Zoroastrianism is a very ancient religion named after its founder, the prophet Zarathushtra. The Greeks considered Zarathushtra a sage astrologer and renamed this man Zoroaster (from the Greek "astron" - "star"), and called his creed Zoroastrianism.
This religion is so ancient that most of its followers have completely forgotten when and where it originated. Many Asian and Iranian-speaking countries in the past claimed the role of the homeland of the prophet Zoroaster. In any case, according to one version, Zoroaster lived in the last quarter of the 2nd millennium BC. e. As the famous English researcher Mary Boyes believes, "based on the content and language of the hymns composed by Zoroaster, it has now been established that in reality the prophet Zoroaster lived in the Asian steppes, east of the Volga."
Having arisen on the territory of the Iranian Highlands, in its eastern regions, Zoroastrianism became widespread in several countries of the Near and Middle East and was the dominant religion in the ancient Iranian empires from about the 6th century. BC e. until the 7th century n. e. After the conquest of Iran by the Arabs in the VII century. n. e. and the adoption of a new religion - Islam - the Zoroastrians began to be persecuted, and in the VII-X centuries. most of them gradually moved to India (Gujarat state), where they were called Parsis. At present, Zoroastrians, in addition to Iran and India, live in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Aden, Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, as well as in the USA, Canada and Australia. In the modern world, the number of followers of Zoroastrianism is no more than 130-150 thousand people.
The Zoroastrian doctrine was unique for its time, many of its positions are deeply noble and moral, therefore it is quite possible that later religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, borrowed something from Zoroastrianism. For example, like Zoroastrianism, they are monotheistic, that is, each of them is based on belief in one supreme God, the creator of the universe; faith in prophets, overshadowed by divine revelation, which becomes the basis of their beliefs. As in Zoroastrianism, in Judaism, Christianity and Islam there is a belief in the coming of the Messiah, or Savior. All these religions, following Zoroastrianism, propose to follow lofty moral norms and strict rules of behavior. It is possible that the teachings about the afterlife, heaven, hell, the immortality of the soul,resurrection from the dead and the establishment of a righteous life after the Last Judgment also appeared in world religions under the influence of Zoroastrianism, where they were originally present.
So what is Zoroastrianism and who was its semi-mythical founder, the prophet Zoroaster, what tribe and people did he represent and what did he preach?
ORIGINS OF RELIGION
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In the III millennium BC. e. to the east of the Volga, in the southern Russian steppes, lived a people that historians later called Proto-Indo-Iranians. This people, in all likelihood, led a semi-nomadic lifestyle, had small settlements, and grazed cattle. It consisted of two social groups: priests (clergymen) and warrior-shepherds. According to many scientists, it was by the III millennium c. e., in the Bronze Age, the Proto-Indo-Iranians were divided into two peoples - Indo-Aryans and Iranians, differing from each other in language, although their main occupation was still cattle breeding and they traded with the sedentary population living south of them. It was a turbulent time. Weapons and war chariots were produced in large quantities. Shepherds often had to become warriors. Their leaders led raids and plundered other tribes, taking away other people's goods, taking away herds and captives. It was at that dangerous time, approximately in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. e., according to some sources - between 1500 and 1200. BC e., lived the priest Zoroaster. Endowed with the gift of revelation, Zoroaster strongly opposed the rule of power in society, not law. The revelations of Zoroaster compiled a book of the Holy Scriptures known as the Avesta. This is not only a collection of sacred texts of the Zoroastrian doctrine, but also the main source of information about the personality of Zoroaster himself.but also the main source of information about the personality of Zoroaster himself.but also the main source of information about the personality of Zoroaster himself.
SACRED TEXTS
The surviving text of the Avesta consists of three main books - Yasna, Yashty and Videvdat. Extracts from the "Avesta" make up the so-called "Little Avesta" - a collection of everyday prayers.
"Yasna" consists of 72 chapters, 17 of which are the "Ghats" - the hymns of the prophet Zoroaster. Judging by the Ghats, Zoroaster is a real historical person. He came from a poor family from the Spitam clan, his father's name was Purushaspa, his mother was Dugdova. His own name - Zarathushtra - in the ancient Pahlavi language can mean "possessing a golden camel" or "one who leads a camel." It should be noted that the name is quite common. It is unlikely that it belonged to a mythological hero. Zoroaster (in Russia his name is traditionally pronounced in the Greek version) was a professional priest, had a wife and two daughters. In his homeland, the preaching of Zoroastrianism did not find recognition and was even persecuted, so Zoroaster had to flee. He found refuge with the ruler Vishtaspa (where he ruled is still unknown), who adopted the faith of Zoroaster.
DEITIES OF THE ZOROASTRIANS
Zoroaster received true faith in revelation at the age of 30. According to legend, one day at dawn he went to the river to fetch water to prepare the sacred intoxicating drink - haoma. When he returned, a vision arose in front of him: he saw a shining being - Vohu-Mana (Good Thought), which led him to God - Ahura-Mazda (the Lord of decency, righteousness and justice). The revelations of Zoroaster did not arise from scratch, their origins are in a religion even more ancient than Zoroastrianism. Long before the beginning of the preaching of a new doctrine, "revealed" to Zoroaster by the supreme God Ahura Mazda himself, the ancient Iranian tribes worshiped the god Mithra - the personification of the contract, Anahita - the goddess of water and fertility, Varuna - the god of war and victories, etc.
Even then, there were religious rites associated with the cult of fire and the preparation of haoma by the priests for religious ceremonies. Many ceremonies, rituals and heroes belonged to the era of "Indo-Iranian unity", in which the proto-Indo-Iranians lived - the ancestors of the Iranian and Indian tribes. All these deities and mythological heroes organically entered the new religion - Zoroastrianism.
Zoroaster taught that the highest deity is Ahura Mazda (later called Ormuzd or Hormuzd). All other deities are subordinate to him. According to scientists, the image of Ahura Mazda goes back to the supreme god of the Iranian tribes (Aryans), who was called Ahura (lord). Mitra, Varuna and others belonged to Ahura. The Highest Ahura had the epithet Mazda (Wise). In addition to the Ahura deities, who embodied the highest moral properties, the ancient Aryans worshiped the devas - the deities of the lowest rank. They were worshiped by part of the Aryan tribes, while most of the Iranian tribes ranked the devas as the forces of evil and darkness and rejected their cult. As for Ahura-Mazda, this word meant "Lord of Wisdom" or "Wise Lord".
Ahura Mazda personified the supreme and all-knowing God, the creator of everything, the God of the heavenly vault; he was associated with the basic religious concepts - divine justice and order (asha), a kind word and good deeds. Much later, another name for Zoroastrianism, Mazdeism, received some distribution.
