and the most active part in this process is taken by a person. Therefore, cleanliness and cleanliness are of great importance in human life. The corpses of a Zoroastrian woman were never buried, because the earth was sacred. The bodies of the dead were burned - the fire had great cleansing power. A little later, they began to build empty towers. In them, the corpses of Zoroastrians were dumped, and this function was performed by non-Zoroastrians. The flesh was eaten by the vultures, and the sun dried up the bones. After filling the tower, it was filled with asphalt and left.

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Vedas Avesta

Zoroastrianism- a term of European science, derived from the Greek pronunciation of the name of the founder of religion. Another European name Mazdaism, which comes from the name of God in Zoroastrianism, is now generally perceived as obsolete, although it is closer to the main self-name of the Zoroastrian religion - Avesta. māzdayasna- “Honoring Mazda”, pakhl. māzdēsn. Another self-name of Zoroastrianism is vahvī-daēnā- “Good Faith”, more precisely “Good Vision”, “Good Worldview”, “Good Consciousness”. Hence the main self-name of the followers of Zoroastrianism Persian. بهدین - behdin - "blessed", "behdin" ..

Fundamentals of Doctrine

Zoroastrianism is a dogmatic religion with a developed theology, developed during the last codification of the Avesta in the Sasanian period and partly during the period of Islamic conquest. At the same time, there was no strict dogmatic system in Zoroastrianism. This is due to the peculiarities of the doctrine, which is based on a rational approach, and the history of institutional development, interrupted by the Muslim conquest of Persia. Modern Zoroastrians usually structure their creed in the form of 9 foundations:

• Belief in Ahura Mazda - the "Wise Lord" as the Good Creator.
• Faith in Zarathushtra, as in the only prophet of Ahura Mazda, who showed mankind the path to righteousness and purity.
• Belief in the existence of the spiritual world (minu) and in two spirits (Holy and Evil), the choice between which determines the fate of a person in the spiritual world.
• belief Ashu (Artoo)- the original universal Law of righteousness and harmony, established by Ahura Mazda, to maintain which the efforts of a person who has chosen good should be directed.
• Belief in the human essence, which is based on daena(faith, conscience) and keep(mind), allowing each person to distinguish good from evil.
• Belief in the seven Ameshaspents as seven stages of development and revelation of the human personality.
• belief dadodahesh And Ashudad- that is, mutual assistance, help to those in need, mutual support of people.
• Belief in the sanctity of the natural elements and living nature, as the creations of Ahura Mazda (fire, water, wind, earth, plants and livestock) and the need to take care of them.
• Faith in Frasho-kereti (Frashkard) is an eschatological miraculous transformation of being, the final victory of Ahura Mazda and the expulsion of evil, which will be accomplished thanks to the joint efforts of all righteous people led by Saoshyant - the Savior of the world.

Ahura Mazda

Zarathushtra - according to the teachings of the Zoroastrians, the only prophet of Ahura Mazda, who brought good faith to people and laid the foundations of moral development. The sources describe him as an ideal priest, warrior and cattle breeder, an exemplary head and patron of the people of the whole world. The prophet's sermon had a pronounced ethical character, condemned violence, praised peace between people, honesty and creative work, and also affirmed faith in the One God (Ahura). The values ​​and practices of the Kawies, the traditional leaders of the Aryan tribes, who combined priestly and political functions, and the Karapans, the Aryan sorcerers, were criticized, namely violence, predatory raids, bloody rituals and an immoral religion that encourages all this.

confession of faith

Yasna 12 is the Zoroastrian "creed". Its main position: “Ahura Mazda, I reckon all blessings”. In other words, the follower of Zarathushtra recognizes Ahura Mazda as the only source of good. According to the Confession, a Zoroastrian calls himself

• Mazdayasna (admirer of Mazda)
• Zarathushtri (follower of Zarathushtra)
• Vidaeva (opponent of the devas - immoral Aryan gods)
• Ahuro-tkaesha (follower of the religion of Ahura)

In addition, in this text, the Zoroastrian renounces violence, robbery and theft, proclaims peace and freedom to peaceful and hardworking people, rejects any possibility of an alliance with devas and sorcerers. Good faith is called "stopping strife" and "bringing down weapons."

Good thoughts, Good words, Good deeds

Avest. humata-, huxta-, hvaršta- (read humata, huhta, hvarshta). This ethical triad of Zoroastrianism, which every Zoroastrian must follow, is specifically emphasized in the "Confession" and repeatedly praised in other parts of the Avesta.

Ameshaspenta

Ameshaspents (Avest. aməša-spənta-) - Immortal Saints, six spiritual creations of Ahura Mazda. To explain the essence of Ameshaspents, one usually resorts to the metaphor of six candles lit from one candle. Thus the Ameshaspents can be compared to the emanations of God. Ameshaspents are an image of the seven stages of human spiritual development, and in addition, they are called the patrons of seven bodily creations, each of which is a visible image of Ameshaspent.

Yazats, Ratas and Fravashis

• Yazaty (Avest. "Worthy of reverence"). The concept can be conditionally translated as "angels". The most significant yazats: Mithra (“treaty”, “friendship”), Aredvi Sura Anahita (patron of waters), Veretragna (yazat of victory and heroism).
• Rata (Avest. ratu- “sample”, “head”) is a multifaceted concept, first of all, an exemplary head-patron of a group (for example, Zarathushtra is a group of people, wheat is a group of cereals, Mount Khukarya is the head of mountains, etc. .). In addition, rats are "ideal" periods of time (five parts of a day, three parts of a month, six parts of a year).
• Fravashi (Avest. "pre-choice") - the concept of pre-existing souls who have chosen good. Ahura Mazda created the Fravashi of people and asked them about their choice, and the Fravashi replied that they choose to be embodied in the corporeal world, affirm goodness in it and fight evil. The veneration of the Fravashi people is close to the cult of ancestors.

fire and light

According to Zoroastrianism, light is the visible image of God in the physical world. Therefore, wanting to turn to God, the Zoroastrians turn their faces to the light - the source of light represents for them the direction of prayer. They give special respect to fire, as the most important and accessible source of light and heat for a person since ancient times. Hence the widespread outward definition of Zoroastrians as "fire-worshippers". Nevertheless, sunlight is no less revered in Zoroastrianism.

According to the traditional ideas of the Zoroastrians, Fire permeates all being, both spiritual and bodily. The hierarchy of fires is given in Yasna 17 and the Bundahishna:

• Berezasavang (Highly Savior) - burning before Ahura Mazda in paradise.
• Vohufriyan (Benevolent) - burning in the bodies of people and animals.
• Urvazisht (Most pleasant) - burning in plants.
• Vazisht (Effective) - the fire of lightning.
• Spanisht (Holy) - the usual earthly fire, including the fire Varahram (Victorious), the one that burns in temples.

Heaven and Hell

The teachings of Zarathushtra were one of the first that proclaimed the personal responsibility of the soul for the committed deeds in earthly life. Zarathushtra calls paradise vahišta ahu "the best existence" (hence the Persian behešt "paradise"). Hell is called dužahu "evil existence" (hence the Persian dozax "hell"). Paradise has three levels: good thoughts, good words and good deeds and the highest level Garodman"House of Song" Anagra raocha"Endless Lights", where God Himself dwells. The levels of hell are symmetrical: bad thoughts, bad words, bad deeds and the center of hell - Drujo Dmana"House of Lies".

Those who choose Righteousness (Asha) are waiting for heavenly bliss, those who choose Falsehood - torment and self-destruction in hell. Zoroastrianism introduces the concept of a posthumous judgment, which is a count of deeds committed in life. If the good deeds of a person even outweighed the evil ones by a hair, the yazats lead the soul to the House of Songs. If the evil deeds outweigh the soul, the deva Vizaresh (the deva of death) drags the soul to hell.

The concept of the Chinvad Bridge (separating or differentiating) leading to Garodmana over the abyss of hell is also common. For the righteous, it becomes wide and comfortable; before sinners, it turns into a sharp blade, from which they fall into hell.

Frasho-kereti

The eschatology of Zoroastrianism is rooted in the teachings of Zarathushtra about the final transformation of the world (“at the last turn of the chariot (being)”), when Asha will triumph, and the Falsehood will be finally and forever broken. This transformation is called Frasho-kereti(Frashkard) - "Making (the world) perfect." Every righteous person with his deeds brings this joyful event closer. Zoroastrians believe that 3 saoshyants (saviors) must come into the world. The first two Saoshyants will have to restore the teaching given by Zarathushtra. At the end of time, before the last battle, the last Saoshyant will come. As a result of the battle, Angra Mainyu and all the forces of evil will be defeated, hell will be destroyed, all the dead - the righteous and sinners - will be resurrected for the last judgment in the form of a trial by fire (ordeal of fire). The resurrected will pass through a stream of molten metal, in which the remnants of evil and imperfection will burn. To the righteous, the test will seem like a bath in fresh milk, but the wicked will be burned. After the final judgment, the world will forever return to its original perfection.

Thus, Zoroastrianism with its developed eschatology is alien to the notions of the cyclical nature of creation and reincarnation.

Avesta

A page from the manuscript of the Avesta. Yasna 28:1

The sacred book of the Zoroastrians is called the Avesta. In fact, this is a collection of multi-temporal texts compiled in the Zoroastrian community in the archaic period in the ancient Iranian language, now called "Avestan". Even after the appearance of writing in Iran, for millennia the main way of transmitting texts was oral, the keepers of the text were priests. A well-known recording tradition appeared only under the late Sassanids, when in the 5th-6th centuries. to record the book, a special phonetic Avestan alphabet was invented. But even after that, Avestan prayers and liturgical texts were memorized.

The main part of the Avesta is traditionally considered the Gathas - Zarathushtra's hymns dedicated to Ahura Mazda, which set out the foundations of his doctrine, his philosophical and social message, describe the reward for the righteous and the defeat of the evil. Some reformist currents in Zoroastrianism declare only the Gathas to be a sacred text, and the rest of the Avesta to have historical significance. However, the most orthodox Zoroastrians consider the entire Avesta to be the word of Zarathushtra. Since a significant part of the non-Gatic Avesta is prayers, even the reformists in the majority do not reject this part.

Symbols of Zoroastrianism

A vessel with fire - a symbol of Zoroastrianism

The main wearable symbol of an adherent of the teachings of Zarathushtra is the lower white shirt sedre, sewn from a single piece of cotton fabric and always having exactly 9 seams, and koshti(kushti, kusti) - a thin belt woven from 72 threads of white sheep's wool. Koshti is worn around the waist wrapped three times and tied in 4 knots. Starting a prayer, before any important matter, making a decision, after defilement, the Zoroastrian performs ablution and bandages his belt (rite Padyab-Koshti). Sedra symbolizes the protection of the soul from evil and temptations, its pocket is a piggy bank of good deeds. Koshti personifies the connection with Ahura Mazda and all his creation. It is believed that a person who regularly ties a belt, being connected by it with all the Zoroastrians of the world, receives his share from their good deeds.

It is the duty of a Zoroastrian to wear sacred clothing. Religion prescribes to be without sedra and koshti as little time as possible. The sedra and koshti must be constantly kept clean. A replacement set is allowed, in case the first one is washed. With the constant wearing of sedre and koshti, it is customary to change them twice a year - on Novruz and the Mehrgan holiday.

Another symbol of Zoroastrianism is fire in general and atashdan- fiery portable (in the form of a vessel) or stationary (in the form of a platform) altar. On such altars, the sacred fires of Zoroastrianism are maintained. This symbolism was especially widespread in the art of the Sasanian Empire.

It has also become a popular symbol. faravahar, a human image in a winged circle from the Achaemenid rock carvings. Zoroastrians traditionally do not recognize him as an image of Ahura Mazda, but consider him an image fravashi.

An important symbolic meaning for the Zoroastrians is White color- the color of purity and goodness, and in many ceremonies also the color green- a symbol of prosperity and rebirth.

Story

Time of Zoroaster

Modern Zoroastrians have adopted the chronology of the “Zoroastrian religious era”, based on the calculations of the Iranian astronomer Z. Behruz, according to which Zarathushtra “gained faith” took place in 1738 BC. e.

Localization of Zarathushtra's sermon

The place of life and activity of Zarathushtra is much easier to determine: the toponyms mentioned in the Avesta refer to Azerbaijan, northeastern Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. Tradition associates Raghu, Sistan and Balkh with the name of Zarathushtra.

After receiving the revelation, Zarathushtra's preaching remained unsuccessful for a long time, he was expelled and humiliated in different countries. In 10 years, he managed to convert only his cousin Maidyomangha. Then Zarathushtra appeared at the court of the legendary Keyanid Kavi Vishtaspa (Goshtasba). The prophet's sermon impressed the king, and after some hesitation, he accepted the faith in Ahura Mazda and began to promote its spread not only in his kingdom, but also to send preachers to neighboring countries. Especially close to Zarathushtra were his closest associates, viziers Vishtasp, brothers from the Khvogva clan - Jamaspa and Frashaoshtra.

Periodization of Zoroastrianism

1. archaic period(before 558 BC): the time of the life of the prophet Zarathushtra and the existence of Zoroastrianism in the form of an oral tradition;
2. Achaemenid period(558-330 BC): the accession of the Achaemenid dynasty, the creation of the Persian empire, the first written monuments of Zoroastrianism;
3. Hellenistic and Parthian period(330 BC - 226 AD): the fall of the Achaemenid empire as a result of the campaign of Alexander the Great, the creation of the Parthian kingdom, Buddhism significantly pressed Zoroastrianism in the Kushan empire;
4. Sasanian period(226-652 AD): revival of Zoroastrianism, codification of the Avesta under the leadership of Adurbad Mahraspandan, development of a centralized Zoroastrian church, fight against heresies;
5. Islamic conquest(652 AD - mid-20th century): the decline of Zoroastrianism in Persia, the persecution of followers of Zoroastrianism, the emergence of the Parsi community of India from emigrants from Iran, the literary activity of apologists and keepers of tradition under the rule of Muslims.
6. Modern period(from the middle of the 20th century to the present): the migration of Iranian and Indian Zoroastrians to the USA, Europe, Australia, the establishment of a connection between the diaspora and the centers of Zoroastrianism in Iran and India.

