Zoroaster was an ancient Iranian prophet and the founder of Zoroastrianism, which was the national religion of the Sassanian dynasty of the Persian Empire, and of the earlier Achaemenean dynasty. The original form of his name was Zarathushtra (Zaraθuštra), but he is usually known in English as Zoroaster (after the Greek version, Ζωροάστρης, Zoroastres). Zoroaster was born in the northwestern part of Iran, in the city of Urmehr, modern day Uroomiyeh in east Azarbaijan province. T ...

Including:

• Zoroaster - Name
• Zoroaster - Zoroaster in History
• Zoroaster - Life
• Zoroaster - Zoroaster in Historical Context
• Zoroaster - Date of Zoroaster
• Zoroaster - Zoroastrian teachings
• Zoroaster - Zoroaster in the West
• Zoroaster - Contemporary views
• Zoroaster - Bibliography

Read more here: » Zoroaster: Encyclopedia - Zoroaster

See also:

Zoroaster, Zoroaster - Name, Zoroaster - Zoroaster in History, Zoroaster - Life, Zoroaster - Zoroaster in Historical Context, Zoroaster - Date of Zoroaster, Zoroaster - Zoroastrian teachings, Zoroaster - Zoroaster in the West, Zoroaster - Contemporary views, Zoroaster - Bibliography

Read more here: » Zoroaster: Encyclopedia II - Zoroaster - Date of Zoroaster

Zoroaster was known as a sage, magician and miracle-worker in post-Classical Western culture, though almost nothing was known of his ideas until the late eighteenth century. By this time his name was associated with lost ancient wisdom and was appropriated by Freemasons and other groups who claimed access to such knowledge. He appears in Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte under the variant name "Sarastro", who represents mor ...

See also:

Zoroaster, Zoroaster - Name, Zoroaster - Zoroaster in History, Zoroaster - Life, Zoroaster - Zoroaster in Historical Context, Zoroaster - Date of Zoroaster, Zoroaster - Zoroastrian teachings, Zoroaster - Zoroaster in the West, Zoroaster - Contemporary views, Zoroaster - Bibliography

Read more here: » Zoroaster: Encyclopedia II - Zoroaster - Zoroaster in the West

The philosophy of Prophet Zarathushtra accorded sanctity to nature as much as to rectitude in human existence. The Sun became the celestial emblem of the Fire which was kept burning within the homes and fire-temples on earth as an undying and unremitting tribute to the spirit of the Creator, Ahura Mazda.

Haptan Yasht says: "We revere the Earth and the Sky, we revere the strong Wind created by Mazda, we revere all good land." The unflinching reverence of the living world as also an abiding involvement with the advancement of our own Self were propounded through Zoroastrianism, a religion in consonance with environmental perceptions. Physical purity became a step towards purity of the mind, the soul and the spirit.

(See also: Jamshedi Navroz, Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Sacred Fire of the Zoroastrian Faith

Fire has been revered and worshipped in ancient cultures worldwide. In Greek mythology, the Titan Prometheus, out of his great love for mankind, disobeys Zeus and steals fire from heaven and brings it down to earth for human use. As punishment, Zeus chains Prometheus to the Caucasus mountain since mankind was not yet considered to be ready for this great gift of the gods.

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Relation between Hinduism and Zoroastrianism

Like the Rigvedic Aryans, the ancient Iranians worshipped gods like Mitra, Vayu, Verutraghna. They also wore the sacred thread and worshipped fire. They had a social organization that was in some ways similar to the Vedic occupation based social system. 

Read more here: » Hinduism and Zoroastrianism:Relation between Hinduism and Zoroastrianism

What we know of the life of Zoroaster is from the Avesta, the Gāthās, the Greek texts, oral history (which is a significant method of teaching in the tradition), and what can be inferred from archaeological evidence. The 13th section of the Avesta, the Spena Nask, the description of Zoroaster's life, has perished over the centuries. The biographies in the seventh book of the Dēnkard (9th century) an ...

See also:

Zoroaster, Zoroaster - Name, Zoroaster - Zoroaster in History, Zoroaster - Life, Zoroaster - Zoroaster in Historical Context, Zoroaster - Date of Zoroaster, Zoroaster - Zoroastrian teachings, Zoroaster - Zoroaster in the West, Zoroaster - Contemporary views, Zoroaster - Bibliography

Read more here: » Zoroaster: Encyclopedia II - Zoroaster - Life

Ahura Mazda is the abstract and transcendant god of Zoroastrianism, the official religion of ancient Persia until the 7th century. The word "Ahura" approximately equates to "divinity" and "Mazda" to "wisdom". Ahura Mazda - Ahura Mazda and Zoroaster's Teachings. Zoroaster (also called Zarathushtra), the principal prophet of Zoroastrianism, preached that all things good and beneficial to humankind are the creation of Ahura Mazda and everything that is malignant is the creation of Ahriman. In Zoroastria ...

Including:

• Ahura Mazda - Ahura Mazda and Zoroaster's Teachings
• Ahura Mazda - Terms of honour

Read more here: » Ahura Mazda: Encyclopedia - Ahura Mazda

Zoroastrianism was once the "official" religion of Sassanid (Sassanian) Persia, and played an important role in the Achaemenid as well as Parthian empires in Persia. The religion is also known as Mazdaism by some followers; and currently, as Zarathustrianism by others. Zoroastrian areas once stretched from Anatolia to the Persian Gulf, and its followers once numbered in the millions. Its followers today, located in South Asia, Iran, and throughout the diaspora, num ...