Zoroaster began to worship Ahura Mazda - the all-knowing, all-wise, righteous, just, who is primordial and from whom all other deities originated - from the moment he saw a shining vision on the river bank. It led him to Ahura Mazda and other deities emitting light, beings in whose presence Zoroaster "could not see his own shadow."
Here is how in the hymns of the prophet Zoroaster - "Gatah" - a conversation between Zoroaster and Ahura-Mazda is presented:
However, not only the forces of good reign in the universe, but also the forces of evil. Ahura-Mazda is opposed by the evil deity Angra-Mainyu (Ahriman, there is also a transcription of Ahriman), or the Evil Spirit. The constant confrontation between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman is expressed in the struggle between good and evil. Thus, the Zoroastrian religion is characterized by the presence of two principles: “Indeed, there are two primary spirits, twins, famous for their opposite. In thought, word and 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 lies is the worst, and those Whoever follows the path of goodness (asha), the best awaits. And out of these two spirits, one, the next of lies, chose evil, and the other, the most holy spirit … chose righteousness."
The army of Ahriman is made up of devas. Zoroastrians believe that these are evil spirits, sorcerers, evil rulers who harm the four elements of nature: fire, earth, water, and the sky. In addition, the worst human qualities are expressed in them: envy, laziness, lies. The deity of fire Ahura Mazda created life, warmth, light. In response, Ahriman created death, winter, cold, heat, harmful animals and insects. But in the end, according to the Zoroastrian doctrine, in this struggle of two principles, Ahura-Mazda will be the winner and destroy evil forever.
Ahura Mazda, with the help of Spenta Mainyu (Holy Spirit), created six "immortal saints" who, together with the supreme God, make up a pantheon of seven deities. It was this idea of seven deities that became one of the innovations of Zoroastrianism, although it was based on old ideas about the origin of the world. These six "immortal saints" are some kind of abstract entities, such as Vohu-Mana (or Bahman) - the patron saint of cattle and at the same time a Good thought, Asha Vakhishta (Ordibe-hasht) - the patron saint of fire and the Best truth, Khshatra Varya (Shahrivar) - patron of metal and the Chosen Power, Spenta Armati - patron of the earth and Piety, Haurvatat (Khordad) - patron of water and Integrity, Amertat (Mordad) - Immortality and patron of plants. In addition to them, the deities-companions of Ahura-Mazda were Mitra, Apam Napati (Varun) - the Grandson of the waters, Sraoshi - Obedience,Attention and Discipline, as well as Ashi - the goddess of fate. These divine qualities were worshiped as separate gods. At the same time, according to the Zoroastrian teaching, all of them are a product of Ahura-Mazda himself and under his leadership strive for the victory of the forces of good over the forces of evil.
Here is one of the prayers of the Avesta (Ormazd-Yasht, Yasht 1). This is the hymn of the prophet Zoroaster, dedicated to the God Ahura-Mazda, It has come down to the present in a significantly distorted and supplemented form, but, of course, is interesting, since it lists all the names-qualities of the supreme deity: “May Ahura-Mazda rejoice, and Angra turn away -Mainyu incarnation of Truth according to the will of the most worthy!.. I glorify with prudence, blessing and good deeds of Goodness, Blessing and Benevolence. I surrender myself to all blessings, beneficence and good deeds and renounce all evil thoughts, backbiting and evil deeds. I bring you, Immortal Saints, prayer and praise in thought and word, deed and strength and body of my life. I praise the truth: Truth is the best good."
THE HEAVENLY LAND OF AHUR-MAZDA
The Zoroastrians say that in ancient times, when their ancestors still lived in their country, the Aryans - the people of the North - knew the way to the Great Mountain. In ancient times, wise people kept a special ritual and knew how to make a wonderful drink from herbs that freed a person from bodily bonds and allowed him to wander among the stars. Having overcome thousands of dangers, the resistance of earth, air, fire and water, having passed through all the elements, those who wanted to see the fate of the world with their own eyes, reached the Ladder of Stars and, now rising up, now descending so low that the Earth seemed to them a shining bright point above, finally found themselves in front of the gates to heaven, which were guarded by angels armed with fiery swords.
“What do you want, the spirits who have come here? - asked the angels of the pilgrims. - How did you know the way to the Wonderful Land and where did you get the secret of the sacred drink?
“We learned the wisdom of the fathers,” the pilgrims answered, as it should have been to the angels. We know the Word. And they drew secret signs on the sand that made up a sacred inscription in the most ancient language.
Then the angels opened the gates … and the long ascent began. Sometimes it took thousands of years, sometimes more. Akhura-Mazda does not count the time, nor do those who, by all means, set out to penetrate the Mountain's treasury. Sooner or later, they reached its top. Ice, snow, a sharp cold wind, and around - the loneliness and silence of endless spaces - that's what they found there. Then they recalled the words of the prayer: “God is great, God of our fathers, God of the entire universe! Teach us how to penetrate into the center of the Mountain, show us your mercy, help and enlightenment!"
And from somewhere among the eternal snow and ice a shining flame appeared. The pillar of fire led the wanderers to the entrance, and there the spirits of the Mountain met the messengers of Ahura-Mazda.
The first thing that appeared to the eyes of the wanderers who entered the underground galleries was a star, like a thousand different rays merged into one.
"What is it?" the spirit wanderers asked. And the spirits answered them:
“Do you see the glow in the center of the star? Here is the source of the energy that gives you existence. Like the Phoenix bird, the World Human Soul eternally dies and is eternally reborn in the Inextinguishable Flame. Every moment it is divided into myriads of separate stars, similar to yours, and every moment is reunited, without diminishing either in its content or in volume. We gave it the shape of a star because, like a star, in the darkness the spirit of the Spirit of Spirits always illuminates matter. Remember how shooting stars flash in the autumn earthly sky? Similarly, in the world of the Creator, the links of the chain of "souls-stars" flare up every second. They crumble into fragments, like a torn pearl thread, like raindrops, fragments-stars fall into the worlds of creation. Every second a star appears in the inner sky: this, reunited, " the soul-star "ascends to God from the worlds of death. Do you see two streams of these stars - descending and ascending? Here is the true rain over the Great Sower's cornfield. Each star has one main ray, along which the links of the entire chain, like a bridge, pass over the abyss. This is the "king of souls", the one who remembers and bears all the past of each star. Listen carefully, strangers, the most important secret of the Mountain: from billions of "kings of souls" one supreme constellation is made up. In billions of "kings of souls" before eternity, there is One King - and on Him is the hope of all, all the pain of the endless world … "In the East, they often speak in parables, many of which are hidden great secrets of life and death.who remembers and bears the entire past of each star. Listen carefully, strangers, the most important secret of the Mountain: one supreme constellation is made up of billions of “kings of souls”. In billions of “kings of souls”, before eternity, there is One King - and on Him is the hope of all, all the pain of the endless world …”. In the East, they often speak in parables, many of which contain the great secrets of life and death.who remembers and bears the entire past of each star. Listen carefully, strangers, the most important secret of the Mountain: one supreme constellation is made up of billions of “kings of souls”. In billions of “kings of souls”, before eternity, there is One King - and on Him is the hope of all, all the pain of the endless world …”. In the East, they often speak in parables, many of which contain the great secrets of life and death.