Currents in Zoroastrianism

The main currents of Zoroastrianism have always been regional variants. The surviving branch of Zoroastrianism is associated with the official religion of the Sassanid state, primarily in the version that developed under the last of these kings, when the last canonization and recording of the Avesta was made under Khosrov I. This branch seems to go back to the variant of Zoroastrianism adopted by the Median Magi. Undoubtedly, in other areas of the Iranian world, there were other variants of Zoroastrianism (Mazdeism), which we can judge only from fragmentary evidence, primarily from Arabic sources. In particular, from Mazdaism, which existed before the Arab conquest in Sogd, which was even less “written” tradition than Sasanian Zoroastrianism, only a fragment in the Sogdian language has survived, which tells about the receipt of revelations by Zarathushtra and data from Biruni.

Nevertheless, within the framework of Zoroastrianism, religious and philosophical movements arose, defined from the point of view of today's orthodoxy as "heresies". First of all, it is Zurvanism, based on great attention to the concept Zurvana, the primordial universal time, whose “twin children” were recognized by Ahura Mazda and Ahriman. Judging by circumstantial evidence, the doctrine of Zurvanism was widespread in Sasanian Iran, but although traces of it can be found in the tradition that survived the Islamic conquest, in general Zoroastrian "orthodoxy" directly condemns this doctrine. Obviously, there were no direct conflicts between the "Zurvanites" and the "Orthodox", Zurvanism was rather a philosophical movement, hardly in any way affecting the ritual part of religion.

The veneration of Mithra (Mithraism), which spread in the Roman Empire, is also often attributed to Zoroastrian heresies, although Mithraism was rather a syncretic doctrine not only with Iranian, but also with Syrian substrate.

Zoroastrian orthodoxies considered Manichaeism to be an absolute heresy, which, however, was based on Christian Gnosticism.

Another heresy is the revolutionary teaching of Mazdak (Mazdakism).

The main variants of modern Zoroastrianism are the Zoroastrianism of Iran and the Parsi Zoroastrianism of India. However, the differences between them are generally regional in nature and relate mainly to ritual terminology, thanks to the origin from the same tradition and the ongoing communication between the two communities, no serious dogmatic differences have developed between them. Only a superficial influence is noticeable: in Iran - Islam, in India - Hinduism.

Among the Parsis, "calendar sects" are known, adhering to one of the three versions of the calendar (Kadimi, Shahinshahi and Fasli). There are no clear boundaries between these groups, and there is no dogmatic difference between them either. In India, various currents also arose with a bias in mysticism, which were influenced by Hinduism. The most famous of them is the Ilm-i Khshnum current.

The “reformist wing” is gaining some popularity among the Zoroastrians, advocating the abolition of most rituals and ancient rules, for recognizing only the Ghats as sacred, etc.

Proselytism

Initially, the teachings of Zoroaster was an active proselytizing religion, passionately preached by the prophet and his disciples and followers. The followers of the "good faith" very clearly opposed themselves to the infidels, considering those "admirers of the devas." Nevertheless, due to a number of reasons, Zoroastrianism never became a truly world religion, its preaching was limited mainly to the Iranian-speaking ecumene, and the spread of Zoroastrianism to new lands occurred in parallel with the Iranianization of their inhabitants.

The modern priestly hierarchy in Iran is as follows:

1. « Mobedan-mobed"-" mobed mobedov", the highest rank in the hierarchy of the Zoroastrian clergy. The mobedan mobed is chosen from among the dasturs and leads the mobed community. Mobedan-mobed can make decisions binding on Zoroastrians on religious (gatik) and secular (datik) issues. Decisions on religious matters must be approved by the general assembly of mobeds or the assembly of dasturs.
2. « Sar-mobed"(pers. letters. "head of the mobeds", phl. "bozorg dastur") - the highest Zoroastrian religious rank. The main dastur in a territory with several dasturs. Sar-mobed has the right to make decisions on closing fire temples, on moving the sacred fire from place to place, on expelling a person from the Zoroastrian community.

Only a “mobed zade” can occupy these spiritual positions - a person who comes from a family of Zoroastrian priests, whose succession is inherited from the father. Become mobed-zade no, they can only be born.

In addition to regular ranks in the hierarchy, there are titles " Ratu" And " Mobedyar ».

Ratu is the protector of the Zoroastrian faith. Ratu stands one step above the mobedan mobed and is infallible in matters of faith. The last ratu was Adurbad Mahraspand under King Shapur II.

Mobedyar is a Behdin educated in religious matters, not from the Mobed family. Mobedyar is below the khirbad.

sacred fires

Atash Varahram in Yazd

In the Zoroastrian temples, called in Persian "atashkade" (lit. house of fire), an unquenchable fire burns, temple servants watch around the clock so that it does not go out. There are temples in which fire has been burning for many centuries and even millennia. The mobed family, who own the sacred fire, fully bears all the expenses for the maintenance of the fire and its protection and is not financially dependent on the help of the behdins. The decision to establish a new fire is taken only if the necessary funds are available. Holy fires are divided into 3 ranks:

1. Shah Atash Varahram(Bahram) - "King Victorious Fire", Fire of the highest rank. Fires of the highest rank are established in honor of monarchical dynasties, great victories, as the highest fire of a country or people. To establish a fire, it is necessary to collect and purify 16 fires of different types, which are combined into one during the ritual of consecration. Only high priests, dasturs, can serve at the fire of the highest rank;
2. Atash Aduran(Adaran) - "Fire of Lights", Fire of the second rank, established in settlements with a population of at least 1000 people in which at least 10 families of Zoroastrians live. To establish a fire, it is necessary to collect and purify 4 fires from the families of Zoroastrians of different classes: a priest, a warrior, a peasant, an artisan. Various rituals can be performed at the fires of Aduran: nozudi, gavakhgiran, sadre pushi, services in jashnas and gahanbars, etc. Only mobeds can serve at the fires of Aduran.
3. Atash Dadgah- “Legally established Fire”, a third rank fire, which must be maintained in local communities (villages, large families) that have a separate room, which is a religious court. In Persian, this room is called dar ba mehr (literally, Mitra's courtyard). Mitra is the embodiment of justice. The Zoroastrian cleric, facing the fire of the dadgah, resolves local disputes and problems. If there is no mobed in the community, a khirbad can serve the fire. The dadgah fire is open to public access, the room where the fire is located serves as a meeting place for the community.

Mobeds are the guardians of the sacred fires and are obliged to protect them by all available means, including with weapons in their hands. This probably explains the fact that after the Islamic conquest, Zoroastrianism quickly fell into decline. Many mobeds were killed protecting the fires.

In Sasanian Iran, there were three greatest Atash-Varahrams, correlated with three "estates":

• Adur-Gushnasp (in Azerbaijan in Shiz, fire of priests)
• Adur-Frobag (Farnbag, the fire of Pars, the fire of the military aristocracy and the Sassanids)
• Adur-Burzen-Mihr (fire of Parthia, fire of peasants)

Of these, only Adur (Atash) Farnbag has survived, now burning in Yazd, where the Zoroastrians transferred it in the 13th century. after the collapse of the Zoroastrian communities in Pars.

Holy places

Temple fires are sacred to Zoroastrians, not the temple building itself. Lights can be transferred from building to building and even from one area to another, following the Zoroastrians themselves, which happened during the entire period of persecution of religion. Only in our time, striving to resurrect the former greatness of their faith and turning to their heritage, did the Zoroastrians begin to visit the ruins of ancient temples located in areas where all the inhabitants had long converted to Islam, and hold festive services in them.

Nevertheless, in the vicinity of Yazd and Kerman, where Zoroastrians have lived permanently for thousands of years, the practice of seasonal pilgrimages made to certain holy places has developed. Each of these places of pilgrimage (“feast”, lit. “old”) has its own legend, usually telling about the miraculous rescue of a Sassanid princess from Arab invaders. 5 feasts around Yazd gained particular fame:

• network-peer
• Pir-e Sabz (source Chak-chak)
• Pir-e Narestan
• Pir-e Banu
• Pir-e Naraki

Worldview and morality

The main feature of the Zoroastrian worldview is the recognition of the existence of two worlds: mēnōg and gētīg (pehl.) - spiritual (lit. "mental", the world of ideas) and earthly (bodily, physical), as well as recognition of their interconnection and interdependence. Both worlds were created by Ahura Mazda and are good, the material complements the spiritual, makes it complete and perfect, material goods are considered the same gifts of Ahura Mazda as spiritual ones and one without the other is inconceivable. Zoroastrianism is alien to both crude materialism and hedonism, as well as spiritualism and asceticism. In Zoroastrianism there are no practices of mortification, celibacy and monasteries.

The complementary dichotomy of the mental and the bodily permeates the entire system of morality of Zoroastrianism. The main meaning of the life of a Zoroastrian is the "accumulation" of good deeds (Pers. kerfe), primarily associated with the conscientious fulfillment of one's duty as a believer, family man, worker, citizen, and the avoidance of sin (Pers. gonāh). This is the path not only to personal salvation, but also to the prosperity of the world and victory over evil, which is directly related to the efforts of each of the people. Each righteous person acts as a representative of Ahura Mazda and, on the one hand, actually embodies his deeds on earth, and on the other, dedicates all his blessings to Ahura Mazda.

Virtues are described through the ethical triad: good thoughts, good words and good deeds (humata, khukhta, hvarshta), that is, they affect the mental, verbal and physical levels. In general, mysticism is alien to the Zoroastrian worldview, it is believed that each person is able to understand what is good, thanks to his conscience (daena, pure) and reason (divided into “innate” and “heard”, that is, the wisdom that a person acquired from others of people).

Moral purity and personal development concerns not only the soul, but also the body: maintaining the purity of the body and eliminating defilement, disease, and a healthy lifestyle is considered a virtue. Ritual purity can be violated by contact with defiling objects or people, illness, evil thoughts, words or deeds. The corpses of people and good creatures have the greatest defiling power. It is forbidden to touch them and it is not recommended to look at them. For people who have been defiled, purification rites are provided.

The list of basic virtues and sins is given in the Pahlavi text Dadestan-i Menog-i Khrad (Judgments of the Spirit of Mind):

blessings

sins

1. nobility (generosity) 2. truthfulness (honesty) 3. gratitude 4. contentment 5. (consciousness) of the need to do good to good people and be every friend 6. confidence that heaven, earth, everything good on earth and in heaven - from the Creator Ormazd 7. confidence that all evil and opposition is from the deceitful damned Ahriman 8. confidence in the resurrection of the dead and the final incarnation 9. marriage 10. fulfillment of the duties of a guardian 11. honest work 12. confidence in pure Good faith 13. respect for the skill and skill of everyone 14. to see the benevolence of good people and wish good people 15. love for good people 16. expelling evil and hatred from thoughts 17. not to feel vile envy 18. not to feel lustful desire 19. neither not to be at enmity with anyone 20. not to harm the property of the deceased or absent 21. not to leave evil in oneself 22. out of shame not to commit sin 23. not to sleep out of laziness 24. confidence in yazats 25. not to doubt the existence of heaven and hell and the responsibility of the soul 26. Refraining from slander and envy 27. Instructing others in good deeds 28. Being a friend of the good and an opponent of the evil 29. Refraining from deceit and malice 30. Not speaking lies and lies 31. Not breaking promises and agreements 32. Refraining from harming others 33 hospitality to the sick, the helpless and travelers

1. sodomy 2. perversions 3. murder of a righteous man 4. violation of marriage 5. failure to comply with the duties of a guardian 6. extinguishing the fire of Varahram 7. killing a dog 8. worshiping idols 9. belief in all kinds of (alien) religions 10. embezzlement of a trusted 11. maintaining a lie, covering sin 12. idleness (“who eats but does not work”) 13. following gnostic sects 14. engaging in witchcraft 15. falling into heresy 16. worshiping devas 17. patronizing a thief 18. breaking a contract 19. revenge 20. forcibly appropriating someone else's 21 oppression of the pious 22. slander 23. arrogance 24. adultery 25. ingratitude 26. lies 27. dissatisfaction with (good) deeds of the past 28. gloating over the torment and suffering of good people 29. ease in committing evil deeds and delay in committing good deeds 30. regret about a good deed done for someone

The main moral rule

This is usually recognized as a phrase from the Gathas of Zarathushtra:

uštā ahmāi yahmāi uštā kahmāicīţ

Happiness to those who wish happiness to others

Society

Zoroastrianism is a public religion, hermitism is not characteristic of it. The community of Zoroastrians is called Anjoman(Avest. hanjamana- “gathering”, “meeting”). The usual unit is the anjoman of a locality - a Zoroastrian village or city block. Going to community meetings, discussing its affairs together and participating in community holidays is a direct duty of a Zoroastrian.

The Avesta names four estates into which society is divided:

• atravanas (priests)
• rataeshtars (military aristocracy)
• Vastrio-fschuyants (lit. "shepherds-cattle breeders", hereinafter the peasantry in general)
• khuiti ("craftsmen", artisans)

Until the end of the Sassanid time, the barriers between the estates were serious, but in principle the transition from one to another was possible. After the conquest of Iran by the Arabs, when the aristocracy converted to Islam, and the Zoroastrians, as dhimmis, were forbidden to carry weapons, in reality there were two estates: priestly mobeds and lay Behdins, belonging to which was inherited strictly through the male line (although women could marry outside their estate ). This division is still preserved: it is virtually impossible to become a mobed. Nevertheless, the class structure of society is greatly deformed, since most of the mobeds, along with the performance of their religious duties, are engaged in various kinds of worldly activities (especially in large cities) and in this sense merge with the laity. On the other hand, the institute of mobedyars is developing - laymen by origin, who take on the duties of a mobedya.