Including:

• Zoroastrianism - Principal beliefs
• Zoroastrianism - Specific Zoroastrian concepts
• Zoroastrianism - The Prophet
• Zoroastrianism - Zoroaster's meditations
• Zoroastrianism - Zoroaster's preaching
• Zoroastrianism - Holy Book
• Zoroastrianism - History
• Zoroastrianism - Historical importance
• Zoroastrianism - Principles of modern-day Zoroastrianism
• Zoroastrianism - Adherents
• Zoroastrianism - Famous Zoroastrians
• Zoroastrianism - Notes

Read more here: » Zoroastrianism: Encyclopedia - Zoroastrianism

Ahura is the Avestan term for a good divinity, e.g. the Zoroastrian term Ahura Mazda "the ahura (divinity) Wisdom" (Pahlavi Ōhrmazd). The word is cognate with Sanskrit Asura "evil divinity" and Germanic As. In the Vedas, this title is applied to divine beings in general. A trinity of divinities are addressed as ahura in Zoroastrianism: Ahura Mazda, Agni and Mithra. Ahura was referenced to in Zoroastrianism which Zoroaster brought to Near Eastern people of the Persian empire, around the sixth century B.C. Source: Mary Boyce, A Hist ...

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Zoroastrian music is a kind of religious music that accompanies religious and traditional rites among the Zoroastrian people. Prior to the arrival of Islam, Zoroastrians knew choral and solo performance songs. Most of those songs are no longer performed any longer, though there remain Zoroastrian religious songs. Many are derived from the Avesta, or from the Gathas (sayings attributed to Zoroaster). Islamic influence can be seen in the melodies of the Naderi method of prayer recitation and pilgrim's songs. The ancient tambourine music of Kermanshah (in Iran) is ...

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Vishtaspa was the ancient King of Persia-India. He is mentioned in several major Puranas and minor Puranas, probably even in Valmiki's Ramayana. He is presumed to have lived around 750 B.C. probably before Gautama Buddha was born. He has been mentioned in Jain shastras such as Kalpasutra. Vishtaspa received Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) in his court and proclaimed his teachings, much the same way as Ashoka the G ...

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Creation is an epic historical fiction novel by Gore Vidal which was published in 1981. The plot follows the adventures of a Persian diplomat in the 5th century BCE, who travels the known world comparing the political and religious beliefs of various nation states of the time, and meeting influential philosophical figures such as Zoroaster, Socrates, the Buddha, Mahavira, Laozi and Confucius. Vidal evokes a theme which Robert Graves had previously explored, a skepticism of the reported facts and interpretations of our un ...

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In the Zoroastrian religion, Saoshyant refers to one who will "make existence brilliant". Literally, the term means "one who brings benefit." In common usage, this term refers to a future savior or Messiah-figure, who will spread divine truth and lead humanity in the final battle against the forces of evil. In Zoroaster's own writings, the Gathas, the term is used to refer to his own prophetic mission and to the community of his followers, who bring "bring benefit" to humanity. In later Zoroastrian doctrine it is envisag ...

Read more here: » Saoshyant: Encyclopedia - Saoshyant

The Gathas form the oldest part of Avesta, the holy scripture of the Zoroastrian religion, traditionally believed to have been composed by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) himself. The verses are composed in the metrical forms of ancient Indo-Iranian religious poetry. It is in a very condensed style of versification, in which standard grammatical construction is more absent than present. In extent the Gathas constitute a small book containing about 6000 words, in about 1300 lines set in 238 verses which are collected in 17 chapters, ea ...

Including:

• Gathas - The Language of the Gathas
• Gathas - The Content of the Gathas

Read more here: » Gathas: Encyclopedia - Gathas

(2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) 6th century BC - Overview. The 5th and 6th centuries BC were a time of empires, but more importantly, a time of learning and philosophy. Mediterranean: Beginning of Greek philosophy, flourishes during the 5th century BC East Asia: Chinese philosophy become the "religion" of China. Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, and Moism flourish. Middle East: During the Persian empire, Zoroaster, aka Zarathustra, founded Zoroastrianism ...

Including:

• 6th century BC - Overview
• 6th century BC - Events
• 6th century BC - Significant persons
• 6th century BC - Inventions discoveries introductions

Read more here: » 6th century BC: Encyclopedia - 6th century BC

Zoroaster:

A name for God, or the sacred fire, used by the ancient Persians, hence their religion was called Zoroasterism. A german for of the name is Zarathustra.

(See also: Zoroaster, Body Mind and Soul)

Zoroaster. Greek form of Zarathustra (q.v.).

(See also: Zoroaster, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Zoroaster

(Greek form of Zarathushtra)

The religion founded by the Iranian-speaking prophet Zarathushtra, Greek Zoroaster, about 600 BC.

It is known to its followers by the Pahlavi title, Daena Mazdayasni, "the Good Religion of the Worshipers of Mazdah. " Later followers, however, worshipped Zoroaster in addition to Mazda. Good Lord Mazda and evil Angra Mainyu are seen as equal in power. There are presently some 150,000 adherents, the majority living in India in the area of Bombay and in Gujarat. Many of these Zoroastrians, called Parsis, "Persians," moved to India after the Islamization of Iran, their original homeland.

Today, many live in other parts of the world, including North America. Versions of Zoroastrianism were made the official religion of the three major pre-Islamic Near Eastern empires of the Iranians, namely that of the Achaemenids, the Parthians, and the Sassanids; under the last the religion was radically unified.

Following the Muslim conquest in the middle of the seventh century, Zoroastrianism was reduced by increasing conversions to Islam. The Turkish and Mongol conquests of Iran saw widespread persecutions, largely reducing the adherents of Zoroastrianism to the desert cities of Kerman and Yazd.

(See also: Zoroaster, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Zoroaster:

Zoroaster. Founder of the ancient Persian religion Zoroastrianism. The sacred text called the Gathas were revealed to him while in deep meditation. Ahur Mazda is the name for the Supreme.

(See also: Zoroaster, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)