COSMOLOGY
According to the Zoroastrian concept of the universe, the world will exist for 12 thousand years. Its entire history is conventionally divided into four periods, in each of 3 thousand years. The first period is the pre-existence of things and ideas, when Ahura-Mazda creates an ideal world of abstract concepts. At this stage of heavenly creation, there were already types of everything that was later created on earth. This state of the world is called menok (ie, "invisible" or "spiritual"). The second period is considered the creation of the created world, ie, the real, visible, "inhabited by creatures." Ahura Mazda creates the sky, stars, the moon and the sun. Behind the sphere of the Sun is the abode of Ahura Mazda himself.
At the same time, Ahriman begins to act. He invades the sky, creates planets and comets that do not obey the uniform movement of the celestial spheres. Ahriman pollutes the water, sends death to the first man of Guyomart. But from the first person a man and a woman are born, who gave rise to the human race. From the collision of two opposing principles, the whole world begins to move: the waters become fluid, mountains appear, celestial bodies move. To neutralize the actions of "harmful" planets, Ahura-Mazda puts good spirits to each planet.
The third period of the existence of the universe covers the time before the appearance of the prophet Zoroaster. During this period, the mythological heroes of the Avesta act. One of them is the King of the Golden Age Yima the Shining One, in whose kingdom there is "neither heat, nor cold, nor old age, nor envy - the creation of the devas." This king saves people and livestock from the flood by building a special shelter for them. Among the righteous of this time, the ruler of a certain territory, Vishtasp, is also mentioned; it was he who became the patron saint of Zoroaster.
The last, fourth period (after Zoroaster) will last 4 thousand years, during which (in each millennium) three Saviors must appear to people. The last of them, the Savior Saoshyant, who, like the two previous Saviors, is considered the son of Zoroaster, will decide the fate of the world and humanity. He will resurrect the dead, defeat Ahriman, after which the world will be cleansed with a "stream of molten metal", and everything that remains after that will gain eternal life.
Since life is divided between good and evil, evil should be avoided. The fear of contamination of the sources of life in any form - physical or moral - is a hallmark of Zoroastrianism.
THE ROLE OF HUMAN BEING IN ZOROASTRISM
In Zoroastrianism, an important role is assigned to the spiritual development of a person. The main attention in the ethical doctrine of Zoroastrianism focuses on human activity, which is based on the triad: a kind thought, a kind word, a kind deed. Zoroastrianism taught a person to cleanliness and order, taught compassion for people and gratitude to parents, family, compatriots, demanded to fulfill their duties in relation to children, help fellow believers, take care of the land and pastures for livestock. The transmission of these commandments, which have become character traits, from generation to generation played an important role in developing the resilience of the Zoroastrians, helped to withstand the difficult trials that constantly fell to their lot for many centuries.
Zoroastrianism, giving a person the freedom to choose his place in life, called for avoiding evil. At the same time, according to the Zoroastrian doctrine, the fate of a person is determined by fate, but it depends on his behavior in this world where his soul goes after death - to heaven or hell.
THE FORMATION OF ZOROASTRISM
FIREWORDS
The prayer of the Zoroastrians has always made a great impression on those around them. This is how the famous Iranian writer Sadegh Khedayat recalls this in his story "Fire Worshipers". (The story is told from the perspective of an archaeologist working on excavations near the town of Naksh-Rustam, where an ancient Zoroastrian temple is located and the graves of the ancient shahs were cut down high in the mountains.)
The worship of the supreme deity Ahura-Mazda was expressed primarily in the worship of fire. That is why Zoroastrians are sometimes called fire worshipers. Not a single holiday, ceremony or ritual was complete without fire (Atar) - the symbol of God Ahura Mazda. Fire was presented in various forms: heavenly fire, lightning fire, fire that gives warmth and life to the human body, and, finally, the highest sacred fire that is kindled in temples. Initially, the Zoroastrians did not have temples of fire and images of deities resembling a person. Later they began to build temples of fire in the form of towers. Such temples existed in Media at the turn of the VIII-VII centuries. BC e. Inside the temple of fire there was a triangular sanctuary, in the center of which, to the left of the only door, was a four-step altar of fire, about two meters high. The fire was delivered by the stairs to the roof of the temple,from where it was seen from afar.
Under the first kings of the Persian state of the Achaemenids (VI century BC), probably under Darius I, Ahura-Mazda began to be depicted in the manner of a somewhat modified Assyrian god Ashur. In Persepolis - the ancient capital of the Achaemenids (near modern Shiraz) - the image of the God Ahura Mazda, carved by order of Darius I, represents the figure of a king with outstretched wings, with a solar disk around his head, in a tiara (crown), which is crowned with a ball with a star. In his hand he holds a grivna - a symbol of power.
The images of Darius I and other Achaemenid kings carved on the rock have been preserved in front of the altar of fire on the tombs in Naqsh-Rustam (now the city of Kazeroon in Iran). At a later time, images of deities - bas-reliefs, high-reliefs, statues - are more common. It is known that the Achaemenid king Artaxerxes II (404-359 BC) ordered to erect statues of the Zoroastrian goddess of water and fertility Anahita in the cities of Susa, Ecbatana, Baktra.
"APOCALYPSE" ZOROASTRIANS
According to the Zoroastrian doctrine, the world tragedy consists in the fact that there are two main forces in the world - the creative (Spenta Mainyu) and the destructive (Angra Mainyu). The first personifies everything good and pure in the world, the second - everything negative, delaying the formation of a person in goodness. But this is not dualism. Ahriman and his army - evil spirits and evil beings created by him - are not equal to Ahura-Mazda and are never opposed to him.
Zoroastrianism teaches about the final victory of good in the entire universe and about the final destruction of the kingdom of evil - then the world will be transformed …
The ancient Zoroastrian hymn says: "At the hour of resurrection, all who lived on earth will rise up and gather to the throne of Ahura Mazda to hear justification and petition."