Other features of the Zoroastrian society include the traditional relatively high place of women in it and a much greater approximation of its status to an equal status with a man compared to the society of the surrounding Muslims.

Food

In Zoroastrianism, there are no pronounced food prohibitions. The basic rule is that food should be beneficial. Vegetarianism is traditionally not characteristic of Zoroastrianism. You can eat the meat of all ungulates and fish. Although the cow is given great respect, references to it are often found in the Ghats, there is no practice of prohibiting beef. There is also no ban on pork. Nevertheless, Zoroastrians are required to treat livestock with care, it is forbidden to mistreat it and senseless killings, and it is prescribed to limit oneself in the consumption of meat within reasonable limits.

Fasting and conscious fasting are expressly prohibited in Zoroastrianism. There are only four days a month on which it is prescribed to refuse meat.

In Zoroastrianism, there is no prohibition on wine, although edifying texts contain special instructions for moderate consumption of it.

Dog

This animal enjoys special respect among the Zoroastrians. This is largely due to the rational worldview of the Zoroastrians: religion notes the real benefits that a dog brings to a person. It is believed that the dog can see evil spirits (devas) and drive them away. Ritualistically, a dog can be equated with a person, and the norms for burying human remains also apply to a dead dog. There are several chapters devoted to dogs in the Vendidad, highlighting several "breeds" of dogs:

• Pasush-haurva - guarding cattle, shepherd dog
• Vish-haurva - guarding housing
• Vohunazga - hunting (following the trail)
• Tauruna (Drakhto-khunara) - hunting, trained

The “genus of dogs” also includes foxes, jackals, hedgehogs, otters, beavers, porcupines. On the contrary, the wolf is considered a hostile animal, a product of the devas.

ritual practice

Zoroastrians attach great importance to rituals and festive religious ceremonies. Sacred fire plays an extremely important role in ritual practice, for this reason Zoroastrians are often called "fire worshipers", although the Zoroastrians themselves consider this name offensive. They argue that fire is only the image of God on earth. In addition, it would not be entirely correct to call the Zoroastrian cult in Russian worship, because during prayer Zoroastrians do not perform bows while maintaining a straight body position.

General requirements for the ritual:

• the ritual must be performed by a person who has the necessary qualities and qualifications, women usually perform only domestic rituals, their performance of other rituals is possible only for the society of other women (if there are no men);
• the participant of the ritual must be in a state of ritual purity, to achieve which, before the ceremony, ablution (small or large) is carried out, he must be wearing a sadre, kushti, headdress; if a woman has long, untidy hair, they should be covered with a scarf;
• all those present in the room where the sacred fire is located must be facing it and not turn their backs;
• the bandaging of the belt is done while standing, those present at long rituals are allowed to sit;
• the presence in front of the fire during the ritual of an unbeliever or a representative of another religion leads to the desecration of the ritual and its invalidity.
• prayer texts are read in the original language (Avestan, Pahlavi).

Yasna

Yasna (yazeshn-hani, vaj-yasht) means "veneration" or "sacrifice". This is the main Zoroastrian worship, during which the Avestan book of the same name is read, performed both by individual order of the laity, and (most often) on the occasion of one of the six gahanbars - traditional great Zoroastrian holidays (then Yasna is supplemented by Vispered).

Yasna is always performed at dawn by at least two priests: the main zoot(Avest. zaotar) and his assistant paint(Avest. raetvishkar). The service is held in a special room, where a tablecloth, symbolizing the earth, is spread on the floor. During the service, various objects are used that have their own symbolic meaning, primarily fire (atash-dadgah, usually lit from a stationary fire atash-adoryan or varahram), fragrant wood for it, water, haoma (ephedra), milk, pomegranate twigs, and also flowers, fruits, sprigs of myrtle, etc. The priests sit facing each other on the tablecloth, and the faithful are arranged around.

In the process of Yasna, mobeds not only honor Ahura Mazda and his good creations, they essentially reproduce the first creation of the world by Ahura Mazda and symbolically fulfill its future “improvement” (Frasho-kereti). The symbol of this is the drink prepared in the process of reading prayers. parachaoma(parachum) from a mixture of squeezed ephedra juice, water and milk, part of which is poured on the fire, and part at the end of the service is given for "communion" to the laity. This drink symbolizes the miraculous drink that Saoshyant will give to the resurrected people to drink in the future, after which they will become immortal forever and ever.

Jashn (Jashan)

Persian. Jashn-hani, for the Parsis Jashan(from other Persian yašna "reverence", corresponding to the Avest. yasna) - a festive ceremony. It is performed on small Zoroastrian holidays ( jashnas), the most important of which is Novruz - the New Year's Eve, and also as a continuation of the celebration of gahanbar.

Jashn-hani is a kind of small Yasna, on which they read Afrinagans(afaringans) - "blessings". In the process of performing the rite, the objects used in Yasna (except haoma) are also involved, symbolizing good creations and Ameshaspents.

Symbolism of Jashna:

Sedre-push or Navjot

Parsi navjot ceremony

Sedre-pushi (Persian lit. “putting on a shirt”) or Parsi Navjot (lit. “new zaotar”, the rite was originally called novzudi, see below) - the rite of acceptance of Zoroastrianism

The ceremony is performed by a mobed. During the ceremony, the person accepting the faith pronounces the Zoroastrian creed, the Fravarana prayer, puts on the sacred shirt sedre (sudre) and mobed ties him the sacred koshti belt. After that, the newly initiated pronounces the Peiman-e din (oath of faith), in which he undertakes to adhere to the religion of Ahura Mazda and the law of Zoroaster at all costs. The ceremony is usually performed when the child reaches the age of majority (15 years old), but can be performed at an earlier age, but not earlier than the child himself can pronounce the creed and tie a belt (from 7 years old).

Five Times Prayer

Gakhi- daily five-fold reading of prayers, named after the periods in the day - gahs:

• Khavan-gah - from dawn to noon;
• Rapitvin-gah - from noon to 3 o'clock in the afternoon;
• Uzering-gah - from 3 o'clock in the afternoon until sunset;
• Aivisrutrim-gah--from sunset to midnight;
• Ushahin-gah. - from midnight to dawn;

It can be both collective and individual. Fivefold prayer is recognized as one of the main duties of every Zoroastrian.

Gavakhgiri

Wedding ceremony in Zoroastrianism.

Novzudi

Rite of initiation into the priesthood. It is held with a large gathering of mobeds and laity. In the process of the rite, the previous initiated mobed in this area always participates. At the end of the ceremony, the newly ordained mobed conducts Yasna and is finally approved in the rank.

burial rites

From all the numerous Zoroastrian communities of Iran that existed in early Islamic times, already by the 14th century. only communities remained

To understand any religion, it is necessary to consider the conditions of its emergence and formation.

Zoroastrianism is interesting because it is not only an ancient religion, but also a religion that has influenced the most widespread religions of the world.

Originating in Southwestern Iran and on the western coast of India, based on the worship of the forces of nature, Zoroastrianism appeared much earlier than it is known from historical sources, and therefore the antiquity of this religion can only be judged by analyzing its rituals, methods of worship, etc. But this is precisely what makes it mysterious, leaves many unresolved questions in this religion, and, despite the fact that it still exists, today's Zoroastrianism differs from the religion of the ancient Indo-Iranian tribes. The mere fact that the text of the uttered prayers is incomprehensible to most believers, and the ritual side has been worked out to the smallest detail, can speak of its deep roots and strong continuity from generation to generation.

One can only wonder how the beliefs established by one man have passed through the ages and remained virtually intact in their essence. Perhaps the purity of religion was preserved due to the borrowing of its features by other religious movements.

However, when writing this work, the use of only Russian publications on Zoroastrianism played an important role. Much more works are written in other, mainly European, languages. That is why the material is taken as far as it was possible to draw from Russian editions and translations.

Some researchers insist that it is necessary to divide this religion into different periods: before Zoroaster, there was supposedly a religion of Mazdaism, during Zoroaster and a little after it, Zoroastrianism existed, and, having survived to this day, there is Parsism. In any case, we will not go into details that are so insignificant for us, since the religion was actually of the same peoples, only at different times. For us, their changes are insignificant. However, I will explain the reason for this separation in the section " Avesta", where I will talk about the formation of the main sacred document and its interpretation.

Other researchers speak of Zoroaster exclusively as a prophet, forgetting his religious purpose as a reformer. In this work, I will not approve or refute this opinion, since the purpose of the work is to highlight, as far as possible, the personality of Zarathushtra himself and his teachings. I will also try to do without comparisons and assumptions, only casually mentioning some possible versions.

The main goal of this work is to introduce and study Zoroastrianism as a religion that has become the basis for other religions of the world. As I studied the materials, I was struck by the constancy of religion, that is, its relevance regardless of time. In this work, I decided to figure out how this religion affects people? What is special about her worldview, foundations, rituals that makes people believe in her. One could talk about the Parsis, the followers of this religion, but is it possible to understand a religion without knowing its origins? After all, all Christians, studying the Bible, teach, first of all, the life of Christ, and only then his teachings.

In chapter " Avesta"I approached this religion from a scientific point of view in order to understand the sources, their authorship and the veracity of what was written. For, as a historian-researcher of this issue, I could not rely in my work on the literal Avestan idea, for example, about the emergence of the world.

Zoroaster

The origin of the great prophet Zarathustra is still unknown. The date and place of his birth is also unknown. Myths and legends overgrown his life and work. Speaking of Zaroaster, it is necessary to clarify that other forms of his name are often found, such as Zarathustra, Zarathustra, Zoroaster. Such discrepancies in the interpretation of the name are associated with different spellings among different peoples. Babylonian, Greek and Iranian sources spell this name differently.

But the very origin of the name is interesting: "The name Zarathushtra represents an ordinary Iranian name, the second part of which - ushtra - means" camel "(Taj. Shutur), but there are different opinions about the first one ("yellow", "old", "driving"). Therefore, Zarathushtra roughly means "possessing an old camel", i.e. a simple peasant name, which would hardly be given to a mythical deified person. On the other hand, presumably such unsound names were given to protect children from evil spirits. In addition, many Iranian names of that time had the name of animals in their root. For example, aspa is a horse (names Vishtaspa, Porushaspa and others). Other interpretations can be assumed, such as, for example, "aster" - a star. In this context, everything changes dramatically. "According to Anquetil Duperron, "yellow" is translated as "golden", and the second root is not "ushtra", but "Tishtriya". That is how the Aryans called the star Sirius. And only this name is considered worthy of the prophet - Golden Sirius".

Zarathustra was originally known from the Gathas, hymns composed by himself. There are seventeen of them in total - inspired sayings, dedicated and addressed to God. Due to the ancient poetic form, the deciphering of the Gathas remains unclear to the end. The ambiguities of the Gathas are more or less revealed in the Avesta, already written in Pahlavi under the Sisanids.

Zoroaster himself appears in the Gathas as a preacher of the new faith, a professional priest, a struggling and suffering person. In the later parts of the Avesta it is said that he came from a poor family of Spitama, his father's name was Pourushaspa, and his mother was Dugdova. Zoroaster was married and had two daughters. He was not rich. The Gathas mention the promise of a certain person to give him one camel and ten horses. According to another version, it is said that the Spitama clan was very rich.

Zoroaster simultaneously became both a clergyman and a prophet. His followers took teachings from him. Zoroaster had a wife, and therefore Zoroastrian priests are still allowed to live a family life.

The life time of Zarathustra is also defined very vaguely - the end of the 7th - the beginning of the 6th century. BC. Pythagoras, in particular, writes about him, who claims that he repeatedly met and talked with Zarathushtra himself. Hence, the approximate time of his birth is believed, which, in principle, is very doubtful. For example, Mary Boyce clearly proves that there is no way to date his birth to this particular period, but always relies on a different date in her editions of her works. In the latest edition, the birth date of Zarathustra fluctuates between the 15th and 12th centuries BC.

His homeland is not known and is a field of dispute for many scientists. However, a certain region of Aryan Vej, which is still unknown, is mentioned as a place of residence. P. Globa claims that the birthplace of Zarathushtra is Russia, since it was here in the steppe between the Chelyabinsk, Orenburg regions, Bashkiria and Kazakhstan that archaeological excavations found the ancient city, temple and observatory Arkaim. Here is what P. Globa himself claims about this: “I believe that the kingdom of Vishtaspa occupied the space from the Volga to the Urals. These are the Zhiguli hills, the Volga Upland. A large territory comparable in area to France. The capital was somewhere in the center of the kingdom, at the bend of the rivers in the region of Samara, Zhiguli. The climate then was different, less continental. After the death of King Vishtaspa and his children, the Karapans again came there and expelled the Zoroastrians. But this kingdom had already been initiated by Zarathushtra, many of his disciples remained there."

The Iranian poet Firdousi, in his epic poem "Shahnameh", describes the plot of the adoption of Zaradushtra by Prince Vishtaspa. Therefore, the question of the homeland of Zarathushtra cannot be considered closed and nothing concrete can be affirmed.

Zarathustra was born the third of five children in the family and at the age of 15 he acquired the priesthood. Even then he was considered a wise man. At the age of 20, he left home and for 10 years wandered around his homeland, seeking the truth and being interested in the faith of people. This continued until, at the age of thirty, he met Ahura Mazda himself and his henchmen, and then a revelation came to him. He withstood three terrible inhuman trials and then the truth became clear to him. After that he went to his native village and began to preach there. Zoroastrianism. The local priests were surprised and angry and were about to execute him, when the local prince Vishtaspa stood up for him and patronized him, freeing him from execution. However, the teachings of Zarathustra were never accepted by anyone, except for his own brother, who became his follower. Even the prince, under pressure from his relatives, refused to believe in what he internally believed. And this, according to Zoroastrian customs, is one of the most serious sins.

But, in the end, Prince Vishtaspa was converted to Zoroastrianism, and from him the spread of a new faith began, accompanied by local religious strife.

