God
Zoroastrianism was probably the first religion to have a single God: Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord or the Lord of Wisdom. He created a good world consisting of seven elements of creation: the sky, waters, earth, plants, cattle, humans, and fire.
Origins
Founded by the prophet Zarathushtra. Zoroaster is the Greek form of Zarathushtra’s name. He lived in Eastern Iran anywhere from 1500 to 1000 BCE. Historians disagree over the exact dates. Zoroastrianism became the Persian Empire’s dominant religion around 600 BC.
Core beliefs
Zarathushtra taught that there are two forces in the world: good and bad. People are free to choose between either, but those who are righteous will only choose the good.
Zoroastrians are dedicated to ethical and moral excellence. Their guiding principles are:
- Humata - good thoughts
- Hukhta - good words
- Hvarshta - good deeds
By thinking good thoughts, a person is moved to speak good words, and that leads to good deeds. This threefold belief lies at the heart of the Zoroastrian faith.
Holy book
The Zoroastrian holy book is called the Avesta. The Gathas are the Prophet Zarathushtra’s sacred hymns. The Gathas are part of the Avesta, an ancient Zoroastrian holy book written centuries after Zarathushtra lived.
Statistics
There are approximately 140,000 Zoroastrians worldwide. The Parsee community makes up the largest group. Overall, there 100,000 Zoroastrians in India, 30,000 in Iran, 4,000 in Pakistan, and around 7,000 in Britain.
Worship
Zoroastrians pray at fire temples. Although they respect fire as the symbol of Ahura Mazda, Zoroastrians never actually worship fire – as many people mistakenly believe.
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