The transformation of bodies will occur simultaneously with the transformation of the earth, at the same time the world and its population will change. Life will enter a new phase. Therefore, the day of the end of this world appears to the Zoroastrians as a day of triumph, joy, fulfillment of all hopes, the end of sin, evil and death …
Like the death of an individual person, the universal end is a door to a new life, and judgment is a mirror in which everyone will see the real yen for himself and either go into some new material life (according to the Zoroastrians, to hell), or take a place among “transparent races”(that is, those who let the rays of divine light pass through themselves), for which a new earth and new heavens will be created.
As great sufferings contribute to the growth of each individual soul, so without a general catastrophe a new, transformed universe cannot arise.
Whenever any of the great messengers of the supreme God Ahura-Mazda appears on earth, the scales tilt and the end becomes possible. But people are afraid of the end, they defend themselves from it, they prevent the end from coming with their lack of faith. They are like a wall, deaf and inert, frozen in their many-thousand-year severity of earthly existence.
What if, perhaps, hundreds of thousands or even millions of years will pass before the end of the world? What if the river of life will continue to flow into the ocean of time for a long time? Sooner or later, the moment of the end announced by Zoroaster will come - and then, like images of sleep or awakening, the fragile well-being of unbelievers will be destroyed. Like a storm that still lurks in the clouds, like a flame dormant in the woods while they are not yet kindled, there is an end in the world, and the essence of the end is transformation.
Those who remember this, those who fearlessly pray for the speedy coming of this day, only they are truly friends of the incarnate Word - Saoshyant, the Savior of the world. Ahura Mazda - Spirit and Fire. The symbol of the flame burning at the height is not only the image of the Spirit and life, another meaning of this symbol is the flame of the future Fire.
On the day of resurrection, every soul will require a body from the elements - earth, water and fire. All the dead will rise up with full consciousness of their good or evil deeds, and sinners will weep bitterly, realizing their evil deeds. Then, for three days and three nights, the righteous will be separated from the sinners who are in the darkness of utter obscurity. On the fourth day, the evil Ahriman will be turned into nothing and the almighty Ahura Mazda will reign everywhere.
The Zoroastrians call themselves "awake." They are “people of the Apocalypse”, one of the few who fearlessly await the end of the world.
ZOROASTRISM IN SASSANID
The consolidation of the Zoroastrian religion was facilitated by representatives of the Sassanid Persian dynasty, whose rise dates, apparently, to the 3rd century. n. e. According to the most authoritative evidence, the Sassanid clan patronized the temple of the goddess Anahita in the city of Istakhr in Pars (southern Iran). Papak from the Sassanid family took power from the local ruler - a vassal of the Parthian king.
Ahura Mazda presents the symbol of power to King Ardashir, 3rd century.
Papak's son Ardashir inherited the captured throne and by force of arms established his power in all Pars, overthrowing the long-reigning dynasty of Arshakids - representatives of the Parthian state in Iran. Ardashir was so successful that within two years he subjugated all the western regions and was crowned as "king of kings", later becoming the ruler of the eastern part of Iran.
TEMPLE OF FIRE
To strengthen their power among the population of the empire, the Sassanids began to patronize the Zoroastrian religion. A large number of fire altars were created throughout the empire, in cities and countryside. In Sassanid times, fire temples were traditionally built according to a single plan. Their exterior and interior decoration were very modest. The building material was stone or unbaked clay, the walls were plastered inside.
Temple of Fire (alleged construction according to descriptions)
1 - a bowl of fire
2 - entrance
3 - hall for praying
4 - hall for priests
5 - internal doorways
6 - service niches
7 - hole in the dome
The temple was a domed hall with a deep niche, where a sacred fire was placed in a huge brass bowl on a stone pedestal - an altar. The hall was fenced off from other rooms so that the fire was not visible.
Zoroastrian fire temples had their own hierarchy. Each ruler possessed his own fire, kindled in the days of his reign. The greatest and most revered was the fire of Varahram (Bahram) - a symbol of Righteousness, which formed the basis of the sacred fires of the main provinces and large cities of Iran. In the 80-90s. III century. all religious affairs were in charge of the high priest Kartir, who founded many such temples throughout the country. They became the centers of the Zoroastrian doctrine, strict observance of religious rites. Bahram's fire was able to give people strength to defeat good over evil. From the fire of Bahram, fires of the second and third degree were lit in cities, from them - the lights of altars in villages, small settlements and home altars in people's homes. According to tradition, the Bahram fire consisted of sixteen types of fire taken from the hearths of representatives of different classes,including clergy (priests), warriors, scribes, traders, artisans, farmers, etc. However, one of the main lights was the sixteenth, it had to wait for years: this is a fire that arises from lightning strikes into a tree.
After a certain time, the fires of all the altars had to be renewed: there was a special ritual of cleansing and raising a new fire on the altar.
Parsi priest.
The mouth is covered with a veil (padan); in his hands - a short modern leopard (ritual rod) made of metal rods.
Only a priest could touch the fire, who had a white cap in the shape of a skullcap on his head, a white robe on his shoulders, white gloves on his hands, and a half mask on his face so that his breath would not desecrate the fire. The priest constantly stirred the fire in the altar lamp with special tongs so that the flame burned evenly. In the altar bowl, firewood was burned from valuable hardwoods, including sandalwood. When they burned, the temple was filled with aroma. The accumulated ash was collected in special boxes, which were then buried in the ground.
Priest at the sacred fire.
The diagram shows ritual objects:
1 and 2 - cult bowls;
3, 6 and 7 - vessels for ash;
4 - spoon for collecting ash and ash;
5 - forceps.
THE FATE OF THE ZOROASTRIANS IN THE MIDDLE AGES AND IN NEW TIME
In 633, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of a new religion - Islam, the conquest of Iran by the Arabs began. By the middle of the VII century. they almost completely conquered it and included it in the Arab Caliphate. If the population of the western and central regions converted to Islam earlier than others, then the northern, eastern and southern provinces, far from the central authority of the caliphate, continued to profess Zoroastrianism. Even at the beginning of the 9th century. the southern region of Fars remained the center of the Iranian Zoroastrians. However, under the influence of the invaders, inevitable changes began, which also affected the language of the local population. By the IX century. the Middle Persian language was gradually replaced by the New Persian language - Farsi. But the Zoroastrian priests tried to preserve and perpetuate the Middle Persian language with its writing as the sacred language of the Avesta.
Until the middle of the IX century. Nobody forcibly converted the Zoroastrians to Islam, although they were constantly pressured. The first signs of intolerance and religious fanaticism appeared after Islam united most of the peoples of Western Asia. At the end of the IX century. - X century. the Abbasid caliphs demanded to destroy the Zoroastrian temples of fire; Zoroastrians began to persecute, they were called Jabras (Gebras), that is, "infidels" in relation to Islam.