So Zarathushtra at the age of 42 became the royal adviser. Vishtaspa ordered that his words be written on cowhides in gold letters and collected a whole treasury of 12,000 skins. According to legend, it was a complete record of the Avesta. But, unfortunately, Alexander the Great destroyed this library along with the verses of Zarathustra, which, according to legend, were also two million.

Zarathustra was married twice, once to a widow, the other to a virgin. From his first marriage he had two children and from his second four, of which only one was a boy.

Zarathustra lived 77 years and 40 days. He knew in advance that he would die a violent death, and therefore spent the last 40 days in continuous prayer. According to legend, he was killed by a priest of an ancient religion that Zoroaster rejected. However, such data are very conditional and return us more to mythology than to real events.

Given the legendary personality of Zarathushtra, it is worth noting that the data of his biography are overgrown with rumors and legends. The biography of Zoroaster described here should be considered a literal understanding of that of the ancient texts by some researchers.

In addition to other researchers, one of the first serious works in the study of Zoroastrianism was made by Anquetil Duperron. In 1755 he went to India and lived among the Parsis for 13 years. There he collected the books that made up the Avesta and, returning to Paris, researched and translated it into French. This was the first European translation of the Avesta, and caused much controversy. Moreover, it was initially assumed that the Avesta consisted of 22 books, liturgical, historical, legislative and medical. However, over the millennia, many non-liturgical books have been lost.

The first thing that was claimed was the authenticity of the Avesta. Then the controversy went around the Zend language, in which it is written. Research into the Avesta was very thorough and by the end of the 18th century the authenticity of the Avesta was no longer in doubt.

Further study of the Avesta went in the direction of its interpretation. Two methods of interpretation were taken as a basis: "one, based in its interpretation of the Avesta on the tradition of the Parsis, and the other, which based the study of the Avesta on a comparison with Sanskrit with the mythology of the Vedas."

So there were two views on the interpretation of the Avesta. It must be said that both opposition camps produced their own translations of the Avesta. Translations sometimes turned out to be so different "that they seem to be talking about completely different subjects."

In any case, no matter which method is taken, as Makovelsky A.O. points out, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the Avesta has been formed over the centuries, and therefore should have different layers, like any other similar book. In addition, the Avesta was written geographically in different places, and therefore "in the same way, the Avesta and Zoroastrianism, along with changing epochs, could not but be affected by the local features of those countries where it was distributed. We believe that it is necessary to distinguish between eastern (Central Asian) and western (Median) Zoroastrianism".

This important conclusion leads us not only to the interpretation of the Avesta, but also to the understanding of a certain difference between the individual branches of Zoroastrianism already modified in the modern world. It is no coincidence that researchers distinguish different forms of Zoroastrianism depending on the time of its existence. In particular, they find differences even in ritual form. So, for example, Herzfeld noticed on gold plates found in Central Asia differences in the posture of prayer. This can be judged based on the twice-occurring posture in Yasna:

"The Soul of Creation and I, with uplifted hands and being full of reverence, praise Ahura Mazda and ask Him to avert misfortunes from the righteous and good people and their heads, protect them from the attack of the wicked and enemies!"

"O Mazda Ahura, with hymns that come from the very depths of my heart, and with uplifted hands, I pray to You, O Mazda, and I wish to approach You, as a devoted and humble friend, thanks to the truth and purity and the miraculous wisdom of Vohu Mana!"

Thus, it can be argued that the Avesta that has come down to us today, like Zoroastrianism in general, is no longer the same creed that can be read in the early layers of the Avesta. Although here it is necessary to take into account the destruction of the texts of the Avesta by Alexander the Great, it is not known how reliably the Avesta was reproduced after that. But it is also impossible to argue about its unreliability, since, like the Bible among Christians, the Avesta among modern Zoroastrians is the main source of religion. In addition, the Avesta sometimes contains historical information, overgrown with legends and myths, the reliability of which we can judge only after repeated verification, which is not always possible.

The texts of the Avesta, Gat and Yasht (songs of praise to the gods), which are read by heart by the priests during worship, are difficult to understand and are written in the ancient Pahlavi language. But this gives a certain mysticism and mystery to the rites, makes them sacred and exalted. It is understood that the first 17 Gathas belong to the writing of Zarathushtra personally, the rest appeared during the reign of the Sissanids. The Zoroastrians treat the Sissanids well, as their faith flourished during their reign. They are less friendly to Alexander the Great, who burned the entire library of the Avesta.

The dispute about the correct understanding of what is written in the Avesta and other religious sources still remains unresolved, we can definitely only talk about individual lines of these works that have changed over the centuries. Moreover, they were recorded much later than they appeared. This indicates their importance in worship, the transmission of texts between priests orally. So Zoroastrianism survived to the time when it was first written down.

However, in this matter, and philologists could not help in the exact dating of the emergence of this religion. And therefore, most likely, we can talk about isolating Zoroastrianism, like other religions, from pagan beliefs, and therefore, without a definite beginning.

The main ideas (dogmas) of the religion and Zoroastrianism

Religious reform

By origin, this religion is of a very ancient ideology, and in form it is one of the few codified religions in the history of mankind. It was not a world polyethnic religion such as Buddhism, Christianity or Islam, but, nevertheless, is considered on a par with them for reasons of typological similarity, as well as the long and deep influence it had on these creeds.

Whatever ancient pagan religion we take, before Zoroastrianism it was natural idolatry with a whole pantheon of gods. Initially, Zoroastrianism was also a polytheism. According to one version, seven main deities were worshiped in early Zoroastrianism, and the number seven itself was of divine origin. In particular, the worship went to seven deities: "Ahura Mazda - the Lord of Wisdom", Vohu-Mana "Good Thought", Asha-Vakhishta "The Best Truth", Khshatra-Varya "Chosen, Preferred Power", Spenta-Armaiti "Holy, beneficent World" , Harvatat "Integrity, i.e. well-being", Amertat "Immortality".

According to another version, these seven deities were made by the one and all-powerful god himself. Ahura Mazda. He was the first to create his own kind: "Spenta Mainyu, who absorbed the creative power and goodness of Ahura Mazda" . Therefore, it is clear that Zoroastrianism as a religion was modified precisely from polytheism, precisely from the worship of the forces of nature. All this speaks of the integrity of the established religion, of the degree of satisfaction with it of the society into which it was introduced.

"Truly, there are two primary spirits, twins, famous for their opposites. In thought, in word and in action - they are both, good and evil ... When these two spirits clashed for the first time, they created being and non-being, and what awaits in the end, those who follow the path of falsehood (friend) are the worst, and those who follow the path of good (asha) are in for the best. And out of these two spirits, one, following the lie, chose evil, and the other- the most holy spirit, dressed in the strongest stone (that is, the firmament), chose righteousness, and let (everyone knows this) who will constantly please Ahura Mazda with righteous deeds.

Hence, the essence of the reform is visible, which, according to V.I. Abaev, consisted in the rejection of the primitive deification of the elements and the transition to the word, to faith in abstract and spiritual forces. Evidence for this reform is, unfortunately, almost impossible to confirm archaeologically. The only proof of this is written sources - the Gathas.

On the other hand, due to the paucity of evidence, it is impossible to say with certainty that this was precisely the reform. However, some researchers come down to just such an assumption, arguing that it was difficult for the Indo-Iranian people to move from natural to abstract religion. Apparently, the ancient Greek authors also spoke in favor of the reform, showing Zoroaster as a reformer, moreover, in the Gathas themselves, Zoroaster falls upon the ancient clergy:

"The evil-thinking teacher distorts the Holy Scripture and leads humanity away from its real life goal with the help of his false teaching! He leads us away from our most valuable heritage of truth, righteousness and purity of mind! With this manifestation of my inner spirit, I appeal to you, O Lord of Wisdom and Asha , for guard!…

...They (false teachers) consider the deceitful great because of their position and worldly splendor, O Lord of Wisdom! They keep respectable men and women from achieving their desires and enjoying the gifts of God! They confuse the minds of the righteous and truthful and destroy their lives!"

Here you can see the struggle of Zoroaster with the ancient priesthood. Remembering his social position and dynastic roots, one can confidently assert that the religious reform was still not alien to him and the most probable. On the other hand, it would be surprising and hardly plausible to say that Zoroaster did not have a certain amount of power to ensure the spread of his religion.

Worldview. Zoroastrianism as a religion

The hallmark of Zoroastrianism as a religion at that time was dualism. The constant struggle of opposites as a universal world process. The position of man in this religion is interesting.

Unlike, for example, Christianity, where a person is a servant of God, Zoroastrianism assumes that each person is to help Ahura Mazda in the fight against evil spirits. By his good deeds, a person helps the good in the constant struggle. And with his evil deeds, he increases the power of evil on Earth. Every person professing Zoroastrianism should strive to follow the truth - Asha - and try to observe the virtues, defined by the phrase "good thoughts, good speech, good deeds." Asha in the understanding of Zarathustra is not only the truth, but also the law for every person. This is stated in the Avesta, in one of the Yasnas the meaning of human life is clearly formulated:

"The one who fights with impious thoughts, words, deeds and with his hands destroys their evil plan, leading them to the path of truth, he, undoubtedly, fulfills the Will of the Lord out of love for Mazda Ahura!"

The most important dogma of Zoroastrianism is the phrase " good thoughts, good words, good deeds ". Perhaps, this phrase alone contains the whole motive of this religion. After all, all living things are involved in the struggle, and therefore each person will contribute to the outcome of the battle. This phrase appears explicitly or indirectly in different parts of the Avesta:

"Thanks to good deeds and words and deep reflection, O Mazda, may people achieve eternal life, righteousness, spiritual strength and perfection - I will dedicate all this to You, O Ahura, as a gift!"

"Hear the words of those, O Ahura, who with a good deed, a true word and a pure thought desire to join You!…"

And also the idea of ​​these fundamental principles of the human soul is visible in literary works. For example, in "Judgments of the Spirit of Reason" this is how a girl meets a sinner:

"I'm not a girl, but your deeds, O monster with evil thoughts, evil speeches, evil deeds and evil faith!"

Even in repentance, these three components are present. In order to carry out repentance, it is necessary to use all three methods and repent in thoughts, words and deeds. Thus man lightens the burden of his mind and puts an end to his sin.

Thus, the aspirations of each believer are determined, it all comes down to the fact that the covenant hour will come when Good will triumph and finally defeat evil. Modern religions are now guided by this conclusion, but it should be noted that in Zoroastrianism this manifested itself the earliest, even before the time when the Indo-Iranians were divided into Iranians and Indo-Aryans, and even more so before Christianity appeared, which took this slogan about the salvation of mankind for itself. to the main idea. At its core, we see the impact Zoroastrianism has had on modern religious teachings.

Hence the goal that "humanity has a common purpose with good deities - to gradually defeat evil and restore the world in its original, perfect form." Therefore, we can say that a characteristic feature, unlike other religions, "almost the main idea of ​​the ethical doctrine of Zoroastrianism was the thesis that truth and goodness, as well as suffering and evil, depend on people themselves, who can and should be active creators of own destiny."

A person must perform virtues during his life, which in Zoroastrianism are divided into active, passive, personal and universal. Active virtue is especially praised, during which a person influences other people, turning them to the path of active resistance to evil. If he is simply honest, just and truthful, remaining satisfied in his virtuous life, then he follows passive virtue.

Personal virtue refers to actions that make a person happy. These include thrift, marriage, simplicity, contentment. If a person benefits a large number of people, then these are universal virtues. This is courage, courage, the struggle for a just cause, for justice.

It is surprising that, for example, Christianity, adopting the features of the Zoroastrian religion, did not take this simple dogma of the destiny of mankind as a basis. The answer may lie in the service of religion in general to secular and political goals as a means of influencing the masses of people through moral enslavement. Given that Zoroastrianism, to my knowledge, was spread without coercion, it can be assumed that this religion had no economic or political motives. And the moral purity of religion attracts more believers to its side, especially from the privileged classes.

"Happiness is the one who gives happiness to others" - says the Avesta. And in the "Judgment of the Spirit of Reason" it is added: "The one who acquired wealth by righteous labor should be considered happy, and the one who acquired it through sin - unfortunate." Act in accordance with the will of Ahura Mazda, do not abuse the bounty of nature and live in harmony with it. Consider this world a battlefield between good and evil, and consider yourself among the warriors of this war. Here are the right morals for any Zoroastrian, in addition to which he must rise up against any injustice and instruct the wicked on the true path.

Every person has innate and acquired wisdom. The first is given from birth, and the second develops on the basis of the first, if a person takes care of it, acquiring the necessary knowledge and learning. The whole inner world of a person consists of life, conscience, mind, soul and spirit - the guardian. The soul of a person, or Urvan, is potentially divine and a person can illuminate it in order to get closer to Ahura Mazda. She has three abilities: reasoning, which promotes insight, consciousness, which protects, and wisdom, which allows decision.

The idea of ​​the salvation of mankind as such in Christianity or other religions is absent in Zoroastrianism itself, but the meaning of a universal judgment day has a place to be. Since in Zoroastrianism the world is divided into three eras: "Creations", "Mixing" and "Separation", it speaks of three saviors who will come, due to the fact that certain maidens at different times bathe in the same lake into which they dropped their seed Zoroaster himself, and saviors will be conceived from him. The last third savior will be called to save the world finally, then there will be a day of judgment and the dead will rise from their graves and be judged again. Thus, if they are condemned to death, they will experience it a second time and disappear. And goodness - asha - will triumph. And then the kingdom of good will come. On the other hand, such a scholar as Mary Boyce argues that the doctrine of three eras "makes history in a certain sense cyclical, since the material world is restored during the third era in the same perfection that it had during the first."

The main thing is that Zoroastrianism, unlike other religions, exalts the role of man in the world, makes him not a servant of God, but an associate of Ahura Mazda, his assistant. Each person is responsible not only for himself, but also lives in order to help Ahura Mazda cope with evil spirits - devas. And if initially Zoroastrianism assumed assistance to pastoralists and farmers, then with the change of the era, the values ​​change, but the ideals remain.

