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Zarathustra preached that
there were only two gods, the "wise lord" Ahuramazda and his eternal rival
Ahriman. It was the duty of the believer to side with Ahuramazda, which was
possible by avoiding lies.
Teachings of Zarathustra
Most of the Zoroastrian scriptures were destroyed during
the invasions of Persia by Alexander and later by the Arabs. But the Zoroastrian
priests preserved some of the important sacred texts through oral tradition. The
most important of these texts are known collectively as the 'Yasna' (yajna),
which contains 72 'has' or sections. The five gathas or (stories) of Zarathustra,
are found among these sections only. These five gathas, especially the first one
called 'Ahunavaiti' , contain most of his teachings and thereby form the core of
the Zoroastrian religion.
The Three Great Commandments
Zarathustra gave three commandments to his followers to
enable them lead perfect lives and work for their own evolution. These are
humata (good thought), hukhta (good word), and havarshta (good deeds). Good
thoughts are very important in the spiritual journey of man, because all else
comes out of thoughts only. Without good thoughts, there cannot be progress on
the spiritual path. Without good thoughts one cannot subject oneself to Divine
will and become qualified to receive boons from Vohu Mano. Thinking good alone
is not sufficient. But one must have the courage to speak Truth all the time.
One must be truthful to oneself and to others. There is no place for hypocrisy
or duplicity in the life a of a true Zoroastrian. Performance of good deeds is
equally important. The supreme Power of God, in the aspect of Khshathra Vairya
comes to Him who engages himself in good actions. Good actions include Sraosha
or service.
Ahuna Vairya Mantra
The Parsis chant Ahuna Vairya Mantra which is considered
to be very sacred by them. according to the scriptures of Zorastrianism, Ahura
Mazda uttered this manthra at the time of creation and manifested the whole
creation. The significance of this mantra is such that chanting of it is
considered to be equivalent to chanting of all the sacred texts. By chanting it
continuously, the Parsis believe that one can drive away forces of darkness both
within and without.
The first line of the verse says that just as a ahu (king)
is powerful on earth, a ratu (a seer or a great soul ) is powerful everywhere
because of his Asha. The second line of the verse says that the gifts of
Vahumano are for those who work for the Lord of life. It means that Vahumano
bestows his boons (love and purity of thought) upon those who indulge in good
thoughts and good actions according to the divine will of God. The third line of
the verse says that the Supreme power of God is bestowed upon him who considers
himself as the helper of the meek and the lowly. The third line thus lays
special emphasis on the concept of Sraosha or service.
Ahura Mazda and His Six Aspects
According to Zoroastrianism, God, the Creator, Ahuramazda,
is one. Every thing emanates from Him and in the end dissolves in Him. He is the
one and only. He is formless and He alone should be worshipped. Though He is
formless, He has six aspects called Amesha-Spentas, through which men are
expected to approach Him. These aspects are like the rays emanating from the
single eternal source of light. The first three aspects represents the
Father-aspect of God while the remaining three represent the Mother-aspect.
First among the six aspects is Asha-Vahishta. Asha means
hope, an expectation. Asha Vahishta represents the divine event that is already
ordained in the divine scheme of things. He is the reality that is continuously
manifesting itself through divine will, according to the divine law. When a
human being submits himself to the divine will and follows the divine laws, he
is following Asha-Vahishta in the expectation of his own spiritual evolution.It
is difficult for common people to conceptualize Asha-Vahishta and understand. As
a solution, the prophet suggested fire to be used as the symbol for Asha by
which people can easily recognize Him and meditate upon Him. Asha is divine,
very remote and beyond human intelligence. But fire is very earthly and is
regarded as one of the most common and familiar symbols known to mankind since
earliest times. Fire has certain special and distinct characteristics. It can
consume as well as transform every thing it touches. Fire thus became the
earthly symbol for the divine Asha and Zoroastrians started worshipping Him as
fire. Fire thus has become a very central aspect of Zorastrianism.
The second aspect of
Ahuramazda is Vohu-manah, (Bahman), the divine wisdom, the supreme and immortal
love, who sustains and supports mankind in times of difficulties and leads
people on their path to God. He is the bestower of the pure mind or the good
mind which is the basis for further spiritual evolution. He loves not only human
beings but also all other creatures and therefore is truly a 'guardian angel' of
the animals. We can please him by being kind to animals. The Parsis do not eat
meat on certain occasions as a mark of respect to Him.
Khshathra-Vairya is the third
aspect. He is the supreme creative power of God and responsible for the
maintenance of the whole creation. As the dynamic aspect of God, He teaches
mankind the importance of action (karma) in their lives. On the physical plane
he commands all the minerals, and through them measures and controls the
physical strength of beings.
The fourth aspect, Spenta
Armaiti, is the Mother-aspect of God. She represents faith and single minded
devotion to God. She is the friend and mother of those who are dvijas or the
twice-born, that is those who have been initiated into the secrets of religion
and spiritual life. On the physical plane she is the mother earth, who sustains
all and nourishes all.
The fifth aspect is Hauravatat.
She is perfection personified. She represents all that is perfect, beautiful and
harmonious in the creation of God. On the physical plane she is the water
goddess who rules over the elements of water and the physical health of beings.
Ameretat is the sixth
aspect who is always found in the company of Hauravatat. She is the bestower of
immortality and dispeller of fear of death. She rules over the vegetable kingdom
and is associated with the tree of life and the tree of immortality found in
heaven.
Ahura Mazda with these six aspects constitute the
seven fold Lord of the Universe and fire is his purest and holiest creation on
earth. In addition to these there is another divine power , the yazata Sraosha,
which was referred by Zarathustra as the means to attain the path of salvation.
Sraosha is service (sushrusha of Sanskrit), obedience and devotion to God. When
we cultivate this virtue we will be able to see the path of salvation clearly in
front of us.
Source: http://www.parsicommunity.com/Religion/Zarathustra/Teachings.htm
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