The antagonism between the Persians who converted to Islam and the Zoroastrian Persians intensified. While Zoroastrians were deprived of all rights if they refused to convert to Islam, many Muslim Persians held important positions in the new administration of the Caliphate.
Violent persecution and increased clashes with Muslims forced the Zoroastrians to gradually leave their homeland. Several thousand Zoroastrians moved to India, where they were called Parsis. According to legend, the Parsis hid in the mountains for about 100 years, after which they went to the Persian Gulf, hired a ship and sailed to the island of Div (Diu), where they lived for 19 years, and after negotiations with the local Raja settled in a place that they named Sanjan after their hometown in the Iranian province of Khorasan. In Sanjan they built the Atesh Bahram fire temple.
For eight centuries, this temple was the only Parsi fire temple in the Indian state of Gujarat. After 200-300 years, the Parsis of Gujarat forgot their native language and began to speak the Gujarati dialect. The laity wore Indian clothing, but the priests still appeared only in white robes and a white cap. The Parsis of India lived separately, their own community, observing ancient customs. Parsian tradition names five main centers of Parsi settlement: Vankoner, Barnabas, Anklesar, Broch, Navsari. Most of the well-to-do Parsis in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. settled in the cities of Bombay and Surat.
The fate of the Zoroastrians who remained in Iran was tragic. They were forcibly converted to Islam, the temples of fire were destroyed, the holy books, including "Avesta", were destroyed. A significant part of the Zoroastrians managed to avoid extermination, who in the XI-XII centuries. They found refuge in the cities of Yazd, Kerman and their environs, in the regions of Turkabad and Sherifabad, fenced off from densely populated places by the mountains and deserts of Deshte-Kevir and Deshte-Lut. The Zoroastrians, who fled here from Khorasan and Iranian Azerbaijan, managed to bring with them the most ancient sacred fires. From now on, they burned in simple rooms, built of unbaked raw bricks (so as not to catch the eye of Muslims).
The Zoroastrian priests, who settled in the new place, were apparently able to take away the sacred Zoroastrian texts, including the Avesta. The best preserved liturgical part of the "Avesta", which is associated with its constant reading during prayers.
Until the Mongol conquest of Iran and the formation of the Delhi Sultanate (1206), as well as before the conquest of Gujarat by the Muslims in 1297, the ties between the Zoroastrians of Iran and the Parsis of India were not interrupted. After the Mongol invasion of Iran in the XIII century. and the conquest of India by Timur in the XIV century. these ties were interrupted and for some time resumed only at the end of the 15th century.
In the middle of the 17th century. The Zoroastrian community was again persecuted by the Shahs of the Safavid dynasty. By the order of Shah Abbas II, Zoroastrians were evicted from the outskirts of the cities of Isfahan and Kerman and forcibly converted to Islam. Many of them had to accept the new faith on pain of death. The surviving Zoroastrians, seeing that their religion was being insulted, began to hide the fire altars in special buildings that did not have windows that served as temples. Only clergymen could enter them. The believers were on the other half, separated from the altar by a partition that allowed them to see only the glow of the fire.
And in modern times, the Zoroastrians experienced persecution. In the 18th century. they were forbidden to engage in many types of crafts, trade in meat, and work as weavers. They could be traders, gardeners, or farmers and wear yellow and dark colored clothing. For the construction of dwellings, the Zoroastrians had to obtain permission from the Muslim rulers. They built their houses low, partly hidden underground (due to the proximity of the desert), with domed roofs, without windows; there was a ventilation hole in the middle of the roof. Unlike the dwellings of the Muslims, the living rooms in the houses of the Zoroastrians were always located in the southwestern part of the building, on the sunny side.
The difficult material situation of this ethnically religious minority was also explained by the fact that, in addition to general taxes on livestock, the followers of Zoroaster had to pay a special tax on the profession of a grocer or a potter - jizia - which they were taxed as “infidels”.
The constant struggle for existence, wanderings, repeated migrations left an imprint on the appearance, character and life of the Zoroastrians. They had to constantly take care of the salvation of the community, the preservation of faith, dogmas and rituals.
Many European and Russian scientists and travelers who visited Iran in the 17th-19th centuries noted that the appearance of the Zoroastrians was different from other Persians. Zoroastrians were dark-skinned, taller, had a wider oval face, a thin aquiline nose, dark long wavy hair and thick beards. The eyes are set wide apart, silvery-gray, under an even, light, prominent forehead. The men were strong, well-built, strong. Zoroastrian women were very pleasant in appearance, beautiful faces were often met. It is no accident that they were abducted by the Muslim Persians, converted and married them.
Even the clothes of the Zoroastrians differed from the Muslims. Over their trousers, they wore a wide cotton shirt to the knees, belted with a white sash, and on their heads they wore a felt cap or turban.
The life of the Indian Parsis was different. Education in the 16th century the empire of the Great Mughals in the place of the Delhi Sultanate and the coming to power of Khan Akbar weakened the oppression of Islam over the Gentiles. The unbearable tax (jizia) was abolished, the Zoroastrian clergy received small allotments of land, and great freedom was given to various religions. Soon Khan Akbar began to deviate from orthodox Islam, becoming interested in the beliefs of the Parsis, Hindus and Muslim sects. During his reign, disputes between representatives of different religions took place, including with the participation of the Zoroastrians.
In the XVI-XVII centuries. The Parsis of India were good cattle breeders and farmers, cultivated tobacco, were engaged in winemaking, supplied the sailors with fresh water and wood. Over time, the Parsis became intermediaries in trade with European merchants. When the center of the Parsian community Surat passed into the possession of England, the Parsis moved to Bombay, which in the 18th century. was the permanent residence of wealthy Parsis - merchants and entrepreneurs.
During the XVI-XVII centuries. ties between the Parsis and the Zoroastrians of Iran were often interrupted (mainly due to the Afghan invasion of Iran). At the end of the 18th century. In connection with the seizure of the city of Kerman by Aga Mohammed Khan Qajar, relations between the Zoroastrians and the Parsis were interrupted for a long time.
Rituals and customs of the Zoroastrians
Having developed a rather complex system of prescriptions, the ministers of the Zoroastrian religion dictated to their fellow believers what they should do and what they should not. On the one hand, the life of the Zoroastrians increasingly fell into dependence on rituals, cults and prescriptions of faith, on the other hand, only strict religious requirements could unite the people into a single organism, a religious community strong in its traditions.
Of great importance were the solemn ceremonies associated with the seasons: the celebration of the New Year (Nouruz), the cult of ancestors, the veneration of the sacred drink - haoma, prayers, rituals of purification and initiation of teenagers to the faith. There were rituals and customs associated with marriage, childbirth, funerals. They were necessarily attended by clergymen, as well as all relatives and friends, honorary citizens of a city or village.