A very interesting worldview in Zoroastrianism on the death of a person. By definition, death is the separation of consciousness and the physical body. After that, the soul remains on earth for three days. Moreover, for the righteous, she is guarded by the angel Srosh, and for the wicked, she toils without patronage. And on the morning of the fourth day, Srosha, if a person is pious, or the deva Vizarsh of the impious, leads his soul through the Chinvat bridge - the bridge of choice to a better existence. This bridge will be wide for the righteous, but very narrow for the unrighteous. At the end of the bridge, two dogs will meet, who will joyfully bark at the pious one, cheering his way, and will remain silent to the one going to hell. At the end of the bridge, the soul meets its own behavior - Daena - in the form of a most beautiful maiden with the most fragrant breath of the wind, or, if a person is impious, in the form of a decrepit old woman or a terrible girl. She is the embodiment of his actions. One of the most significant Zoroastrian texts, "The Judgment of the Spirit of Reason," details how the soul of a person is sent to the heaven of the righteous and the unrighteous. When meeting a beautiful (or terrible for an impious) girl, deeds are listed by which a person’s behavior is condemned and actions are compared. Here are the deeds that befit a righteous person:

"And when you saw that someone oppressed, robbed, offended and insulted a good person and seized his wealth in a criminal way, then you kept him from oppressing and robbing people. And you thought about a good person, gave him shelter and accepted him, and gave alms to those who came from close places or even from afar. And you gained wealth in an honest way. And when you saw that it was necessary to pass a false sentence, give a bribe and bring false testimony, then you stepped aside from this and your speech was truthful and sincere."

But in general, if we talk about such a literary work as "Judgments of the Spirit of Reason", referring to the "Avesta", then from there you can draw the whole worldview of Zoroastrianism. It lists all the sins from the heaviest - Sodomy - to the thirtieth: one who regrets the good that he did for someone. It also lists all the good deeds in order to get to heaven. Of the thirty-three good deeds, the first is nobility, and the thirty-third is about hospitality to the sick, the helpless, and travelers.

The concepts of heaven and hell are represented in Zoroastrianism by the words Behest and Dozah, respectively. Each area has four levels. In Behest, these are "the station of the stars", "the station of the moon", "the station of the sun" and "endless light" go "the house of songs". Approximately the same gradation exists in hell, reaching "endless darkness".

But if a person has done good and bad deeds equally, then for him there is a place Hamistagan, like a Christian purgatory, where there are neither sorrows nor joys. There he will be until the day of judgment.

ritualism

Ritualism plays a very important role in any religion, and even more so in the progenitor of religions - Zoroastrianism. Myself Zoroaster was the first priest.

Before starting to serve, the priests go through a strict system of training and after it they pass the appropriate exams for knowledge of all Zoroastrian rites. Only after that the priest is allowed to the rites.

All rituals were performed with the help of fire. Fire as sacred, in fact, could not be touched by anyone, very valuable wood species were burned for this, only the main priest-servant could change the fire. Hence, the Zoroastrians are called fire-worshippers by many who do not know. But I don't quite agree with this. Mary Boyce, who studied Zoroastrianism in Iran from the priests, in her work does not at all emphasize the fact that the Zoroastrians have a cult of fire. In addition, the veneration of fire belongs to many peoples even before the advent of Zoroastrianism. And therefore, it is also impossible to attribute this cult as primordially Zoroastrian. Of course, there is a cult of fire, but it is revered in the same way as other elements, only instead of air they revered the wind.

Previously, juice from the haoma plant was present in many rituals. They mixed this plant with milk and the drink becomes the owner of intoxicating properties.

But the main thing was the correct performance of rituals. The very concept that every person is unclean and must constantly monitor his external and internal purity was obligatory for the believer, as it is now. Moreover, the priests who taught this were themselves subjected to purification rites more and more often than other believers, as if serving as a model.

Since water is considered sacred, after the ceremony the dishes were never washed with water, but first they wiped them with sand, washed them with cow urine, which contains an ammonia solution, and only after that they rinsed them with water. This feature is characteristic due to the antiquity of religion, this ritualism lies at its origins.

The clothes of believers are also special, wearing them is obligatory and serves as a hallmark of a true believer who has undergone initiation. During the rite of initiation, a braided cord is put on the men as a sign of acceptance into the religious faith. "This old Indo-Iranian custom was adapted by Zoroaster to give his followers a distinctive sign. All Zoroastrian men and women wear a cord as a belt, wrapping it three times around the waist and tying it in a knot in front and behind." This kusti belt is made of 72 threads. 72 is not a sacred number in Zoroastrianism, just the number of threads corresponds to the chapters in the Avesta. "The symbolic meaning of this belt has been developed over the centuries, but, apparently, from the very beginning, its three turns meant the three private ethics of Zoroastrianism. They were supposed to focus the wearer's thoughts on the foundations of faith. Kusti is tied over the bottom white shirt - sudra - in the collar which a small purse is sewn in. It should remind the believer that a person must fill him with good thoughts, words and deeds all his life in order to gain treasure in heaven.

The believer was required to pray five times a day. The rite of prayer, as far as is known, has remained little touched to this day. During the pronunciation of the prayer, he stands, untying his belt and taking it in his hands, his eyes look at the fire. Constant repetition of prayer is necessary to strengthen faith and promote the tolerance of the righteous. This rite is similar to Islam in many ways. Hence the conclusion that Zoroastrianism influenced this religion as well.

There were seven annual holidays in Zoroastrianism, and each lasted five days. They were dedicated to Amesha-Spenta, which, in general, did not prevent them from being timed to coincide with the holidays of cattle breeders.

The most revered in Zoroastrianism are fire, earth and water. The dog is a sacred animal, it is fed first, giving it the fattest pieces. She runs behind the funeral procession, so that the spirit of decay does not follow the corpse, the very touch of which is detrimental to a person. Moreover, the dog must be white, yellow-eared and four-eyed (with two spots on the forehead). Here is what is written about this in Videvdat:

"And if anyone, O Spitama-Zarathushtra, kills Vankhapara, a wild sharp-faced dog, which slandering people call the name of Dujak, then he will damage his soul for nine generations, for whom the Chinvad bridge will become impassable if he does not expiate [this sin] during his lifetime ] in front of Sraosha".

It is considered a sin even to offend a dog, especially to kill it. The dog is not the only sacred animal among the Zoroastrians. In the following Videvdat, it is clear that any animal that eats or, if in Zoroastrian, fights with animals belonging to the creatures of the Evil Spirit, belongs to dogs:

"And Ahura Mazda said:" Vankhapara-hedgehog - a wild, sharp-faced dog, which slandering people call the name of Duzhak - this is the creation of the Holy Spirit from those creatures that are created by the Holy Spirit, every morning [from midnight] until the sun rises comes out to slay the creatures of the Evil Spirit by the thousands."

Evil creatures include snakes, amphibians, insects, rodents. All animals that destroy them are considered sacred. These include, in addition to dogs, hedgehog, porcupine, fox, weasel. A tricolor cat is considered to bring good luck. Also, Zoroastrians do not eat beef, since the cow is also a sacred animal. But starvation is forbidden for them, so that they have the strength to do good deeds and produce offspring. Even about the otter can be found in Videvdat:

“And Ahura Mazda said: “Until the one who killed the otter here is killed with a blow, until a sacrifice is made to the dedicated * soul of this otter, a fire is kindled for three days and three nights, a barsman is not stretched out, haoma is offered” .

P. Globa claims that the Zoroastrians have four posts. In one of them, a five-day fast, you can only drink water and juices. The data on these posts was first published by P.Globa and, given that researchers do not mention them anywhere else, I consider them doubtful.

Another important aspect of ritualism, researchers consider the burials of the dead. The fact is that the spirit of death, as it is believed, begins to infect the deceased and things around him, as well as people close to the corpse. That is why the dead were always buried naked, believing that clothes were also subject to the spirit of decay. The living embodiment of the spirit of decay is a cadaverous fly that infects the clothes, the bed, and the dwelling of the deceased. Hence, it was considered a desecration not only to touch the corpse, but even more so to carry it:

“Let no one alone carry the dead. And if one carries the dead, the corpse will mix with him through the nose, through the eyes, through the mouth,<...>through the reproductive organ, through the anus. Drukhsh-ya-Nasu * pounces on him to the tips of his nails. He will not be cleansed after this forever and ever."

Some researchers believe that this custom, to consider a dead person as struck by a death deva and dangerous to life around those standing, dates back to the time of the plague or other dangerous diseases. I think this is quite possible, given the possibility of mass epidemics and the fact that in Africa, in a hot climate, any infections find more fertile ground for spreading.

Believers idolized the elements so much that they did not burn their dead, but left them in special elevated places ("Towers of Silence"), so as not to desecrate the earth, so that wild animals and birds could gnaw on the corpses. Moreover, the corpse was tied so that the animals could not pull the bones to the ground or plants. If a person died on the ground, then it could not be irrigated and cultivated for a certain time. Relatives and friends walked dressed in white no closer than 30 steps from the funeral procession. If the body had to be carried far, it could be placed on a donkey or a cow, but the priests still had to go. You can mourn the deceased for no more than three days and only in absentia. In these three days, it is necessary to perform all ritual ceremonies with the mention of the name of the deceased. If the deceased is a people's benefactor, then on the third day "the head of the community proclaims before the community the name of the deceased - the people's benefactor, which should be honored and commemorated in public religious ceremonies." Zoroastrians commemorate all the dead who have benefited the Mazdayas community since ancient times. But it is necessary to bury the body only during the day, it is strictly forbidden to bury it at night.

Until now, archaeologists are looking for the "Tower of Silence" in the hope that, having found the most ancient one, they will find out the exact homeland of Zoroastrianism.

Modern Zoroastrianism (Parsism)

Zoroastrianism, which has a huge and still unexplored history, in 1976 counted approximately 129 thousand believers scattered around the world. Most Zoroastrians are in India and Pakistan. In India, they are divided into two large sects - shahanshahs and kadmis, the formal difference of which is the shift of the calendar era by one month.

Yes, and the religion is no longer called Zoroastrianism, but Parsism. It must be said here that Zoroastrianism in its original form could not reach us intact, but was constantly changing in accordance with time, society, and laws. Zoroastrianism in itself, a rather strict and principled faith, but due to the fact that to maintain it it was necessary to "recruit" new believers, and initially it spread poorly, they made concessions to society, presenting it as a merciful religion. But on the other hand, Zoroastrianism is much more tolerant than, for example, Christianity. After all, the main condition is to follow the truth and fulfill the ritual side of faith. But despite this, the Parsees are very much experiencing their changes caused by religious reforms.

In ritual terms, Zoroastrianism has not changed much, despite the fact that it has undergone many changes in different eras. Today, like many years ago, believers pray five times a day, observe the tenets of the teachings of Zoroaster. The doctrine remains, the main motives are still untouched, and as long as the idea persists, religion can be considered untouched. Up to this point in this work, I have noted Zoroastrianism as an ancient religion without affecting the name parsism. And now I would like to talk about the changes that are already taking place in our time, when modern Parsis are subject to Europeanization. Researcher Mary Boyce in her work studies and talks about the development of Zoroastrianism from the time of its foundation to the present day. In my work, I will not be able to trace the path of the formation of this religion, and the task is completely different than that of Mary Boyce.

In the 20th century, this religion is experiencing such a phenomenon as fundamentalism. Parsees complain about the inexorable penetration of the Christian religion and the Europeanization of Parsism in general. Even some translations of the Avesta have a clearly European connotation. This resulted in the international congresses of Zoroastrians in 1960 in Iran and in Bombay in 1964 and 1978. Today such congresses meet every few years in different countries. They mainly discuss the ritual side of religion. So, for example, in Tehran (Iran), the reformists adopted burial as a modern way of burying corpses. In order not to desecrate the land, the bodies are buried in coffins in a cemented pit. Some reformists are already advocating cremation, which offends traditionalists. But, according to the reason for making such a decision, Mary Boyce: "The Tehran reformists, under pressure from the Shah, expressed their readiness to abolish the ancient custom of exposing corpses as inconsistent with the modern way of life" . This reduced the number of "towers of silence". The same reformist innovations include the permission to refuse to wear a sudra shirt and a kusti belt.

With the advent of electricity, it became more and more difficult to maintain family places of worship. Moreover, Zoroastrianism refers more to a communal religion, in which there is no dominant role of the church and its hierarchy. And in the modern world, the majority of Parsees are already city dwellers and, subject to social influence, it becomes more and more difficult for them to maintain Zoroastrian beliefs and customs.

Sacredness was also lost in the reading of prayers by priests in the ancient Pahlavi language. "In 1888, Yasna and Vispered were printed in full with ritual instructions, as well as a huge volume of Vendidad in large letters so that the priests could easily read it under artificial light during night services" . Thus, the reading of prayer services was no longer a sacrament, the professional reception of priests who passed prayers from mouth to mouth was declassified.

And in the 19th century, many Zoroastrians converted to another faith - Bahaism. This Iranian religion, which arose against Islam, was persecuted and persecuted. The Zoroastrians "were forced to mourn their relatives and friends, who, adopting a new religion, doomed themselves to persecution even more cruel than those experienced by the Zoroastrians themselves in the worst times of oppression" . "Subsequently, Bahaism began to claim the role of a world religion, offering the Iranian Zoroastrians, as well as the theosophy of the Parsis, participation in a larger community, in which they would also occupy an honorable place" . But most of all, Zoroastrians are worried about the atheism that is advancing in the modern world, which hits religion more than the persecution of it.

To date, Muslims have proclaimed religious tolerance towards Zoroastrians. However, despite this, the Parsis suffer a lot of harassment, in particular, in social freedoms, the election of Parsis to elected positions, and others.

