Ashoo Zartosht

Ahoora Mazda

Ahura Mazda, the supreme creator god in Zoroastrianism the religion of Persia (now Iran) before the establishment of Islam in the 7th century. The term Ahura originally referred to 33 ruling gods in ancient, pre-Zoroastrian religions in Persia and India. Zoroaster the prophet who founded Zoroastrianism, preached against all the other gods except Ahura Mazda, who, he said, should be worshipped eternally. Ahura Mazda means "Lord Wisdom" in the ancient Avestan language of Persia. In the writings that express Zoroaster's teachings, Ahura Mazda is characterized as a benevolent, wise creator and is pitted against Angra Mainya, a demon whose purpose is to destroy the earth and its inhabitants.
Ahura Mazda has no physical form, but Zoroastrians worship him through his attributes, or Amesha-Spentas (Holy Immortals). The Amesha-Spentas reflect the different aspects of the divine nature of Ahura Mazda. These aspects are Creative Spirit, Righteousness, Good Purpose, Devotion, Power, Health, and Long Life. Some are considered male, others female. Scholars sometimes compare the Amesha-Spentas with the archangels of Christianity.
Ahura Mazda is symbolized by fire, which is considered the most holy substance by Zoroastrians because it represents divine emanation (outpouring). Because fire symbolizes Ahura Mazda's power, presence, and purity, it must never be extinguished in fire temples. These sacred fires are maintained by a hereditary male priesthood who learn required prayers and perform ritual duties.
Ahura Mazda was first officially worshipped as an all-powerful god by the Persian king Darius I (521?-486 BC). Worship of Ahura Mazda continues today primarily in India in the vicinity of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) among Parsis, Zoroastrians who migrated from Iran to India in the 10th century. Zoroastrian communities also survive in Iran. To express their faith, members of the community are advised to wear special clothing, observe seven annual festivals, and pray five times a day. At the end of time, the Zoroastrian community foresees the resurrection of all believers into a kingdom on earth ruled over by Ahura Mazda.
 

Zoroaster

Zoroaster 630-550 BC, Persian religious prophet, who founded Zoroastrianism. Because there are no direct accounts of events in his life, scholars have attempted to reconstruct Zoroaster's life dates using descriptions in his works and those of possible contemporaries. In recent years scholars have proposed that Zoroaster lived much earlier than was traditionally thought; their dates range from about 1000 BC to as early as the 2nd millennium BC. Zoroaster (known in ancient Persian as Zarathustra) was born in the eastern Persian land of Airyana Vaejah, probably during the period preceding that of the Achaemenian kings, although earlier dates have been suggested. When still a fairly young man he began receiving revelations from Ahura Mazda (the "Lord Wisdom"). His conversations with this godhead, and his difficulties while preaching, are recorded in the Gathas, part of the sacred scripture known as the Avesta. Apparently it was after years of struggle with priests of established cults (during which time he had made some converts among his relatives and others) that he found a champion in Vishtaspa, king of Chorasmia (now in Western Turkistan). Thereafter the religion preached by Zoroaster prospered. Zoroaster's homeland was mountainous, devoted to the raising of cattle, which were considered sacred animals. Through his religion, he had hoped to unite cattle herders against nomadic marauders and practitioners of certain sacrificial cults. Still, the intellectual depth of his system may well have exerted a profound influence on Western thought; Plato, Aristotle, and other Greek thinkers showed a great interest in his doctrines. It is at least likely that Zoroaster's ideas strongly affected the course of Judeo-Christian demonology, angelology, and eschatology. Influences have been noted in the Manual of Discipline found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.