PRAYER. Prayer is a daily ritual. The Zoroastrian dogmas provide detailed instructions on when, at what time of the year, at what hours and how to pray. The person praying turns to God at least five times a day. Mentioning the name of Ahura-Mazda in prayer, it is necessary to accompany him with laudatory epithets. In the morning and before going to bed, entering and leaving the house, performing cleansing and other rituals, Zoroastrians always mention God in words of prayer. You can pray in the temple, at the home altar, in nature, and the person praying should always be facing south, while the Parsis prayed facing north.
The religious beliefs of the Zoroastrians reflected folk beliefs, magic, demonology. So, from generation to generation, the fear of demons (devas) was transmitted. To overcome it, appropriate prayers and spells are recited. Strict rules accompany the ritual of purification: unquestioning observance of cleanliness, the prohibition to touch "unclean" objects, including some plants and animals, especially insects (ants), reptiles (snakes). The "clean" include a person, a dog, a cow, a sheep, a hedgehog, trees, plants and fruits in gardens and vegetable gardens. Touching an “unclean” object is considered a sin.
Fire, water and earth are especially revered among the Zoroastrians. To pour water, you need to wash your hands; you must not leave your home in the rain, so as not to pollute the land and water. You cannot eat meat without first removing the blood from it. You can not sit down to a meal or swim in the presence of gentiles.
Clean, dry wood was used to start a fire in the hearth. During cooking, not a single drop should enter the fire. Each house had its own "garbage chute" - a special room where a certain solution was poured so that dirt and impurities would drain into the ground through a special gutter.
FUNERAL RITES
Life for a Zoroastrian is a good beginning, represented by Ahura Mazda himself. While the faithful Zoroastrian is alive, he carries grace within himself; when he dies, he becomes an expression of the evil principle, since death is evil. Therefore, even the closest relatives of the deceased are forbidden to touch him. For this, there are nasassalars (corpse washers).
The rite of passage associated with death and burial is rather unusual and has always been strictly observed. A person who died in winter is assigned a special room, quite spacious and fenced off from living rooms, according to the instructions of the Avesta. The corpse can stay there for several days or even months until the birds arrive, the plants bloom, the hidden waters flow and the wind dries up the earth. Then the worshipers of Ahura Mazda will expose the body to the sun. In the room where the deceased was, a fire should constantly burn - a symbol of the supreme deity, but it was supposed to be fenced off from the deceased with a vine so that the demons did not touch the fire.
At the bedside of the dying man, two clergymen were to be permanently present. One of them read a prayer, turning his face to the sun, and the other prepared the sacred liquid (haomu) or pomegranate juice, which he poured for the dying from a special vessel. A dying person should have a dog - a symbol of the destruction of all "unclean". In addition, it was believed that the dog feels the last breath and the last heartbeat of a dying person. According to custom, if a dog ate a piece of bread placed on the chest of a dying person, the relatives were informed of the death of their loved one.
The corpse washers washed the body of the deceased, put on a shroud, a kushti belt and folded their arms over their chest. At any time of the year, except for winter, the funeral was performed on the fourth day after death, since it was believed that it was at this time that the soul of the deceased moved to the afterlife. With the rising of the sun, in accordance with the rules set forth in the Avesta, the burial ceremony was performed. A wooden flooring was laid on an iron stretcher, and a corpse was placed on it. Only corpse washers could carry the stretcher. The funeral procession of relatives, led by the priests, accompanied the stretcher only to the foot of the astodan, or the tower of silence, the Zoroastrian cemetery.
Tower of Silence:
1 - an entrance closed by a door;
2 - rings for laying the dead: closest to the well - for children, middle - for women, closest to the wall - for men;
3 - a well lined with stone;
4 - well cover with grate;
5 - birds of prey.
It was a special construction 4.5 m high. The floor of the tower was a burial ground, divided by concentric markings into three zones for laying the dead - children, women and men. Porters and priests brought their burden to the tower of silence and placed the corpse in one of the zones. The body was fixed so that animals or birds, having torn apart the corpse, could not carry away and scatter the remains in the water, on the ground or under trees. When the birds ate all the meat, and the bones were completely cleansed under the influence of the sun, they were thrown into a well located inside the tower of silence.
The ancient Greek scholars Herodotus and Strabo argued that during the Achaemenid times, the Persians rubbed the corpses with wax and buried the dead kings in special tombs or crypts carved into the Nakshe Rustam rocks. Magicians or priests put the corpses on a special kind of elevation and buried them "not before they were torn apart by birds or dogs." Later, the body of the deceased was carried out of the city, where birds of prey pecked at it; putting the body in the grave or burning (cremating) was prohibited.
The Greeks explained the ban on cremation by the fact that the Zoroastrians considered fire to be sacred. In the 20th century, especially in the 50s, the towers of silence in Iran were walled up and ceased to exist, while among the Parsis they continue to operate. In Iran, Zoroastrians bury the dead in their cemeteries and fill the grave with cement: they believe that with this method of burial, the land remains clean.
RITE OF CLEANSING
This rite is obligatory for all Zoroastrians. For priests or those taking orders, it was especially exhausting. Corpse washers, who were considered "unclean", also underwent the ceremony in a similar way.
Although the title of priest was inherited, the future priest, taking the dignity, in addition to special training, underwent several stages of the purification rite. The ceremony could last more than two weeks and included a daily six-time ablution with water, sand and a special composition, which included urine, as well as repeating vows in the presence of a dog. Then ablution with water followed again.
The literally fanatical attitude of the Zoroastrians towards "purification" and the fear of "desecration" partly explain the cruelty that believers have shown for centuries towards patients suffering from bleeding, digestive disorders or other similar ailments. It was believed that the disease is sent by evil spirits. Even with seriously ill old people and children, the Zoroastrians treated very harshly.
Bull-headed mace. Such a mace is held by a Parsian priest during ordination as a sign of entering into the struggle with the forces of evil.
A woman during her monthly ailments or illness became practically "untouchable": she slept on the floor in the dark half of the house, sat on a stone bench, did not dare to approach the altar with fire, did not have the right to go out into the air, work in the garden and in the house. She ate from special dishes and wore shabby clothes. None of the family members even approached her. Relatives were engaged in cooking at this time. If a woman had a baby, he was brought to her only for the duration of feeding, and then immediately taken away. However, such difficulties only developed the fortitude of the Zoroastrian women.
The birth of a child was also seen as "defiling the purity of the body." Just before childbirth, a woman received some benefits. A fire burned in her room around the clock. When a child was born, the flame should have burned especially evenly - this was strictly monitored. It was believed that only a steady burning flame could save a newborn from the wiles of the devil.