Conclusion

Today, Zoroastrianism can be called a dying religion, despite the fact that its followers live in different countries and communicate with each other, trying to create a strong group. But it should be noted that today everything does not depend on the mass dissemination of religion, no matter how powerful a religious idea is, it is already a thing of the past. Fewer people are waiting for the end of the world and the triumph of good over evil, explaining the essence of being in a biological or cosmic context. For comparison, earlier the church stood on the same level with the ruler and took a direct part not only in church affairs, thinking not only about the salvation of the soul, but also about completely worldly, often foreign policy, economic ones. This position of the church has always been disputed, and today's religion, even with a huge number of intermediaries, has a continuation only as a reasonable system of moral teachings for man.

However, some argue that Zoroastrianism will sooner or later be revived: "according to the prediction of Zarathustra, his " teaching will return to where it came from And therefore they are waiting for the return of the old faith, and in doing so, they reasonably rely on Russia.

Zoroastrianism, as the basis of religions and a collection of changing creeds of the Iranian Highlands, is interesting in its historical sense, because any religion determines the mentality and upbringing, generally accepted norms, of society. Therefore, Zoroastrianism is still subject to a long study, based on a combination of archaeological, philological, historical and ethmological data ...

In addition, today Zoroastrianism, as well as many years ago in general, teaches a person order, cleanliness, honesty in fulfilling obligations, gratitude to parents, and help to fellow believers. There are no strict spiritual canons in this religion; it involves a person choosing his place in life. Religion does not oblige to behave correctly, but only warns. Fatalism is inherent only in the inevitability of death, but it depends on the behavior of a person where his soul will go after it - to heaven or hell.

References

1. Avesta: Selected hymns: From Videvdat / Per. from Avest. I. M. Steblin-Kamensky. M., 1993.
2. Boyce Mary. Zoroastrians. Beliefs and customs, 3rd edition, St. Petersburg, 1994
3. Makovelsky A. O. Avesta. Baku, 1960
4. E.A. Doroshenko Zoroastrians in Iran, M., "Science", 1982
5. Dubrovina T.A., Laskareva E.N., Zarathustra, M., "Olympus", 1999
6. MITRA, Zoroastrian magazine, No. 7 (11), St. Petersburg, 2004
7. Avesta. Videvdat. Fragard the thirteenth / Introduction, trans. from Avest. and comm. V. Yu. Kryukova // Vostok. 1994
8. Avesta in Russian translations (1861-1996) / Comp., total. ed., note, reference. Sec. I.V. Cancer. - St. Petersburg, 1997
9. L.S. Vasiliev, History of the Religions of the East. Textbook for universities. - 4th ed. - M., 1999
10. Meitarchyan M.B. The funeral rite of the Zoroastrians. - M., Institute of Oriental Studies RAS, 1999.
11. Zoroastrian texts. Judgments of the Spirit of Reason (Dadestan-i menog-i khrad). Creation of the basis (Bundahishn) and other texts. The publication was prepared by O.M. Chunakova. - M.: Publishing company "Eastern Literature" RAH, 1997. (Monuments of the written language of the East. CXIV).

Links

I can also recommend a site about Zoroastrianism to those who are interested.

Zoroaster taught that purity of thoughts, words and deeds gives a person the surest protection from the devas; made a hard-working life, abstinence from vices, especially from lies, spiritual piety, virtue as the duties of a person. Of sins, he said that they should be expiated by repentance. Zoroastrian priests interpreted the concept of purity in the sense of external purity, and came up with many commandments to preserve it, many rites to restore it if it was violated in any way. These extremely precise and detailed rules of purification, and the same detailed rules regarding sacrifices, prayers, liturgical rites, turned the religion of serving the light into a servile execution of petty decrees, into overwhelming formalism, and distorted the moral teachings of Zoroaster. He wanted to stimulate diligent cultivation of the land, concern for the strengthening of moral strength, energetic work and the development of spiritual nobility. The Zoroastrian priests replaced this with a casuistic system of rules about what deeds of repentance and what rites cleanse various sins, consisting mainly in touching unclean objects. Especially everything that was dead was impure, because Ormuzd created the living, not the dead. The Avesta gives the most detailed rules for precautions and cleansing from defilement when someone has died in the house and when a corpse is buried. Adherents of Zoroastrianism did not bury corpses in the ground and did not burn them. They were taken to special places, prepared for that, and left there to be eaten by dogs and birds. The Iranians carefully avoided approaching these places.

If a Zoroastrian has become defiled, then he can restore his purity only by repentance and the transfer of punishment according to the charter of the good law. “A good law,” says the Vendidad, “takes away all the sins committed by a person: deceit, murder, burying the dead, unforgivable deeds, a lot of highly accumulated sins; it takes away all the bad thoughts, words and deeds of a pure person, just as a strong, fast wind from the right side clears the sky; a good law completely cuts off all punishment.” Repentance and cleansing among the adherents of Zoroastrianism consist mainly in prayers and spells, pronounced at certain times of the day with strict observance of the rites prescribed for this, and in ablutions with the urine of a cow or bull and water. The most powerful purification that removes all filth from a Zoroastrian, " nine night cleansing", - an extremely complex rite, which can be performed only by a pure person who knows the law well and is valid only if this purifier of the sinner receives such a reward as he himself wants. These and other similar commandments and customs imposed chains on the life of the Zoroastrians, taking away from him all freedom of movement, filling his heart with a dreary fear of being defiled. For every time of the day, for every deed, every step, for every everyday occasion, prayers and rituals, rules of consecration were established. All life was brought under the yoke of service to painful Zoroastrian formalism.

Sacrifices in Zoroastrianism

Herodotus tells the following details about sacrifices among the Zoroastrians (I, 131). “The Persians have no custom of building temples and altars; they even consider those who do it stupid because they do not think, like the Hellenes, that the gods have a human form. When they want to offer a sacrifice, they don't erect an altar, they don't kindle a fire, they don't pour wine; they have no pipes, no wreaths, no roasted barley at their sacrifices. When a Persian wants to make a sacrifice, he leads the sacrificial animal to a clean place, prays to God, and usually braids the tiara with myrtle branches. The sacrificer cannot ask God for mercy for himself alone, he must also pray for all the Persians and for the king. Having cut the sacrificial animal into pieces and boiled the meat, he covers the ground with the most tender grass, usually clover, and puts all the meat on this mat. When he has done this, the magician comes up and begins to sing a hymn about the birth of the gods, as they call the spell. Without a magician, the Persians cannot perform sacrifices. After that, the one who offered the sacrifice takes the meat and does with it as he wants.

In Strabo we find the following details about the Zoroastrian sacrifices: “The Persians have a wonderful building, called pyrethia; in the middle of the pyrethium stands an altar, on which there is a lot of ashes, and magicians keep an eternal flame on it. During the day they enter this building and pray for an hour, holding a bunch of sticks in front of the fire; on their heads they have felt tiaras that go down both cheeks and cover their lips and chin. - They offer sacrifices in a clean place, after praying and placing a wreath on the animal being sacrificed. The magician, having made a sacrifice, distributes the meat; each takes his piece and leaves, leaving nothing to the gods, because the god only needs the soul of the victim; but according to some, they throw a piece of omental membrane into the fire. When they sacrifice to water, they go to a pond, river, or stream, dig a hole, and cut the sacrifice over it, taking care that the blood does not fall into the water and defile it. Then they put pieces of meat on myrtle or laurel branches, light a fire with thin sticks and sing incantations, pouring oil mixed with milk and honey, but not into fire or water, but onto the ground. They sing long incantations, and at the same time they hold a bunch of dry myrtle sticks in their hands.

History of the sacred books of Zoroastrianism

The following legends about the fate of the sacred books of Zoroastrianism have come down to us. Denkard, a Zoroastrian work believed by the Parsees to have been written at the time Sassanid, says that King Vistashpa ordered to collect all the books written in the language of the magicians, so that the faith of the worshipers of Ahuramazda would have a firm footing. The book Arda-Viraf Nameh, which is also considered to have been written back in the time of the Sassanids, says that the religion received from God by the pious Zoroaster remained pure for three hundred years. But after that, Ahriman stirred up Iskander Rumi (Alexander the Macedonian), and he conquered and devastated Iran and killed the Iranian king. He burned the Avesta, which was written on cowhide in golden letters and was kept in Persepolis, killed many Zoroastrian priests and judges, who were the pillars of the faith, brought discord, enmity and confusion into the Iranian people. The Iranians now had neither a king nor a mentor and a high priest who knew the religion. They were filled with doubt... and they had different religions. And they had different faiths, until the time when Saint Aderbat Magresphant was born, on whose chest molten metal was poured.

Denkard's book says that the surviving fragments of the Avesta were collected under the Parthian Arsacids. Then the Sasanian king Artakshatr ( Ardashir) summoned to his capital the herbad Tosar, who brought the sacred books of Zoroastrianism, which had previously been scattered. The king commanded that they be the law of faith. his son, Shapur I(238 - 269 A.D.) ordered to collect and reattach to the Avesta medical, astronomical and other books that were scattered throughout Hindustan, Rum (Asia Minor) and other countries. Finally, at Shapure II(308 - 380) Aderbat Magresfant cleared the additions of the sayings of Zoroaster and renumbered ours(chapters) of sacred books.

The Zoroastrian gods Ahuramazda (right) and Mitra (left) hand over signs of royal power to the Sasanian Shah Shapur II. Relief of the 4th century A.D. in Taq-e-Bostan

From these legends it is clear that:

1) Zoroaster gave the sacred law under King Gustasp (Vistashpa). At one time it was believed that this Gustaspes was Hystaspes, the father Darius I, and therefore they thought that Zoroaster lived in the middle of the VI century BC; this seems to have been supported by other evidence; and if so, then Zoroaster was a contemporary of the Buddha. Some even believed that the teachings of Zoroaster were found in Buddhism. But researchers of the 19th century (Spiegel and others) came to the conclusion that Vistashpa of the Avesta is not Hystasp, the father of Darius, but the Bactrian king, who lived much earlier, that Gustasp, who ends the first cycle of Iranian legends retold in the first sections of the Shahnameh Ferdowsi, and therefore Zoroaster , like this Gustasp or Wistashpe, must be attributed to prehistoric times. But this does not mean at all that the books attributed to him belong to a very ancient time. They are collections, little by little compiled by the Zoroastrian priests, some earlier, others later.

2) Traditions say that Zoroastrian books were burned by Alexander, that he killed believers and suppressed religion. According to other stories, he ordered books on astronomy and medicine to be translated into Greek, and all others to be burned, and then these burnt books were restored from memory (like Chinese books). These stories are implausible; firstly, they are completely contrary to the policy of Alexander, who tried to win the favor of the Asiatics, and not offend them; secondly, the news of Greek and Roman writers clearly show that the sacred books of the Persians continued to exist under the Seleucids and Parthians. But the storms of war that broke out over Persia after the death of Alexander, and for many centuries destroyed everything in Iran, were, in all probability, very harmful to Zoroastrianism and its sacred books. Even more disastrous for these beliefs and books was the influence of Greek education, which was spread throughout Iran by Greek cities founded in all its regions. The religion of Zoroaster was probably superseded by the higher Greek culture and some of its sacred books were lost at this time. They could perish all the more easily because the language in which they were written was already incomprehensible to the people. Probably, this was the reason for the emergence of the legend that the Zoroastrian sacred books were burned by Alexander.

3) Traditions say that the Zoroastrian religion was restored and again made dominant in Iran under the Sasanian kings Ardashir and Shapur. This message is confirmed by history. The foundation of the power of the overthrown Parthians in the III century AD dynasty Sassanid was the restoration of the old Persian institutions and, in particular, the national religion. In their struggle with the Greco-Roman world, which threatened to completely swallow Iran, the Sassanids relied on the fact that they were the restorers of the old Persian laws, customs and beliefs. They called themselves the names of the old Persian kings and deities; restored the ancient structure of the army, convened a large council of Zoroastrian magicians, ordered to search for sacred books that had survived somewhere, established the rank of great magician to manage the clergy, who received a hierarchical structure.

The main Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda presents signs of royal power to the founder of the Sassanid dynasty, Ardashir I. Relief of the 3rd century A.D. in Nakhsh-e-Rustam

The ancient "Zend" language was already incomprehensible to the people. Most of the priests did not know him either; therefore, the Sassanids ordered the sacred books to be translated into the then vernacular language of western Iran, Pahlavi or Guzvaresh, is the language in which the inscriptions of the first times of the Sasanian dynasty were made. This Pahlavi translation of the Zoroastrian books soon acquired canonical significance. It divides the text into chapters and verses. Numerous theological and philological commentaries were written on it. It is very possible that experts in the sacred Zoroastrian scripture, celebrated in the Parsi traditions, Arda Viraf and Aderbat Magresfant, participated in this translation. But the meaning of the text of the sacred books, apparently, underwent many changes in the Pahlavi translation, partly, probably because some parts of the original were not understood by the translators, partly because the ancient law no longer covered all the social relations of modern life, and it was necessary to supplement his alterations and insertions. From the theological studies of that time, a treatise emerged, outlining the results of scientific research on cosmogony and other tenets of the religion of Zoroaster - Bundehes. It is written in the Pahlavi language and is highly respected by the Parsis.

The kings and people very strictly adhered to the restored Zoroastrian religion, the flowering period of which was the time of the first Sassanids. Christians who did not want to accept the creed of Zoroaster were subjected to bloody persecution; and the Jews, although they enjoyed greater tolerance, were much embarrassed in the execution of the rules of their faith. The Prophet Mani, who made an attempt to combine the Christian teaching with the teaching of Zoroaster in his Manichaeism, was put to a painful death. The wars of the Byzantines with the Sassanids worsened the position of Christians in Persia, because the Persians assumed in their Christians sympathy for fellow believers; subsequently, they, by political calculation, patronized Nestorians and other heretics excommunicated from the Orthodox Byzantine Church.