The mother's purification ritual after childbirth was painful and lasted 40 days. In the first days after giving birth, the mother did not drink clean water, could not warm up near the hearth, even if the birth was difficult and took place in winter. It is not surprising that mortality during childbirth and the postpartum period was very high. But in ordinary times, when a woman was healthy, she enjoyed significant privileges, and in some matters related to household chores and households, all family members took her word for it.
RITE OF PASSAGE
If the Indian Parsis at the birth of a child to predict his fate resorted to the help of their astrologers, then the other Zoroastrians did not have astrologers, and there was no question of turning to Muslim astrologers. The Zoroastrians knew the date and year of birth of the child very approximately and therefore did not celebrate birthdays. At the age of 7 to 15, the initiation rite took place - the adolescent's introduction to the faith of his ancestors. A boy or girl wore a hip belt, which from now on had to be worn all his life. In India, among the Parsis, the initiation ceremony took place solemnly, in the temple, and among the Iranian Zoroastrians - modestly, in the house, with a lamp lit, with the reading of prayers from the Ghats.
FRAVASHI - HEAVENLY MAN
Shortly before the start of the First World War, the Russian writer Yuri Terapiano, who was in Persia, met an old man, one of the Zoroastrian priests. They had long conversations about the innermost content of this ancient and wonderful religion. The interlocutors more than once had to turn to a very peculiar side of Zoroastrianism - the doctrine of Fravashi. The elder, in particular, said that the physical organism of a person and even his mental body (Zoroastrianism considers the threefold nature of a person: material, energetic, or mental, and spiritual) are only tools for the "true man - Fravashi". Fravashi is a spirit, non-incarnate, timeless, immortal. For him there has never been an earthly birth, he never died, he is not bound by anything that limits the body and soul of an earthly man. In the very depths of his being, man is an immortal spirit - eternal, shining, Fravashi, Indestructible.
Fravashi's spirit, similar to the spirit of his Creator, was infinitely free in the infinitely emerging God's world as long as it was one with God.
Talking about the fall of the Heavenly Man, the old man used the parable of a certain virtuous man who lived in very ancient times and who wanted to see with his own eyes the evil deity - Ahriman. He walked around the world and everywhere paid attention only to the evil manifestations of people and nature, but every time he was convinced that the reason for them was a bad upbringing, poverty, despair, loneliness, madness or the action of natural laws unfavorable for man, but he never found these evil manifestations of the devil. Once in a dream a formidable angel appeared to him and said: “You are looking for me everywhere, but you are looking not there. I dwell in your eyes and in your heart - think about it!"
The evil principle, the elders said further, appeared in the world when a heart was found that allowed an evil feeling towards something that in itself is not evil. At the moment when the heart for the first time admits that there is evil, evil is born in this heart, and two principles begin to fight in it.
How did evil originate in the heart of a Heavenly Man? He had all the possibilities at his disposal, and among them - the opportunity to oppose himself to the Whole. God is the one perfect Unit, because He is everything, and any other unit only in Him can maintain its integrity. By virtue of his similarity to the Supreme Unit, the Heavenly Man could draw attention to himself, put himself in the center, which was the beginning of the temptation.
The devil did not tempt a person. Ahriman is a ghost that exists in the heart. But as soon as evil is revealed in a person, evil appears outside, and then Ahriman becomes the enemy of Ahura-Mazda.
The farther from God, the deeper the sleep of the spirit, the fainter the consciousness. The state of consciousness fainting began when Fravashi was seduced by the ghost of selfhood and wanted to highlight his “I”, to oppose himself to everything.
His consciousness was fragmented: “I” and “not I” appeared, “I” - “you”, “we” - “they” - fragments of the destroyed whole. Just as music, sounding in a full chord, can be reduced to naught if during its performance one thinks about individual sounds, so the integral sense of life in God was shattered into two component parts like a torn necklace.
The ancients embodied this truly cosmic tragedy in the myth of God's being torn apart. God, or rather the image of God, the Heavenly Man, was torn apart by the centrifugal force of selfhood. Thus, in the language of the Mysteries, the myth of the fall of man is revealed.
FOREIGN WORLD OF ZOROASTRIANS
The French scientist F. Gignyu deciphered the previously incomprehensible places of the inscription in Naksh Rustam. They were made during the Sassanid era by Kartir, the chief priest. The priest, listing his merits, describes the journey he made during his lifetime to the other world, where the souls of people usually end up after death. Judging by the surviving fragments of the inscription, Kartir's soul traveled the path that was known from Zoroastrian legends. The soul in the afterlife first goes to the top of the Mount of Justice (Hare) and must try to cross the Chinvat Bridge, accessible only to the righteous. If the soul of a godly person crosses the Chinvat Bridge, the bridge expands and becomes comfortable and safe, and if it is a sinner, then the bridge narrows to a thin line, and the sinner falls into the abyss. The righteous person goes to paradise, where he sees the souls of the pious, the scales and the golden throne of God.
The stories of the priest Kartir served to strengthen Zoroastrianism, since in the era of the Sassanids, religious-reformist movements arose, such as Manichaeism, Zurvanism and Mazdakism, which the Zoroastrian priests considered heresy.
FRAVASHI
The idea of the afterlife is closely related to the concept of fravashi, which personifies the souls of all the departed. In "Avesta" (yasht 13), it is told about fravashi - the souls of deceased ancestors and patron spirits. In the Zoroastrian pantheon, Fravashi are as revered as other deities. Fravashi have always existed, at least long before the creation of man. The Fravashi appear to be something like the Valkyries of the ancient Germans: winged female creatures that inhabit the air. They accompany a person all his life, and after his death they become guardian angels and patrons of the soul. Fravashi are not only the spirits of ancestors, but also the spirits of heroes and teachers of the Zoroastrian faith, men and women - the first followers of this doctrine.
It is believed that fravashi help people to get water, food, get good harvests, improve soil fertility, promote procreation and family well-being. During the holidays, Zoroastrians exhibited fravashi food and clothing, because in the next world the souls of the dead, according to their ideas, experience hunger. There was a belief that on the Day of Judgment, the Fravashi should provide protection to worthy Zoroastrians.
Probably, in antiquity there was a difference between the cult of Fravashi and the cult of the soul (urvan). Later they merged into one cult. This is expressed in the following words of the prayer: "We worship the souls (urvan) of the dead, who are the fravashi of the righteous." However, some distinction between urvan and fravashi still persists today.