The Sassanid kingdom fell with death in the fight against the Arabs of the last shah of the dynasty, Yazdegerda, and spread throughout Persia Islam. But five centuries passed before the worship of fire completely disappeared from it. Zoroastrianism fought so stubbornly against Muhammadan rule that even in the 10th century there were uprisings with the aim of restoring the throne of the Sassanids and again making the doctrine of Zoroaster the state religion. When the ancient creed of Zoroastrianism was completely defeated, the Persian priests and scientists became mentors to their conquerors in all sciences; Persian concepts acquired a strong influence on the development of Muhammadan education. A small Parsi community held out for some time in the mountains. When the persecution reached her refuge before that, she moved to India and, having experienced many hardships there, finally found herself a solid shelter in the Gujarat Peninsula. There she has survived to this day, and remains faithful to the ancient teachings of Zoroaster, the commandments and rituals of the Avesta. Vendidad and some other parts of the Pahlavi translation of the Avesta, brought to India by these settlers, were here in the 14th century AD translated from Pahlavi into Sanskrit and into the vernacular.

Religion
polytheistic, national

Zoroastrianism is the traditional religion of the Persians. This is the smallest religion today in terms of the number of followers. There are no more than 130 thousand of his followers around the world. Many Europeans have never heard of this religion at all. At the same time, the name of its legendary founder, the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra or Zoroaster) is known much more widely. The ancient Iranian prophet owes his fame mainly to the work of the famous philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, author of the book Thus Spoke Zarathustra.

Name

Zoroastrianism has many names. The main, most frequently found in literature, which we also use, comes from the name of Zarathustra in its Greek transcription. Other - " Mazdaism"associated with the name of Ahura Mazda, the supreme deity of the Zoroastrians. The third name is " avestism"This religion received the name of its holy book Avesta. Modern Zoroastrianism is also often called parsism, since the vast majority of its followers come from the regions of the former Persia. Finally, Zoroastrians are simply called “ fire worshipers"because of the special role of the cult of the sacred fire in this religion.

History of origin and development

Zoroastrianism has the same roots as the Vedic religion of the ancient Aryans. The oldest layers of this religion go back to the common beliefs of the proto-Aryans, from which the Indo-Iranians and Indo-Europeans later arose. The division approximately in the III millennium BC of the once single community into two branches and later gave rise to two modifications of one ancient religion: Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. This is clearly seen in the fact that the same names for good spirits and demons are preserved in both religions. The difference, however, is that the Iranians began to consider the devas as evil spirits, and the Ahuras as good, while the Indians, on the contrary, revered the good devas and feared the evil asuras. Strict standards of ritual purity and related rites, which are the basis of the Zoroastrian cult, are also very characteristic of the Vedic period of Hinduism. The ritual use of the intoxicating drink soma remained common to both religions (in Zoroastrianism - haomas).

The tribes of the ancient Indo-Iranians inhabited the southern Russian steppes and lands southeast of the Volga. They led a nomadic life and were mainly engaged in cattle breeding and robbery of their settled neighbors. Gradually, their influence spread far to the south and west. Such peoples as Persians, Scythians, Sarmatians, etc. originated from the Indo-Iranian tribes. Very ancient words of Iranian origin, for example, "ax", have been preserved in the Russian language.

The most ancient layer of beliefs of the Indo-Iranian tribes is the veneration of the spirits of the natural elements: fire, water, earth and the firmament. Fire was especially revered Atar) is the only salvation from the cold in the steppes, where temperatures reach very low levels in winter, as well as from hungry predators. At the same time, fire was a terrible phenomenon during the steppe fires. Water in the guise of the goddess Anahita-Ardvisura and the sun - Mitra also enjoyed great reverence. The ancient Iranians also worshiped the god of war and victories, Varuna. Two types of spirits or deities were also revered: Ahura and Devas. Ahura were more abstract deities. As a rule, they personified ethical categories: justice, order, etc. The most revered among them were Mazda(Wisdom, Truth) and Miter(Treaty, Union). The devas were to a greater extent the personification of the forces of nature. Among the ancient beliefs, remnants of totemism were also preserved. A cow, a dog and a rooster were considered sacred animals, which made ancient Iranian ideas related to the tradition of Ancient India. There was also a cult of the souls of dead ancestors - fravashi(ferver). Gradually in the ancient Iranian religion. there was also a layer of hereditary priests - " magician"or magicians. (It was from there that the word came into our language). Presumably, they originated from one of the Median tribal groups, so the heyday of their influence falls on the Median period (612 - 550 BC).

In the future, this religion (during this period it would be more correct to call it "Mazdeism", after the name of the supreme deity) spreads in connection with the emergence and strengthening of the Persian kingdom. During the reign of the Achaemenid dynasty (VI-IV centuries BC), Ahura Mazda became the most revered god, who was declared the creator of all good and the bearer of good. Numerous images of this deity appear Under Darius I, they began to depict him as a king with outstretched wings, in the manner of the Assyrian god Ashur. In the ancient capital of the Persians, Persepolis (near modern Shiraz in Iran), a stone image of Ahura Mazda was carved with a solar disk around his head, in a crown topped with a ball with a star. The Median magicians during this period were forced out by the Persian priests - atravaks, on whom the Achaemenid kings relied. It is known that it was the magicians who led the largest uprising against the Achaemenids in 523 BC.

In the confrontation with the priesthood, Zoroastrianism itself is also taking shape, the teaching of the followers of the prophet Zarathushtra, which presumably originated in the first half of the 1st millennium BC. The historicity of the personality of Zarathushtra is disputed as well as the reliability of the existence of the founder of any other religion. Today, most researchers agree to recognize Zarathushtra as a historical figure. The tradition of the Zoroastrians themselves refers the life of Zarathushtra to the middle of the 2nd millennium BC, between 1500 and 1200. However, it is most likely to assume that in reality Zoroaster lived and preached about 700 BC. Some researchers also name a later time of his life - the 4th century BC. BC Examining the hymns "gata" composed by him, scientists came to the conclusion that Zarathushtra lived in the steppes to the east of the Volga.

According to legend, he came from a poor family from the Spitam clan and was a hereditary professional priest. His father's name was Purushaspa, and his mother was Dugdova. The prophet himself had a wife and two daughters. At the age of 30 he was "autumn". The legend says that one day at dawn, Zarathushtra went to the river for water to prepare haoma. On the way back, he had a vision: a shining Vohu-Mana (Good Thought) appeared before him, who ordered him to worship the creator god Ahura Mazda. Since that time, Zarathushtra began to spread his teachings. The preaching of Zarathushtra, who tried to soften the morals of the local population and comprehend the religious tradition more deeply, met with sharp resistance from the priests. He was forced to flee and found shelter with the ruler Vishtaspa, who accepted his faith.

Zarathushtra's teaching was briefly reduced to the following: There are two principles in the world - good and evil. Good is personified by the creator Ahura Mazda ( ahura means "lord"). In Greek transcription, the name of this deity is known as Ormuzd or Gormuzd. He leads the "seven saints" - the good gods of his environment. Ahura Mazda is associated with the presence of divine order and justice in the world ( Asha). The evil inclination represents Angra Mainyu (Ahriman). Both deities are equally recognized as the creators of the universe. Zarathushtra taught that Ahura Mazda created everything that is pure, bright, good and useful for man: fertile land, domestic animals and pure elements: air (sky), earth, water and especially fire, which is a symbol of purification. Angra Mainyu, on the contrary, created everything evil and impure: the desert, wild animals, birds of prey, reptiles, insects, diseases, death, barrenness. Both supreme gods are accompanied by an equal number of lower-ranking deities and various spirits. The constant struggle of opposites in the world reflects the supernatural struggle of Ahura Mazda and Ankhra Mainyu. People are also involved in this struggle. The teachings of the prophet Zarathushtra just called on people to completely side with Ahura Mazda, to abandon the veneration of the devas, which had taken place among the people since antiquity, and to declare a real ritual war on evil spirits and everything that they generated.

In a later period, the cult of the water goddess Anahita rises, who also became the goddess of fertility among the settled Iranian tribes. King Artaxerxes II (405 - 362) ordered her statues to be erected in the major centers of the Persian state: the cities of Susa, Ecbatana and Bactra. The same monarch officially legitimized the cult of Mithras, which until that time had existed mainly among the common people.

From the beginning of the new era, Zoroastrianism began to gradually acquire its finished form, taking shape in the struggle and mutual influence with Hellenistic paganism, Judaism and Mahayana Buddhism. The influence of Iranian cults, in particular the cult of Mithra, penetrated far into the West. These cults were very popular in pagan Rome. At the same time, early Christianity undoubtedly had a certain influence on the formation of Zoroastrianism.

With the rise of the Sassanid dynasty (III century), the formation of Zoroastrianism was completed. It was declared the state religion and in fact began to be perceived as the national religion of the Persians. During this period, temples and fire altars were erected throughout the country. At the same time, the Avesta, the sacred book of Zoroastrianism, acquired its final form. The doctrine of Zoroastrianism had a significant influence on numerous Gnostic heresies of the first centuries of Christianity, in particular, on Manichaeism.

In the 7th century Sasanian Iran was conquered by the Muslim Arabs, who included its territory in the Arab Caliphate. From the 9th century Abbasid caliphs began a total violent Islamization of the population. The entire culture of Iran has changed, including the language (Farsi became the new language, replacing the Middle Persian language of the Avesta).

In the tenth century part of the surviving Zoroastrians fled to India, to Gujarat, where their colony has survived to this day. According to legend, for about 100 years they hid in the mountains, and then settled in the town of Sanjan on the island of Diu. Atesh Bahram fire temple was built there, which remained the only one in Gujarat for 800 years. Despite the fact that the Parsis (as they began to be called in India) lived apart, they gradually assimilated by the local population: they forgot their language and many customs. Traditional clothing has survived only in the form of belt threads and ritual white robes of priests. According to tradition, there were originally 5 centers of Parsi settlements: Vankover, Broch, Varnav, Anklesar and Navsari. Later, Surat became the center of Parsism, and after it passed into the possession of England, Bombay. At present, the Parsees have lost the isolation and cohesion of the community. Many of them have disappeared into the diverse population of India.

In Iran, the Zoroastrians were declared infidels ("gebrs" or "jabrs"). Most of them were killed or converted to Islam. In the XI - XII centuries. their communities remained in the cities of Yazd and Kerman, as well as in the regions of Turkabad and Sherifabad. However, in the 17th century, the shahs of the Safavid dynasty evicted them from most of these regions. In addition, the Zoroastrians were forbidden to engage in a number of crafts. After the Islamic revolution in Iran and the adoption of the Islamic constitution in 1979, the Zoroastrians were officially recognized as a religious minority. Currently, despite the existence of many restrictions in political life, the community as a whole is not subject to persecution.

sacred texts

The holy book of Zoroastrianism is Avesta. Like the authoritative books of other religions, the Avesta was formed over thousands of years. This is not a homogeneous work, but a collection consisting of many books, different in style and content. According to legend, the Avesta consisted of 21 books, but it is impossible to establish this for certain, because. most of the books have been lost. There is also a commentary on the sacred texts of the Avesta - Zend. At present, the so-called. "Small Avesta", which is an extract from the main text, consisting of prayers.

The text of the Avesta that has come down to us consists of three main books: Yasna, Yashta and Videvdat. The most ancient part of the Avesta are the Gathas, which are considered to be the hymns of Zoroaster himself. They are included in the main book of the Avesta - Yasnu and, apparently, partly go back to oral traditions of the 2nd millennium BC. Yasna is a book of hymns and prayers. It consists of 72 chapters, 17 of which are Gathas. The Gathas are written in the ancient Persian language, also called "Zand" or "the language of the Avesta". This language is very close to the ancient Indian language in which the Vedas are written. However, according to researchers, the Gathas were transmitted in oral tradition and were written down no earlier than the 3rd century BC. n. e.

The later parts of the Avesta were written in Middle Persian (Pahlavi), which was widespread in the Sassanid era of the 4th-7th centuries. The later sacred texts of the Zoroastrians include Videvdat (the ritual code of Iranian priests) and Yashta (prayers). The latest part of the Avesta, the Bundeget, contains the story of Zoroaster and the prophecy about the end of the world. Zarathustra himself is credited with compiling the final version of the Avesta.

creed

Distinctive features of Zoroastrianism that distinguish it from other religions are:

1. A sharply dualistic doctrine, recognizing the existence in the world of two equal principles: good and evil.
2. The cult of fire, which is not given such attention in any other pagan religion.
3. Close attention to issues of ritual purity.

The pantheon of Zoroastrianism, like most other pagan religions, is very diverse. It is indicative, in particular, that each day of the Zoroastrian year has its own patron god. Meanwhile, there are not many main deities equally revered by all Zoroastrians. Crowns the pantheon of Ahura Mazda. In his retinue are "six saints", who, together with Ahura Mazda himself, make up the supreme seven deities:

1. Ahura Mazda(Gormuzd) - the Creator;
2. Wohu-mana(Bachman) - Good Thought, patron of cattle;
3. Asha Vahishta(Ordibehesht) - The Best Truth, patron of fire;
4. Khshatra-Varya(Shahrivar) - Chosen Power, patron of metal;
5. Spenta Armati- Piety, patron of the earth;
6. Khaurvatat(Khordad) - Integrity, patron of water;
7. Amertat Immortality, patron of plants.

In addition to them, the companions of Ahura Mazda were Mitra, Apam-Napati (Varun), the goddess of fate Asha. All these deities were created by Ahura Mazda himself with the help of Spenta Mainyu - Spirit or Divine Power.

According to the Zoroastrians, the world will exist for 12 thousand years. World history is conditionally divided into 4 periods of 3 thousand years each. The first period is the time of "pre-existence" of things and phenomena. During this period, Ahura Mazda creates a world of abstract concepts, echoing the "world of ideas" of Plato. (Perhaps it was Zoroastrianism that influenced Plato's philosophy). In the first period, prototypes of what will subsequently exist on earth appear. This state of the world is called menok, i.e. "invisible" or "spiritual".

The second period is the time of the formation of the visible world, the "world of things", "inhabited by creatures." First, Ahura Mazda creates the sky, the stars, the moon and the sun. Beyond the sphere of the sun is the abode of the "creator" himself. Later, the first human, Guyomart, appears. Simultaneously with Ahura Mazda, Ankhra Mainyu also begins to operate. He pollutes the water, creates "unclean" animals and sends death to the first man. However, the latter gives birth to a man and a woman (two halves of one being) and thus gives rise to the human race. The struggle of Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu sets the world in motion. The collision of white and black, cold and hot, right and left determine the course of life. (Only one step is missing from Hegelian dialectics - the unity of opposites).

The third period continues from the beginning of the existence of the created world until the arrival of the prophet Zarathushtra. This is the time of action of many legendary characters of the Avesta. At the same time, the "golden age" came into being, when there was "neither heat, nor cold, nor old age, nor envy - the creation of the devas." At that time, King Yima the Shining ruled, who later saved people from the global flood by building a special shelter for them.

The last, fourth period will also last three thousand years, during each of which one "savior" will appear to the world. All of them are considered sons of Zoroaster.

The last savior Saoshyant will have to defeat Angra Mainyu and resurrect the dead. After that, the world will be cleansed by the "stream of molten metal", and everything that remains after this will remain in existence forever. It is interesting that this son of Zarathushtra (according to another version - his new incarnation) should be born from the Virgin. The doctrine of the end of the world has been developed in Zoroastrianism in some detail. It is contained in one of the later books of the Avesta, the Bookdegete. Thus, as in other world religions, in Zoroastrianism there is a motive of expectation of the coming Messiah. This may also indirectly testify to the influence of the ideas of Judaism on the eschatology of Zoroastrianism that was developing rather late.

The concept of the afterlife in Zoroastrianism is also expressed quite clearly. They clearly present the idea of ​​posthumous retribution: the posthumous fate of a person depends on how he spent his earthly life. Everyone who revered Ahura Mazda and preserved ritual purity will find themselves in a bright place, like a paradise, where they can contemplate the scales and the golden throne of Ahura Mazda. All others will be destroyed forever along with Angra Mainyu at the end of time. The teachings of the ancient Zoroastrians about the afterlife became clearer to researchers after deciphering fragments of an inscription made in Nakshe-Rustam in the Sassanid era by the chief priest Kartir. The priest described the journey of his soul to the other world, made during a trance. According to the inscriptions, the soul after death goes to the top of the "Mountain of Justice" (Hare) and must cross the Chinvat Bridge, which has supernatural properties. When a righteous person approaches the bridge, it expands and becomes accessible for passage through it. When a ritually unclean, sinful person tries to cross the bridge, the bridge narrows to the thickness of a sword blade and the sinner falls into the abyss. The cult of fravashes, winged female creatures, personifying the souls of the dead righteous, is associated with ideas about the afterlife. Probably this cult is a relic of the ancestral cult traditional for the primitive religion. Fravashi accompany a person all his life, helping him in everyday life, and provide worthy patronage after death. For this, during the holidays, the Zoroastrians expose the Fravashes with food and clothes, since, according to their beliefs, the souls of the dead are able to experience hunger. The dualistic picture of the world and the idea of ​​posthumous retribution determine the ethics of Zoroastrianism. The deities of the pantheon themselves personify more ethical qualities than natural elements. Worshiping them is already a good deed. The most virtuous deeds of a righteous person are the work of the tiller and the planting of plants. All vices are associated with a violation of ritual purity. Burning a corpse (desecration of fire), eating carrion and unnatural sexual vices are considered the most serious sins. For them, the sinner expects eternal death. The fate of each person is predetermined by fate, but his future beyond the grave depends on him. The moral prescriptions of the Avesta are not specific: one must be righteous, do good, speak the truth, not violate contracts, etc. The triad is considered to be the basis of virtue: a good thought, a good word, a good deed.

At the same time, it should be noted that the Zoroastrians' ideas about good and evil are very relative. In particular, the very difficult conditions created for women in labor and newborns for the sake of maintaining ritual purity are considered good, while leading to an increase in mortality. The same can be said about the attitude towards "unclean" patients - those suffering from bleeding and gastric disorders.

Cult

As already noted, the cult of fire is considered the most important in Zoroastrianism. Fire ( Atar) is the symbol of Ahura Mazda. Fire has a strict classification. It is divided into heavenly fire, lightning fire, man-made fire, and the highest sacred fire lit in temples. Temples of fire in the form of towers existed in Media already in the 8th-7th BC. Inside the temple there was a triangular sanctuary, in the center of which, to the left of the only entrance, there was a four-stage fire altar about two meters high. The fire was delivered by stairs to the roof of the temple, from where it was visible from afar. During the Sassanid era, temples and fire altars were built throughout the Persian empire. They were built according to a single plan. The decoration of the fire temples was modest. They were built of stone and unbaked clay, and the walls inside were plastered. The temple was a domed hall with a deep niche, where a sacred fire was maintained in a huge brass bowl on a stone altar-pedestal. The fire was maintained by special priests, who stirred it with special tongs so that the flame burned evenly and put firewood from sandalwood and other valuable species that emitted fragrant smoke. The hall was fenced off from other rooms so that the fire was not visible to the uninitiated. Fire temples had their own hierarchy. Each ruler owned his own fire, lit in the days of his reign. The fire of Varahram (Atash-Bahram, "Fire of Victory"), a symbol of righteousness, from which the sacred fires of the provinces (satrapies) and large cities of Persia were lit, was most revered. From them fires of the second and third degree were lit in cities, and from them, in turn, fires in villages and on home altars in the dwellings of ordinary Zoroastrians. The fire of Varahram consisted of 16 types of fire taken from representatives of different classes: priests, warriors, scribes, merchants, artisans, etc. One of these fires was lightning fire, which had to wait for years. After a certain time, the lights of all the altars were renewed, which was accompanied by a detailed ritual. The ashes were collected and put into special boxes, which were buried in the ground. Only a special priest, dressed in all white, could touch the fire: a robe, hat and gloves.

Throughout life, a Zoroastrian is accompanied by a huge number of various rituals. Every day he is obliged to say a prayer, and the instructions on how exactly to pray on a given day are developed with special care. Prayer is performed at least five times a day. When mentioning the name of Ahura Mazda, it is necessary to attach laudatory epithets to it. Zoroastrians in Iran pray facing south, while Parsees in India face north. During prayer, priests (mobeds) and believers sit on the floor or squat. They raise their hands like the Muslims, but never touch the ground or the floor while prostrating. There is also a ritual of sacrifice. Today it is symbolic. A piece of meat is placed on the altar, and gifts and money are brought to the priest. A drop of fat is also poured into the fire. However, bloody sacrifices are still preserved in the vicinity of the cities of Yazd and Kerman - the sacrifice of old animals. Particularly tedious is the regular rite of ritual cleansing. For priests, it can drag on for several weeks. The rite includes a six-fold daily washing with water, sand and a special composition, which includes urine, as well as repeated oaths in the presence of a dog - a symbol of truth. Excruciating rituals of cleansing must go through every woman within 40 days after giving birth. She, like a newborn baby, is considered ritually unclean, therefore she cannot warm herself by the fire and accept any help from relatives. This circumstance increases the mortality of women after childbirth, especially if childbirth takes place in the winter. At the age of 7 - 15, Zoroastrians perform the rite of initiation - initiation into adulthood. At the same time, a thread belt is put on the body, which members of the Zoroastrian community wear throughout their lives.

The funeral rite of the Zoroastrians is especially unusual. The dying person must be accompanied by two priests, one of whom reads a prayer, facing the sun, and the other prepares haoma or pomegranate juice. There should also be a dog nearby (a symbol of truth and purification). According to tradition, when a dog ate a piece of bread placed on the chest of a dying person, relatives announced the death. A dead person is considered unclean, because death is evil, so even the closest relatives are forbidden to approach the body. Body care is carried out by special ministers - nasassalari(dead washers) shunned by other Zoroastrians. A person who dies in winter stays indoors until spring. A purifying fire burns constantly next to him, fenced off from the body by a vine so that the flame does not defile. When the appropriate time comes, the nasassalars carry the deceased out of the house on a special stretcher made of iron with wooden flooring and carry him to the burial place. According to the beliefs of the Zoroastrians, the soul of the deceased is separated from the body on the fourth day after death, so the body is taken out of the house on the 4th day at sunrise. A procession of relatives and friends of the deceased follows the nasassalars at a considerable distance.

The deceased is brought to the burial place, which is called astodan or "tower of silence". It is a tower 4.5 meters high without a roof. The stone floor is a stepped platform ( dakmu), divided into zones by concentric markings: closer to the center there was a zone for the position of dead children, in the center - women, near the wall - men. In the very center is a well lined with stone. It is closed with bars. The body is fixed so that carrion birds do not scatter the bones on the ground and thereby defile it. After the predators, the sun and the wind cleanse the bones from the flesh, the remains are dumped into the well located in the middle of the tower. After the funeral, a commemoration is performed, before which everyone undergoes a ritual washing (hands, face, neck) and put on clean clothes. Commemorations are also held on the tenth, thirtieth day and a year later. During the commemoration, people eat, drink, and the priests read prayers and hymns and cook haoma. During prayer, priests hold a branch of tamarisk or willow in their hands. The floors in the house are thoroughly washed and a month later (in winter - after ten days) they bring in a renewed fire. Fat is dripped onto the fire - a symbol of sacrifice.

Holidays

The holidays of the Zoroastrians are mainly connected with periods of the calendar year: the beginning of spring, summer, autumn, the middle of winter and the threshold of spring are celebrated, when the souls of ancestors are revered. Especially popular is Nouruz - the New Year, celebrated in Muslim countries where Zoroastrianism was once widespread. There are also holidays dedicated to Zoroastrian deities: 7 holidays in honor of Ahura Mazda and 6 in honor of the spirit of Amesha Spenta.

Calendar

The Zoroastrian calendar was similar to the Egyptian solar calendar. The Zoroastrian year in antiquity was shorter than the astronomical one by 6 hours. Thus, every four years, the beginning of the new year was pushed back by one day. For 120 years, the difference was exactly a month - 30 days. Later, in order to eliminate the inaccuracy, 5 days were added to the last month of the year, and one more every four years. Today, according to the Zoroastrian calendar, the year consists of 360 days and is divided into 12 months, 30 days each. To the last month (February - March), 5 days are added, which are considered the eve of the new year. The days of the months do not have numbers, but are called the names of Zoroastrian deities. Each day and month has its own patron deity.

Spreading

Zoroastrianism is currently the national religion of a small group of so-called. "Zoroastrians-Behdins", immigrants from Iran. In India they are called parsis, in Iran - hebrami(literally - "infidels").

As already noted, there are no more than 130 thousand followers of Zoroastrianism in the world today. Most of them live in India (80-100 thousand). Part forms a closed ethno-religious group in Iran (12-50 thousand). A small colony of Parsis is located in Pakistan (5-10 thousand). About 3,000 Zoroastrians live in English-speaking countries, and about 500 people live in Sri Lanka.

At the same time, as interest in exotic oriental teachings grew in Europe and America, which began at the end of the 19th century, followers of Zoroastrianism also appeared among Europeans. It is well known that the fascination with Zoroastrianism and especially the cult of fire was characteristic of the ideologists of Nazi Germany. In particular, the torchlight processions of columns in the form of a swastika (which, by the way, is also a symbol of fire) were undoubtedly a vivid expression of sympathy for Zoroastrianism. The ideology of Nazism, which divided the world into "us" and "them", and had a sharply negative attitude towards the sick and crippled, may also have drawn some elements from the teachings of Zarathushtra.

Today in Russia, interest in Zoroastrianism is also very active. In one of the student's works, in particular, it is said: "Of the whole variety of beliefs and religions of the ancients, about which I happened to learn something, not a single creed seemed to me as deep and humane as Zoroastrianism." In St. Petersburg, the Department of Justice registered the "Zoroastrian community of St. Petersburg", extending its activities to St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. The address of this organization: 192286 St. Petersburg, Bukharestskaya st., 116.

The teachings of Zoroastrianism are today actively used to attack Christianity. In particular, some argue that the idea of ​​the birth of the Savior from the Virgin and the Last Judgment was borrowed by Christians from Zoroastrianism, which allegedly confirms the earthly, and not supernatural, origin of Christianity. Of course, these statements are not strong arguments, since in Christianity these ideas came from the tradition of the Old Testament, and not from Zoroastrianism. Ideas about the birth from a virgin as a supernatural sign are found in the beliefs of various peoples, which does not at all mean borrowing. The same can be said about the Last Judgment. Rather, we are talking about the "foreboding" of Revelation - in pagan religions, in the form of separate elements, there is truth, which in its fullness was later revealed in Christianity.

It should also be noted that the formation of Gnosticism in the first centuries of Christianity took place under the direct influence of Zoroastrianism, and this also raises certain concerns in connection with the revival of interest in Zoroastrianism. As you know, the modern "New Age", which today can rightfully be considered the most dangerous enemy of Christianity, has its roots in ancient Gnostic heresies, and thus turns out to be associated with Zoroastrianism.

Based on the foregoing, it should be noted the relevance of the study of Zoroastrianism for missionary work, both in Russia and European countries, and in Asia.

Bibliography

1. Boyce Mary"Zoroastrians. Beliefs and customs" St. Petersburg, Center "Petersburg Oriental Studies", 1994;
2. Guriev T. A. "From the Pearls of the East: Avesta" SOGU, Vladikavkaz, 1993;
3. Doroshenko E. A."Zoroastrians in Iran: historical and ethnographic essay", "Science", M., 1982;
4. Meitarchyan M. B."Funeral rite of the Zoroastrians", M., IV RAS, 1999;
5. Terapiano Yu."Mazdeism: Modern followers of Zoroaster", M., "Sferv" 1993;
6. Gnoli Gherardo"Zoroaster's time and homeland: a study of the origins of mazdeism and related problems", Naples, 1980.