Zoroastrians believe that the souls of the dead illuminate the life of the living, and the living honor their dead ancestors, so that after death, in the other world, they can reunite with their loved ones. Therefore, the commemoration ceremony is mandatory and takes place immediately after the funeral. Before the commemoration, all relatives must perform the ritual of ablution (hands, face, neck). Wear clean clothes. After thoroughly washing the floors in the house, fire is brought into the room. In winter, the renewed fire can be brought into the house only on the tenth day after death, and in the summer - after a month. A few drops of fat are poured onto the fire - a symbol of sacrifice. Wake is held on the tenth and thirtieth days, then - a year later and later. At the commemoration, they eat, drink, the clergy read prayers and prepare haoma (ephedra juice is mixed with milk and juice of other plants). During prayer, the priest holds a tamarisk or willow branch in his hands. Prayers can sit on the floor or squat and during prayer, like the mobed (priests), raise their hands, but unlike Muslims they never touch the ground or the floor when bowing.
ZOROASTRIAN CALENDAR
The Zoroastrians have long used a solar calendar similar to the Egyptian. The Zoroastrian calendar year was six hours shorter than the astronomical one. This led to the fact that every four years the beginning of a new calendar year, as it were, moved by one day. For 120 years, this difference was a full month of 30 days. During the reign of the Sassanids, it was inserted into the calendar. But this created a discrepancy between the calendar and seasonal work or religious holidays, which, according to the Avesta, should have been celebrated at certain times of the year. Therefore, from the end of the reign of the Sassanids, the leap month ceased to be added to the calendar; five days were simply added to the last month of the year, and one more day every four years. Thus, according to the Zoroastrian calendar, the year consists of 360 days, divided into 12 months of 30 days each,and five days are added to the last month of the year (February - March), which are considered the eve of the New Year.
The days of the months are not numbered, but are called by the names of the Zoroastrian deities. Every day and month has its own kind patron spirit or deity. The first, eighth, fifteenth and twenty-third days of each month are dedicated to Ahura Mazda. If the name of the day matches the name of the month, that day is considered a holiday. For example, the day of shooting in the month of shooting is a holiday dedicated to water.
There is a difference between the calendars of the Zoroastrians and the Indian Parsis. In the XII century. the Parsis of Gujarat introduced an additional month, and since then their calendar has not changed.
HOLIDAYS OF THE ZOROASTRIANS
In addition to seven holidays in honor of Ahura Mazda and six holidays in honor of the Spirit of Amesha-Spenta, the arrival of spring, summer, the beginning of autumn, when the shepherds returned from pastures, mid-winter and the eve of spring were celebrated. During the last holiday, the souls of the ancestors were commemorated. The most solemn and revered holiday has always been Nouruz - the meeting of the New Year.
On the eve of the holiday, germinating seeds of wheat, barley or lentils are brought into the house and laid out in front of the altar. In the evening on the eve of the New Year, a fire is lit on the rooftops; a branch of a young tree with leaves is placed in a vessel located nearby, and ritual food and drink are also placed here. As the first rays of the sun appear, the whole family gathers on the roof of the house and waits for the chief priest to light a fire at all four corners of his roof. This is a signal that the New Year has arrived.
The New Year is celebrated very solemnly. A collection of prayers from the "Avesta" should be on the festive table. Seven dishes, which make up the so-called lorca, of almonds, pistachios, walnuts, persimmons, figs, grapes and pomegranates are always put on the table. There are roses in vases, cool water is poured in jugs, and hot bread is on trays. The chief priest performs divine service in front of the altar, stirring the fire with tongs and slowly turning in the direction of the sun's movement, from east to west. At the same time, he sometimes raises and then lowers the sacred branches, tied in a bunch, and chants a prayer, which is picked up by everyone present.
The number 7 for Zoroastrians is sacred. They honor seven deities, seven stars, seven degrees of heaven, seven commandments. Among the seven sacred objects are candles, symbolizing the memory of the sacred fire; mirrors are reflections of the universe; an egg - as a symbol of the origin of life; an aquarium with goldfish and a tray of incense.
At the first rays of the sun, the owner of the house rotates the mirror, saying: "Let there be light!", After which everyone, congratulating each other, starts the meal.
Traditionally, the end of the New Year's celebration falls on the thirteenth day of the month. The number 13 among Zoroastrians, like many other peoples, is considered unlucky. On this day, all Zoroastrians leave their homes and leave the city so that Ahriman and evil spirits do not harm them and their dwellings.
The sacrifice rite is purely symbolic. A small piece of meat is placed on the altar, and the faithful bring gifts and money to the priest. And only in the vicinity of the cities of Yazd and Kerman, the most strict Zoroastrians in the faith sacrificed old animals.
On holidays, Zoroastrians traditionally provide assistance to the poor, orphans, the disabled and lonely old people.
ZOROASTRISM AND FAMILY LIFE
Zoroastrianism condemns celibacy and immorality alike. A man is faced with the main task: procreation. As a rule, Zoroastrian men marry at 25-30 years old, and women marry at 14-19 years old. The wedding ceremony is joyful. Zoroastrians have a monogamous marriage, but occasionally it was allowed, with the permission of the first wife, to bring the second to the house. This usually happened when the first marriage turned out to be childless.
On the issue of inheritance, the Zoroastrians, unlike the Parsis and Muslims, adhered to different rules: most of the family's inheritance was given not to the eldest, but to the youngest son, who stayed at home with his parents longer than other children, helping them with the household.
The ethical side of Zoroastrianism, when life is viewed as a blessing given by God, has always made Zoroastrians feel responsible for their own behavior and the behavior of those around them, linked by a single religion, common goals and everyday life.
The triad: a kind thought, a kind word and a kind deed is the basis of the morality of the Zoroastrians. Very important for the Zoroastrian doctrine are such concepts as truth, justice, fidelity, courage, honesty, decency and virtue, and from the point of view of religion - righteousness and piety. The holiness of the word is of great importance for the Zoroastrian. It is no coincidence that even Muslims, when concluding deals, preferred to deal with Zoroastrians, knowing their honesty and incorruptibility.
The characteristic features of the Zoroastrians are their concern for nature and the animal world, as well as a special attitude towards the four elements - fire, water, earth and air, care for their purity, as well as for their own.
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In the last decades of the XX century. The Zoroastrian community no longer represents a single monolithic organism. In large cities, Zoroastrians no longer live in isolation, and therefore found themselves, as it were, dissolved among the rest of the population. Most of them are entrepreneurs, doctors, teachers, lawyers, engineers, journalists. Zoroastrian youth living in cities are more tolerant of representatives of other religions. After the adoption of the Islamic constitution in Iran in 1979, Zoroastrians were recognized as a religious minority. As a result, they faced many problems in the field of religion, economics and politics, as, indeed, before all religious minorities in other countries.
